‘Blackwater’ Clinches Part of $10b Deal With US State Dept
October 6, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under Breaking News
A notorious private military company ‘Blackwater’ has won yet another government security contract, despite its long and continuing trail of legal problems, an Arab TV reported on Saturday.
Bidding under a new name, Xe Services won a share this week of a $10 billion State Department deal to provide protective services for American embassies abroad. Two months ago a Xe affiliate, US Training Center, won a $100 million security contract from the CIA. But at least it used its own name for that.
In its latest score, Xe employed a new business vehicle, International Development Solutions, a blandly named cut-out, in the description of Danger Rooms Spencer Ackerman, who first reported the deal on Friday. No one who looks at the official announcement of the contract award would have any idea that firm is connected to Blackwater, Ackerman wrote. But the State Department confirmed that US Training Center, which it described as part of International Development Solutions (IDS), won the contract in a joint venture with Kaseman, a McLean, Va., security services firm, whose board is stocked with top former State Department and CIA officials.Kasemans board of directors includes Henry A. Crumpton, a former coordinator for counterterrorism at the State Department, and Kara L. Bue, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for regional stability who had previously served as special assistant to Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage during the George W. Bush administration. Other board members include former NSA and CIA director Michael V. Hayden; Donald M. Kerr, a longtime former CIA official who also served as principal deputy to the director of national intelligence; and former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), who sat on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. A number of top former military officials also serve on the board, including retired Marine Corps general and U.S Central Command chief Anthony Zinni, and retired Navy Adm. Stephen F. Loftus, a former chief financial officer at the powerhouse D.C. firm Carlyle Management Group. On Tuesday, Sept. 28, the day before the State Department deal was announced, Kaseman added Herbert J. Lanese, a former president of security giant DynCorp, to its board. DynCorp is one of the eight firms sharing in the new security contract.Spokesmen for Kaseman declined to answer questions about its partnership with Xe and what role, if any, it played in securing the State Department contract. For its part, the State Department said, This joint venture was determined by the Departments source selection authority to be eligible for award.In August Xe, which is up for sale, negotiated a $42 million fine with the federal government related to illegal weapons exports to Afghanistan, as well as to other accusations. In addition, former Blackwater executives have been targeted in a half dozen civil suits and prosecutions, including one against five former Blackwater guards in connection with the death of 17 Iraqis during a Baghdad shootout in September 2007. Two company-affiliated guards are also being prosecuted on murder charges stemming from a 2009 shooting in Afghanistan. In the meantime, two former Blackwater employees have filed a suit alleging that the firm’s founder, Erik Prince, and his companies defrauded the departments of State and Homeland Security. Xe has denied wrongdoing.
‘Blackwater’ clinches part of $10b deal with US State Dept
A notorious private military company ‘Blackwater’ has won yet another government security contract, despite its long and continuing trail of legal problems, an Arab TV reported on Saturday.
Bidding under a new name, Xe Services won a share this week of a $10 billion State Department deal to provide protective services for American embassies abroad. Two months ago a Xe affiliate, US Training Center, won a $100 million security contract from the CIA. But at least it used its own name for that.
In its latest score, Xe employed a new business vehicle, International Development Solutions, a blandly named cut-out, in the description of Danger Rooms Spencer Ackerman, who first reported the deal on Friday. No one who looks at the official announcement of the contract award would have any idea that firm is connected to Blackwater, Ackerman wrote. But the State Department confirmed that US Training Center, which it described as part of International Development Solutions (IDS), won the contract in a joint venture with Kaseman, a McLean, Va., security services firm, whose board is stocked with top former State Department and CIA officials.Kasemans board of directors includes Henry A. Crumpton, a former coordinator for counterterrorism at the State Department, and Kara L. Bue, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for regional stability who had previously served as special assistant to Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage during the George W. Bush administration. Other board members include former NSA and CIA director Michael V. Hayden; Donald M. Kerr, a longtime former CIA official who also served as principal deputy to the director of national intelligence; and former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), who sat on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. A number of top former military officials also serve on the board, including retired Marine Corps general and U.S Central Command chief Anthony Zinni, and retired Navy Adm. Stephen F. Loftus, a former chief financial officer at the powerhouse D.C. firm Carlyle Management Group. On Tuesday, Sept. 28, the day before the State Department deal was announced, Kaseman added Herbert J. Lanese, a former president of security giant DynCorp, to its board. DynCorp is one of the eight firms sharing in the new security contract.Spokesmen for Kaseman declined to answer questions about its partnership with Xe and what role, if any, it played in securing the State Department contract. For its part, the State Department said, This joint venture was determined by the Departments source selection authority to be eligible for award.In August Xe, which is up for sale, negotiated a $42 million fine with the federal government related to illegal weapons exports to Afghanistan, as well as to other accusations. In addition, former Blackwater executives have been targeted in a half dozen civil suits and prosecutions, including one against five former Blackwater guards in connection with the death of 17 Iraqis during a Baghdad shootout in September 2007. Two company-affiliated guards are also being prosecuted on murder charges stemming from a 2009 shooting in Afghanistan. In the meantime, two former Blackwater employees have filed a suit alleging that the firm’s founder, Erik Prince, and his companies defrauded the departments of State and Homeland Security. Xe has denied wrongdoing.
‘Blackwater’ clinches part of $10b deal with US State Dept
A notorious private military company ‘Blackwater’ has won yet another government security contract, despite its long and continuing trail of legal problems, an Arab TV reported on Saturday.
Bidding under a new name, Xe Services won a share this week of a $10 billion State Department deal to provide protective services for American embassies abroad. Two months ago a Xe affiliate, US Training Center, won a $100 million security contract from the CIA. But at least it used its own name for that.
In its latest score, Xe employed a new business vehicle, International Development Solutions, a blandly named cut-out, in the description of Danger Rooms Spencer Ackerman, who first reported the deal on Friday. No one who looks at the official announcement of the contract award would have any idea that firm is connected to Blackwater, Ackerman wrote. But the State Department confirmed that US Training Center, which it described as part of International Development Solutions (IDS), won the contract in a joint venture with Kaseman, a McLean, Va., security services firm, whose board is stocked with top former State Department and CIA officials.Kasemans board of directors includes Henry A. Crumpton, a former coordinator for counterterrorism at the State Department, and Kara L. Bue, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for regional stability who had previously served as special assistant to Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage during the George W. Bush administration. Other board members include former NSA and CIA director Michael V. Hayden; Donald M. Kerr, a longtime former CIA official who also served as principal deputy to the director of national intelligence; and former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), who sat on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. A number of top former military officials also serve on the board, including retired Marine Corps general and U.S Central Command chief Anthony Zinni, and retired Navy Adm. Stephen F. Loftus, a former chief financial officer at the powerhouse D.C. firm Carlyle Management Group. On Tuesday, Sept. 28, the day before the State Department deal was announced, Kaseman added Herbert J. Lanese, a former president of security giant DynCorp, to its board. DynCorp is one of the eight firms sharing in the new security contract.Spokesmen for Kaseman declined to answer questions about its partnership with Xe and what role, if any, it played in securing the State Department contract. For its part, the State Department said, This joint venture was determined by the Departments source selection authority to be eligible for award.In August Xe, which is up for sale, negotiated a $42 million fine with the federal government related to illegal weapons exports to Afghanistan, as well as to other accusations. In addition, former Blackwater executives have been targeted in a half dozen civil suits and prosecutions, including one against five former Blackwater guards in connection with the death of 17 Iraqis during a Baghdad shootout in September 2007. Two company-affiliated guards are also being prosecuted on murder charges stemming from a 2009 shooting in Afghanistan. In the meantime, two former Blackwater employees have filed a suit alleging that the firm’s founder, Erik Prince, and his companies defrauded the departments of State and Homeland Security. Xe has denied wrongdoing.
splinter cell
April 14, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction video game is coming next week in the U.S. This is the sixth sequel in the series and promised to be a more enticing one.
Splinter Cell is a series of video games devised by American author Tom Clancy. The series is well known for its character Sam Fisher, which is a highly-trained agent of a black-ops sub-division within the NSA, called ‘Third Echelon’.
Splinter Cell is licensed to Ubisoft to make the games. JT Petty of Ubisoft has created the characters of the game as well as ‘Third Echelon’.
Splinter Cell: Conviction is more action orientated than the previous sequels. There are so many features that can help you to smash on your enemy. There is the new ‘mark and execute’ feature that allows you to crush the enemy in one shot. A number of Gears of War/Mass Effect 2 style combat strategies are there too.
The AI is looking fine here also. The whole plot is created by the facial animation graphics, though a little bit poor in quality. The characters have been put with quite a good number of emotions like ‘anger’ to provide a good presentation throughout. The game is playable in single player format. However, the multiplayer option could be the turning point for the Conviction to gain mass attraction.
Partnership Between Google And Nsa
February 5, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
TrendPK.com Partnership Between Google And Nsa:Privacy advocacy group Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the National Security Agency (NSA) asking for details on the agency’s purported partnership with Google Inc. on cybersecurity issues.
In a separate action that was also taken today, EPIC [...]
Orlando Hudson Twins: One Year Contract
February 5, 2010 by Trend PK
Filed under World News
TrendPK.com Orlando Hudson Twins: One Year Contract:The Minnesota Twins will take a new middle infield into their new ballpark.
Second baseman Orlando Hudson (FSY) and the Twins agreed Thursday night to a $5 million, one-year contract, adding another All-Star to the roster of the reigning AL Central champions.
Hudson gives the [...]
