[Peace-discuss] Blackwater/Xe Pays $42 Million in fines so it isn't taken to court

[Karen Medina]

Blackwater/Xe Pays $42 Million to Continue Contracting with U.S. Government
Sunday, August 22, 2010
To keep from losing its business with the U.S. government, Xe Services
(formerly called Blackwater Worldwide) has agreed to pay $42 million
in fines to the State Department to settle hundreds of violations of
export law. Had the security company not paid the fines, it would have
been brought up on criminal charges and banned from receiving new
government contracts.

Xe was accused of illegally shipping weapons to Afghanistan,
attempting to train troops in Sudan and providing sniper training for
police officers in Taiwan, among other transgressions.

The settlement does not affect the company’s other legal troubles,
including indictments of five former executives on weapons and
obstruction charges, allegations of bribing Iraqi government officials
and the pending trial of two former guards accused of murdering two
Afghans in 2009.
-Noel Brinkerhoff

Blackwater Reaches Deal on U.S. Export Violations (by James Risen, New
York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/21/world/21blackwater.html?_r=1