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Blackwater by Any Other Name Would Still Smell Like Sh*t
Blackwater Worldwide, the ultimate mercenary firm and war profiteer, wants to shed its vile brand name, according to the Associated Press. They’re switching over to the name Xe (like in the words xenophobia or xenobiotic, which fittingly refers to a chemical substance that is foreign and usually harmful to living organisms). The funny part is Blackwater claims the name change is to “focus away from the business of providing private security.” You don’t say!
This falls under the you-can’t-fire-me-I-quit school of logic, considering the Iraqi government recently labeled Blackwater “criminals” and banned the private contractor over the 2007 Nisour Square shooting in Baghdad that killed 17 civilians. That prompted the US State Department to declare it wouldn’t renew Blackwater’s contract to protect diplomats after it expires this May; the State Dept also announced it would scrutinize Blackwater’s conduct in Afghanistan.
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