Whether or not Erik Prince is fleeing America for the United Arab Emirates, his military contracting company continues to thrive on lucrative government contracts.
The latest: the Obama Administration has awarded Xe, formerly known as Blackwater, with a $120 million contract to provide security for U.S. consulates in Afghanistan. The contract could last as long as 18 months.
The contract, which was awarded by the State Department to Xe's U.S. Training Center, was first reported by CBS Friday night.
The company has been racked with legal problems -- because of episodes in both the U.S. and Afghanistan -- in recent months. Its former president was indicted on weapons charges in April, and two employees of Xe subsidiary Paravant are facing murder charges for an incident in which two residents of Kabul were killed.
A spokesman for the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security tells TPMmuckraker that the contract will be addressed by Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley at a press briefing today.
