"On Friday, Mr. Kerry wrote to the founder and chairman of Xe, Erik D. Prince..."

Blackwater’s Back: More precisely, it never left. The Central Intelligence Agency and the State Department are both trying to reduce their reliance on private contractors, but still some of the most important jobs at the spy agency are done by contractors. The discovery earlier this week that the controversial contractor, Blackwater USA, now known as Xe Services, was employed in a secret C.I.A. plan to assassinate Al Qaeda leaders, has left lawmakers demanding to know why high level work is being outsourced, The Times’s Mark Mazzetti and Mark Landler write:

"On Friday, Mr. Kerry wrote to the founder and chairman of Xe, Erik D. Prince, asking for details on his company’s dealings with the C.I.A. In the letter, a copy of which was supplied to The New York Times, Mr. Kerry expressed concern that contractors could use their State Department assignments as a “cover to gather information for the targeted killing program.”

"Mr. Kerry also plans to write to Mrs. Clinton to raise his concerns, said one of his aides.

"In a meeting with department employees in February, Mrs. Clinton said, “I certainly am of the mind that we should, insofar as possible, reduce our dependence.” But she added, “Whether we can go all the way to banning, under current circumstances, seems unlikely.” ... http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/22/saturday-word-myth-busters/

I'm kidding.

They do this for all Senators, no offense here. It's actually an interesting article. It is stunning that the Oversight organizations are not even getting the cost estimates they asked for. If they can't get this, it means they likely are getting very little on the programs they do. This has to change.

It is great that Kerry is demanding answers and is making sure that the NYT knows he is. As to the NYT, it is better that they cover this than that they ignore it.

is slanted bullshit. Seeding fear and doubt. What's with Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Kerry anyway? Shouldn't it be Secretary of State and Senator?

What a rag that paper is... nothing but denigration.


Fuck the NY Times.

:mad:

for the first reference then Mr or Mrs is used. Note that they do this for President Obama as well.

The important thing is that they are covering this. It is important. There have been times in the past where the media has declined to cover the very real concerns raised on actions of the CIA or other parts of government.

Here's the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/22/us/22intel.html?_r=1&hpw

First reference to SoS HRC;

The State Department continues to use Blackwater guards in Afghanistan, despite the company’s involvement in civilian shootings in Baghdad in 2007, and despite Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s pledge to “reduce our dependence on private security contractors.”

First reference To Sen Kerry:

This web of ties is drawing the attention and anger of lawmakers, including Senator John F. Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

why Prince was so smug when he went before congress. He knew more about the garbage * was doing in Iraq then any of them.

It has more detailed information - this is scary.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6359835&mesg_id=6359835