Time to blacklist Blackwater

The long and blackened history of Blackwater Worldwide — now known as Xe Services — has been further tarnished with revelations that it secretly authorised illegal payments of about $1 million (Dh3.67 million) to Iraqi officials.

The payments were meant to silence their criticisms and buy their support after a 2007 incident in which Blackwater security guards shot dead 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, former company officials have revealed.

While five Blackwater security guards are facing manslaughter charges arising from the fatal shootings, there can be no excusing why this discredited company still continues to do some work for the US State Department on a temporary basis.

The history of this company, the nature of its work, its modus operandi and its shadowy ties to the regular military structure — combined with its comfortable arrangements with the Bush-Cheney administration in the White House — should be enough to warrant that it never receives as must as a postage stamp in support from US Government officials.

There is a fine line between mercenaries and mercenary behaviour, one where security guards act more as a private army without recourse to the normal standard of justice and jurisprudence. There seems to be little doubt that senior officials at Blackwater know where that fine line is, and scuff it with alarming regularity.