Here's something you might be interested in.
Back in 2007, the little town San Diego County town of Potrero, right near Tecate and 45 miles from the City of San Diego, took on mercenary firm Blackwater USA, which wanted to build an 824-acre training facility only three miles from the town. The county backed Blackwater. But the Potrero citizens won. The mercenaries decided to build elsewhere. Since then, the company has been steeped in controversy. It has changed its name from Blackwater USA to Blackwater Worldwide, to Xe, and to Academi. That's a lot of re-branding in a few short years. An article this week in the Daily Beast reveals how closely Blackwater was linked to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). A federal prosecution of Blackwater collapsed last month with only minor convictions. (Anybody surprised?) But documents filed in the case were quite interesting, says the Daily Beast. One document said, "Blackwater, or at least portions of Blackwater, was an extension of the CIA." Erik Prince, who sold Blackwater in 2010, told the Daily Beast author, "The company became a virtual extension of the CIA."
Little Potrero didn't know whom it was taking on.
Back in 2007, the little town San Diego County town of Potrero, right near Tecate and 45 miles from the City of San Diego, took on mercenary firm Blackwater USA, which wanted to build an 824-acre training facility only three miles from the town. The county backed Blackwater. But the Potrero citizens won. The mercenaries decided to build elsewhere. Since then, the company has been steeped in controversy. It has changed its name from Blackwater USA to Blackwater Worldwide, to Xe, and to Academi. That's a lot of re-branding in a few short years. An article this week in the Daily Beast reveals how closely Blackwater was linked to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). A federal prosecution of Blackwater collapsed last month with only minor convictions. (Anybody surprised?) But documents filed in the case were quite interesting, says the Daily Beast. One document said, "Blackwater, or at least portions of Blackwater, was an extension of the CIA." Erik Prince, who sold Blackwater in 2010, told the Daily Beast author, "The company became a virtual extension of the CIA."
Little Potrero didn't know whom it was taking on.