Blackwater (now Xi)

[Ed Jewett]

Mercenaries? CIA Says Expanded Role for Contractors Legitimate --Blackwater, Other Firms Said to Be "Hired Guns" in Iraq, Afghanistan -- Combat Role Would Be Against U.S. Law 11 Dec 2009 The CIA and the military special forces have quietly expanded the role of private contractors, including Blackwater, to include their involvement in raids and secret paramilitary operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, four current and former U.S. military and intelligence officers tell ABC News. American law specifically prohibits the use of private soldiers or mercenaries in combat, according to Jonathan Turley, a professor of public interest law at George Washington University. "The United States Congress has never approved the use of private contractors for combat operations," Turley told ABC News in an interview.