Blackwater’s rebranding doesn’t seem to have helped them very much. Not only do they still manage to look as thoroughly dishonest and unethical as they used to before, but a 575-word AP story calls them Blackwater throughout except for one solitary reference to their new name in para 5. Some names — and images — just fit so well that they stick forever, and no amount of rebranding effort can give you a fresh start.

Blackwater’s in the news again for allegedly illegal acts by its employees in Iraq. To nobody’s surprise, Blackwater not only disclaims all knowledge of said acts, but declaims that company policy clearly forbids said acts. (Funny how such forbidden acts manage to keep happening, regardless, though.)

A defense contractor charged with trying to smuggle firearms out of Iraq claimed Blackwater guards asked him to help get rid of weapons after a deadly 2007 shooting in Baghdad, two government informants say in court documents.

The contractor told one of the informants that Blackwater guards wanted to dispose of the weapons before an investigation into the September 2007 shooting that left several civilians dead, according to a criminal complaint filed in the smuggling case. The contractor, John Houston, did not work for Blackwater.

Both informants, whose names weren’t revealed by federal investigators, were Army reservists stationed in Iraq. Houston approached them for help with smuggling, the complaint states, and one of them tipped off investigators about the scheme.

Five Blackwater guards face manslaughter and weapons charges in the shooting, which prosecutors say was an unprovoked attack on civilians. The shooting strained relations between Baghdad and Washington and led Iraqi leaders to order Blackwater out of the country.

A spokeswoman said the North Carolina-based company, now known as Xe, only recently learned of Houston’s claims and has never been contacted by investigators about them.

The funniest part of the story may be Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell‘s tired and tepid denial:

“This individual’s claims may make for a juicy story, but time may tell a more truthful one,” spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said in a news release.

Time may tell? That’s the best she can do? It’s not like she has been under much pressure lately. She should be fresh, and rested, and ready to go.

At first blush, the story suggests that Blackwater guards may not have told the truth about the Nisoor Square killings and tried to cover up evidence. However, that may not be what is actually going on here:

Houston told one informant that Blackwater guards gave him firearms after the Nisoor Square shooting, and Houston asked the reservist to ship the weapons to the U.S., court documents say. In return, the informant could keep two guns, but the person instead reported the matter to military investigators.

Houston told the second informant that “after Blackwater got into trouble, they had to get rid of the firearms so that they didn’t get caught with them,” court documents say.

It’s not clear, though, whether the weapons Houston discussed with the informants were used in the shooting, or if they could have been confiscated firearms. Houston told both informants that Blackwater employees had filled a shipping container with firearms they seized from Iraqi insurgents, a possible violation of company policy.
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Two of the firearms seized were AK47 style rifles — a type favored by insurgents but likely not allowed for use by Blackwater contractors.