<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Blackwater Related Firm to Provide “Protective Security” in West&nbsp;Bank]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p><span class="createdate">Thursday, 13 January 2011 12:36 </span> <span class="createby"> Tania Kepler for the Alternative Information Center (AIC) </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The  U.S. State Department has awarded a 5 year, $84 million contract to a  security group formerly connected to the infamous Blackwater firm, to  provide “protective security” in the West Bank.</span></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><img style="vertical-align:middle;border:3px solid #000000;margin:5px;" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.alternativenews.org/english/images/stories/news/2011/january_2011/blackwater_logo.jpg" alt="blackwater_logo" width="600" height="421" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">International  Development Solutions, a joint venture that includes U.S. Training  Center, a company owned until recently by Xe Services, formerly named  Blackwater, will oversee the West Bank operation, according to the  Washington Post.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The  group will provide “services that are based from the U.S. Consulate in  Jerusalem,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The  initial contract, awarded January 3rd, is for one year, “with the  possibility of four, one-year renewable options” with a total value of  roughly $84.3 million, Toner said.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The  United States previously hired Blackwater for operations in Iraq and  Afghanistan, which result in high numbers of civilian deaths.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Blackwater  had been fined $42 million by the US for exporting illegal arms to  Afghanistan, offering to train forces in southern Sudan without  authority and training Taiwan police officers to sharp shoot.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">A  spokesperson for Hamas is calling on Palestinian Authority President  Mahmoud Abbas to reconsider such a presence in the West Bank, saying &#8220;We  emphasize that our Palestinian land is not an arena for the criminals  of that infamous company, who committed anti-humanitarian crimes and  scandals in Iraq and Afghanistan and killed hundreds of innocent  civilians.&#8221;<br />
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<p><a href="http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/topics/news/3176-blackwater-related-firm-to-provide-protective-security-in-west-bank-">Blackwater Related Firm to Provide “Protective Security” in West Bank</a>.</p>
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