Xe Services, formerly Blackwater International, sold

[kpete]

Source: Raw Story/Agence France-Presse

Private US security firm Xe, formerly known as Blackwater International, has been bought by a group of investors, they announced on Friday.


New York-based USTC Holdings said it will acquire Xe and its core operating subsidiaries, but did not disclose the price or terms of the agreement in a statement.

USTC Holdings is an investor consortium led by private equity firms Forte Capital Advisors and Manhattan Partners.

Xe's current owner Eric price, will sell his entire stake in the company and "will not be involved in the management or operation of the company," USTC Holdings said.

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/xe-international-blackwater-sold/

[NV Whino]

1. Love the sign

[JustAnotherGen]

2. Not surprised

Isn't he hiding out somewhere in UAE?

[bananas]

3. Aren't they also known as "American Training" or something like that?

[davidinalameda]

4. is Price still hiding out in Dubai

or wherever it was

[haikugal]

11. Prince....Eric Prince

[Joanne98]

5. Forte

http://www.fortecapital.com/ourpeople.html

[bobthedrummer]

10. Speaking of CEO speeches in 2003 "Somewhere Between Fear and Hope" what a crew Joanne98-thanks.

Straw spookshadows from Chase Manhattan, and unnamed non-profits-most likely some spinoffs from William Casey's Manhattan Institute as well as the RW religious networks associated with the Prince family.
RW Prince supporting diehards. New American Century militant private militarists.
:puke:

[sarcasmo]

14. Son in law of the Devos who ran for Governor in Michigan. Prince fled/ moved to the middle east

last year, must have been fearing prosecution.

[bobthedrummer]

20. What a SIL, there it is, there are no coincidences-thanks sarcasmo

Erik Prince's older sister is Betsy DeVos, she is married to Dick DeVos who ran for MI Governor they contribute heavily to the deep deep RW pockets

Betsy DeVos SourceWatch profile
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Betsy_DeVos

MediaMouse archived page on Betsy DeVos
http://www.mediamouse.org/resources/right/people/betsy-devos

Dick DeVos Source Watch profile
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Dick_DeVos

[whoneedstickets]

17. Wrong Forte... but who are these guys?

It seems to be this one:

http://fortecapitaladvisory.com/the_team.html

I'm basing this on the key names that appear in this article:

http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon/20101217005252/en/Xe-Services-LLC-Acquired-USTC-Holdings-LLC

Including Jason DeYonker, who appears in the "The Team" link at the first site.

Manhattan Partners is here (based on the same name congruence evidence a quote from Dean Bosacki)

http://manhattan-partners.com/index.php

[whoneedstickets]

18. It gets weirder!! Xe owners Hippy Vegan Soap guys?

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/features/view/feature/Vegan-Soap-Company-Has-Ties-to-Blackwater-2786

Manhattan Growth Partners is led by Dean Bosacki and Patrick McBride. Bosacki serves on the board of "the world's largest commencement photography business," among other companies. Manhattan Growth Partners, which describes itself as "a progressive thinking private equity firm," also holds a majority interest in Hugo Naturals, a line of organic, vegan-friendly soaps, lotions, scents and soy candles sold at Whole Foods and other greenwashed retailers.

also read:
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/12/will-blackwater-go-vegan-after-sale-to-hippy-firm/

[Demeter]

6. So, where's the BFEE?

Or is this the 2nd generation of fascists?

[howaboutme]

7. We need full disclosure on the principals

Since this is a private Army that can threaten every American and is tax subsidized by the force of law, we need the media to give us full demographic disclosure? This all has an effect on how they think and what they support? I'd like to see such disclosure required on every high level individual in government, in policy making positions, think tanks, and in the media

Historical political affiliation
Religious heritage
Employment history
Political donations
Donations of employers
Academic history and degrees
Published papers

[HCE SuiGeneris]

13. Absolutely correct.

Private armies now being bought and sold on the 'open' market. Seriously f'd up.

[fatbuckel]

8. Just trying to make it harder to litigate.

[JDPriestly]

9. Rather than pay taxes, the billionaires will simply buy

mercenaries. We are now on our way to hell. In the future, wars will be fought by and for corporations -- literally. Forget democracy. It's a dream of the past.

Private armies. Wow!

What is the difference between Xe and Al Qaeda? Both are military organizations, armed to the teeth. Neither is directly controlled by a recognized government. Neither has a allegiance to the law of any specific country. Neither answers to a democratic leadership. Neither has any aversion to killing civilians.

Oh, yes. Al Qaeda claims to be fighting for God and the Muslim religion. Xe claims to be fighting for money. So, God v. money? Is that how Al Qaeda and Xe would explain a battle with each other?

Washington, Jefferson, Madison and Adams are no doubt turning over in their graves. I hope they arise some Walpurgis Nacht and haunt the likes of the "investors" who dreamed this up.

[Peace Patriot]

12. The State Department recently "fined" Blackwater (Xe) for "unauthorized" "trainings" of

"foreign persons" (don't know who) IN COLOMBIA "for use in Iraq and Afghanistan." (!)

Something up with that.

[Taverner]

15. Now I'm wondering where this mole will pop up next?

[sabrina 1]

16. The U.S. now fights its illegal wars with mercenaries.

There are more mercenaries in Iraq and Afghanistan than regular troops.

They will withdraw most of the troops from each country, but must leave some in order to comply with the law regarding sending private armies there. The law says that 'contractors' can only go to war zones, funded by this government, if they are supporting the U.S. military.

That is mainly why there are still troops in Iraq, and why the mercenary army is bigger than the U.S. military. Same thing in Afghanistan.

So, when they say they are withdrawing, it is a lie. They are only withdrawing the regular military while increasing the presence of their private armies. We are officially an Empire now.

[kgnu_fan]

19. Bank of America helped finance the reported $200 million deal

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/12/17/headlines#12

Report: Prince to Sell Blackwater, Keep Financial Stake

And Blackwater founder Erik Prince is expected to announce today the sale of his private military firm to a group of investors with whom he’s closely tied. According to the New York Times, Prince has reached a deal to sell his company to a group of Los Angeles-based investors. The sale was reportedly prompted by a U.S. State Department threat to stop awarding contracts to Blackwater so long as Prince remained in charge. But Prince is expected to maintain a heavy stake in the company, with a clause that conditions payments on Blackwater’s financial performance over the next several years. One of the lead investors, Jason DeYonker of Forté Capital Advisors, helped advise Prince during Blackwater’s founding and helped negotiate the company’s first U.S. government training contracts. The other main investor is the New York-based private equity firm Manhattan Growth Partners. Bank of America helped finance the reported $200 million deal. Prince moved from the United States to Abu Dhabi earlier this year in what critics called a preemptive move to avoid possible criminal indictment.