Blackwater Founder a Murderer?

Was Blackwater—the military contractor accused of abuses and overcharges in Iraq—even worse than originally thought? According to The Nation's Jeremy Scahill, who literally wrote the book about Blackwater, a former Blackwater staffer and an ex-Marine allege in a new federal court filing that the company's owner, Erik Prince, "may have murdered or facilitated the murder of individuals who were cooperating with federal authorities investigating the company." Scahill reports that "the former employee also alleges that Prince 'views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe,' and that Prince's companies 'encouraged and rewarded the destruction of Iraqi life.'" The two testified in sworn affidavits filed this week in the Eastern District of Virginia as part of a suit against Blackwater on behalf of Iraqi civilians. The pair also claim that Blackwater smuggled weapons into Iraq via Prince's private planes and hid videos, emails, and documents from the State Department. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) told The Nation, "If these allegations are true, Blackwater has been a criminal enterprise defrauding taxpayers and murdering innocent civilians." Prince stepped down as CEO of Blackwater—which currently operates under the name of Xe Services LLC—in March. When asked about the case, a company rep said, "Unfortunately no one can help you in that area."