Bravo to Presidential Airways and Xe for a job well done! As for my message to Rep. Grayson….. I am sure glad you survived Niger. Thanks to the courageous work of contractors, you can now make it back home for that next protest with Code Pink. lol –Matt
Edit: 2/25/2010 – Wired posted a deal on this as well. It must have been tough for them to actually post a good story about Xe rescuing a politician. I am sure their fingers were burning as they typed the post. lol
Grayson: Even If Blackwater Saved Me From Coup, I Stand By Criticism Of Contractors
Justin Elliott
February 24, 2010
Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), who found himself caught in a coup in Niger last week, was flown out of the country on an aircraft that may have been operated by a Blackwater subsidiary, Mother Jones reported today.
But in a statement to TPMmuckraker, Grayson’s spokesman says the congressman — who has been a fiery critic of the privatization of American foreign policy — still believes the use of profit-driven contractors can be deeply problematic.
“The Congressman does not deny that there is admirable work being done by some employees of private contractors,” said Todd Jurkowski. “However, he stands by his criticism of companies who have been found to cheat the American people, defraud our government, and unnecessarily risk the lives of members of our military, all in the name of making a profit.”
As for whether Blackwater was involved in flying Grayson from Niger to neighboring Burkina Faso, Jurkowski said: “The flight was arranged through the State Department. The Congressman did not know, and frankly did not care, who owned the plane.” (See update below.)
Grayson was traveling in Niger as part of a science and technology-focused congressional delegation. He heard gunshots in a building next door on the day military leaders stormed the nation’s presidential palace and suspended its constitution.
He was taken to the U.S. embassy and put under guard — it’s not clear by whom — and then flown to Brukina Faso, according to CNN.
Mother Jones reported that a Blackwater executive testifying before Congress today said, in an apparent reference to Grayson: “Xe Services, through its subsidiary Presidential Airways, provides aviation support and medevac services to Defense Department personnel in Africa. Just last week, our personnel evacuated a congressman from Niger during civil unrest.”
Late Update: Grayson’s spokesman tells us that the State Department confirmed the flight out of Niger was on a Xe aircraft — a helicopter.
Story here.
He is not the only one. U.S. Sen Claire McCaskill was on a visit to Afghanistan where she was escorted by XE. Upon her return she criticized the company and complained about the double standard in the combat zone, one for contractors, and the other for regular military forces. Gee, Senator, I’m glad you came back safe!
Politicians appear very righteous when they criticize what is really easy to criticize. The fact that they’re not doing the US taxpayer’s a real service is a different story.
Comment by Andreea Zugravu — Friday, February 26, 2010 @ 3:12 AM
Thanks Andreea, I was trying to find the particulars of that as well. There is just something funny about a Senator that in one breath rips apart a company, and then turns around and depends upon that same company to protect them. -matt
Comment by headjundi — Saturday, February 27, 2010 @ 5:27 PM