U.S. State Department Pays Blackwater Company Thugs Millions in Afghanistan

IN THE week when President Barack Obama fired Gen Stanley McChrystal for the express purpose of preserving civilian command over the military, the US government had awarded nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in contracts to a company that has long evaded accountability and transparency, and repeatedly taken the law into its own hands.

According to sources, it was revealed several days ago that the U.S. State Department has awarded a $120 million contract for security operations to the United States Training Center (USTC) at new U.S. Consulates in Mazar-i-Sharif and Heart.

The USTC is a division of Xe, the new name Blackwater USA chose to hide behind after its indictment for murdering dozens of Iraqi civilians in broad daylight on a busy Baghdad square.

The $120 million contract split between the two small consulates means that $6.6 million per month will be spent on each consulate- on security alone!

This contract is disappointing news for people who hoped that the U.S. administration and Pentagon were serious about supporting Afghan society's great needs beyond wildly expensive military actions.

Billions flow to American war profiteers-both over-paid State employees and civilian contractors- and a woefully inadequate amount goes for Afghan healthcare, utilities, education, transportation, and judicial system.

While Blackwater security workers earn about $18,000/month, Afghan teachers earn about $50/month. For a fair comparison, figure that $50/month is below a living wage in Kabul.

And so, $120 million security contract to guard 2 US consulates equals 133,000 teacher salaries in Afghanistan!