Community | June 16, 2009 | 49 comments

Audit: U.S. overpaid Blackwater by tens of millions

source: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Blackwater/story?id=7851018&page=1

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WakeUpPeople
The U.S. government overpaid tens of millions of dollars to the scandal-ridden security contractor once known as Blackwater, according to a new government audit.

The firm, now known as "Xe," understaffed its security teams assigned to protect the U.S. ambassador in Iraq and other U.S. officials in country. In total, the State Department could have dinged the company $55 million for work it didn't properly perform, auditors concluded.

Those fees should have been assessed for Blackwater's failure to meet staffing requirements laid out in its contract, the auditors said in their report. In addition, Blackwater also overcharged over $125,000 for travel, by booking tickets "in excess of coach fare."
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49 comments // Audit: U.S. overpaid Blackwater by tens of millions

  • Mikeysfake1
  • Manatee_man
  • anglcazn
    • 0
      anglcazn  

    • Why am I not surprised. The US government has (purposely) not been keeping track on how they spend their money. The Pentagon can't even give an excuse for the unknown disappearance of the trillions of dollars.

      There needs to be reform on how the government should be able to spend the country's money.

    • 2 years ago
  • kennymotown
  • WakeUpPeople
  • Highr0ller
    • 0
      Highr0ller [removed]  

    • A lot of money is made by SOME in war.

      Meanwhile America is bankrupt from fighting long wars overseas.

      Crazy for a nation that could be so wealthy and comfortable, and could afford to buy its oil on the open market at market price.

    • 2 years ago
  • Robroy1
    • 0
      Robroy1  

    • Dumb ya and Cheeneey wasted and misspent and stold more money than anyone can imagine, we are paying for these killers and thieves now and will be for many years , is anyone surprised? If you are wake up!

    • 2 years ago
  • RaceBannon
  • strangeyellowpattern
  • banditalamode
  • clish1
    • 0
      clish1  

    • So, let's review. We use private contractors instead of military or other government agencies to provide security for ambassadors, generals, VIP's, convoys etc because it's cheaper.
      Well , first there is no accountability really for their actions or who they hire or what they do as opposed to military and government employees. That's disgraceful, that we can't use our own assets rather than mercenaries to guard our important assets.
      And now we OVERPAID!!
      George Bush, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfield strike again.
      Absolutely disgusting!!

    • 2 years ago
  • keithponder
  • numinant
  • BIGDAVE54
    • 0
      BIGDAVE54  

    • Let them have it. That is really chump change compared to the bilions upon billions of dollars that we paid them and they carted off. Does anyone know what happened to the giant metal cans of US hundred dollar bills we all saw confiscated? There were warehouses full fo aluminum cans full of US hundred dollar bills all over the place that Sadam had hidden throuhout the country...Many lil GI guys got thrown in the slammer for just getting too close to them or having their pictures made with one. A few months later DUHHHHH they are all gone and nothing is said about them any more. I have friends in the metals business across the USA that are checking to see who brought the empty cans in for recycling.Well have the rest of the story in a few years.

    • 2 years ago
  • newbeginnings
  • GodsnLiberals
  • TentativeChaos
  • artemis6
  • USWGO
    • 0
      USWGO  

    • yep because blackwater is a Bilderberg supported tyrannical military group.

      Boo Bilderberg amy thugs! Boo Bilderbergs!

      Stop corrupting our troops! Go to hell Rockefellers!

    • 2 years ago
  • bombastinator
  • EmperorThan
    • 0
      EmperorThan  

    • Who gives a dick about the money, what about the innocent civilians they murdered?!?

      Money is imaginary, human lives are realllllllllllllllll

    • 2 years ago
  • keithponder
  • Sambo3D
  • twitterbot
  • slarabee
  • GodsnLiberals
  • swa11ow
  • interditx
  • beatjunkie234
  • 23485768934756
  • bombastinator
  • SupaDawg
    • 0
      SupaDawg  
    • beatjunkie234:

      By definition, he would certainly be classed as a libertarian, but having a type of political beliefs does not exactly co-ordinate to membership in a party that shares that same name or even belief. I've met my share of "liberal" Republicans and "conservative" democrats.

      All said though, i do like Mr. Paul. He's an obviously smart man, and the type of person that would be a tremendous help to the public image of the republican party.

    • 2 years ago
  • shikery
  • SHAWN_RITTIMAN
  • RaceBannon
  • dmass5
  • RaceBannon
  • SupaDawg
    • 0
      SupaDawg  
    • RaceBannon:

      I wouldn't really go that far, defense spending is important (It can be hard to gauge who's going to come to power elsewhere in the future), but I would agree that we are certainly overspending on military conquests.

    • 2 years ago
  • Sambo3D
    • 0
      Sambo3D  
    • RaceBannon:

      "holy crap your retarded"

      That should be YOU ARE retarded.

      Between that, the lack of punctuation and your belief that military efforts did not invite 911 and portray the US as the bad guys.... leads me to believe that you sir, are the mentally deficient commentator here.

      America cannot police the world. It's typically American of us to think that we can. We should look after ourselves first, instead of screwing with the middle east using guns and bombs... Cuba with Embargos (hypocritical when you think about us sending all our cheap labor to communist China, where censorship and political imprisonment is rife)...

      Why can we not get ahead on our own merits?

      Why do we not work towards the goals of humanity instead of corporate America's?

      We should have a military, but it should be defensive, not-for-profit, setup as a trump card, not the wasted hand that it is.

      Now we have all our boys overseas, dead or traumatized. None of which are able to contribute to the American economy.

      Capitalism unchecked becomes radical elitism... which is pretty much facism. Where it doesn't matter what color you are, as much as what class you are.

      Poor? sorry no healthcare, sorry no education... but hey, we'll give you those things if you sign this form. Hey we'll even send you on a free vacation.. do you like sand?

    • 2 years ago
  • RaceBannon
    • 0
      RaceBannon  
    • RaceBannon:

      ditto sambo, but really who do we need to defend against? The days of conquest are long gone. We all have nukes, remember?

      We're the worst anyway we issue horrible loans to 3rd world nations through our private companies, putting those nations in perm-ant debt to us forever. Look up equador

    • 2 years ago
  • dmass5
  • Eleganza
    • 0
      Eleganza  

    • Given the last administrations practices PLEASE don't anyone try and say they are surprised....just what do you think no-bid contracts are about....times up! It's about giving the keys to the treasury to your friends.
      Before the right wingers swoop, yes I know the difference between Haliburton and Blackhawk. the point is that the Bush administration turned a blind eye while their friends looted the treasury..including Wallstreet.

    • 2 years ago
  • banditalamode
  • cybexg
    • 0
      cybexg  

    • over-payment - millions
      Amount of cries for auditing the fed - lots
      Amount of outrage over this (over-payment) by those wanting an audit of the fed - 0

    • 2 years ago
  • RickDemocracy
    • 0
      RickDemocracy  
    • cybexg:

      Because it's a waste of time & a distraction, no?

      Auditing the Fed and getting rid of it has everything to do with 12 trillion dollars of debt and inflation of massive proportions (something worth 4 dollars when the Fed came along would now cost 100 dollars...).
      55 Million is roughly 25c per person. The national debt is 37.000 dollars per person and means guaranteed bankruptcy of the US and a total collapse of the dollar if you wait long enough.

    • 2 years ago
  • bombastinator
    • 0
      bombastinator  
    • cybexg:

      interesting how the two are tied together, auditing the fed and getting rid of it. And how he supports cybexg by ignoring the original point.

      Love the name btw. Why is it always democracythis and freedomthat? These people need to learn that just because they paste a name onto themselves doesn't mean it necessarily has anything to do with them.

    • 2 years ago
  • SHAWN_RITTIMAN
  • interditx
  • WakeUpPeople
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