Xe Services, the private military company formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide, has reached an agreement with the U.S. State Department to pay $42 million in fines for hundreds of violations of United States export control regulations, after allegedly illegally sending weapons to Afghanistan and training international civilians to be soldiers (“making unauthorized proposals to train troops in south Sudan and providing sniper training for Taiwanese police officers,” to be specific). The settlement does not resolve other legal issues the company’s facing, like the indictment of five former executives on weapons and obstruction charges. Xe is reportedly pleased with the settlement, however, which will allow the firm to continue to get government contracts. [NYT, CNN]
