The Company formerly known as Blackwater changes it's name again
WSJ article
Awhile back Blackwater, the company who got kicked out of Iraq after an incident (following after several more minor ones) where 17 civilians were killed, changed their name to Xe to disassociate themselves from their actions.
And now they're doing it again, changing it to 'Academi,' widely regarded as another terrible name for a mercenary company, because the last change didn't stick.
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Mr. Wright came on board this summer as part of a continuing corporate reorganization. In recent meetings with clients, he said he explained that the new corporate identity was supposed to stress the company's focus on regulatory compliance and contract management, in addition to its track record of protecting clients. "I tell them, from now on, I'm going to be in the background; I'm going to be boring," he said. "You're not going to see me in headlines."
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Will it work? Well, Here is pretty much every major news agency on earth reporting the story using the headline "Blackwater" or "Former Blackwater firm."
Seems, y'know, trigger happy killing isn't easy to erase with a name change!
But no, that's not the only part of this story:
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But Mr. Wright may be courting controversy in one area. He said he would like to take Academi's business back to Iraq, and has hired an outside company to help it apply for an operating license there. "I think eventually, we're going to get a license; we're going to do business in Iraq," he said.
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Now, I may not be a member of Iraq's government, but I think I can safely say the odds of Iraq letting Blackwater back into the country is slim to none!
Awhile back Blackwater, the company who got kicked out of Iraq after an incident (following after several more minor ones) where 17 civilians were killed, changed their name to Xe to disassociate themselves from their actions.
And now they're doing it again, changing it to 'Academi,' widely regarded as another terrible name for a mercenary company, because the last change didn't stick.
-
Mr. Wright came on board this summer as part of a continuing corporate reorganization. In recent meetings with clients, he said he explained that the new corporate identity was supposed to stress the company's focus on regulatory compliance and contract management, in addition to its track record of protecting clients. "I tell them, from now on, I'm going to be in the background; I'm going to be boring," he said. "You're not going to see me in headlines."
-
Will it work? Well, Here is pretty much every major news agency on earth reporting the story using the headline "Blackwater" or "Former Blackwater firm."
Seems, y'know, trigger happy killing isn't easy to erase with a name change!
But no, that's not the only part of this story:
-
But Mr. Wright may be courting controversy in one area. He said he would like to take Academi's business back to Iraq, and has hired an outside company to help it apply for an operating license there. "I think eventually, we're going to get a license; we're going to do business in Iraq," he said.
-
Now, I may not be a member of Iraq's government, but I think I can safely say the odds of Iraq letting Blackwater back into the country is slim to none!