Blackwater facing new attack allegations

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 2 (UPI) -- Contractors employed by the Blackwater private military company, now called Xe, were responsible for six unprovoked attacks in Iraq, a lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., added six additional instances in which Blackwater contractors allegedly attacked Iraqi civilians without being provoked, The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot said Thursday.

The alleged attacks by contractors employed by Blackwater, which was contracted by the State Department to support U.S. personnel in Iraq, resulted in the deaths of three people, including a 9-year-old boy, the plaintiffs allege.

A racketeering count was also added to the lawsuit against the security company and its founder Erik Prince this week. The count includes alleged instances in which Prince's companies took part in illegal activities like homicides, tax evasion, weapons smuggling, kidnapping and child prostitution.

Susan Burke, attorney for the lawsuit's plaintiffs, said her clients want to prove the military company and its affiliated groups have an alleged history of illicit activity.

"What we're very, very worried about is this company hurting other people going forward around the globe," she told the Virginian-Pilot. "They're moving into Africa, they're moving into other places, and we believe they need judicial supervision."