Jury selection is scheduled to begin in Virginia Tuesday in the trial of two former defense contractors charged with the deaths of two Afghan nationals.
The security company Blackwater Worldwide formed a network of 30 shell companies and subsidiaries to try to get millions of dollars in government business after the company faced strong criticism for reckless conduct in Iraq, The New York Times reported Friday.
Former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Republican who has broken ranks in the past with his party, gave Democrat Joe Sestak his second major endorsement from moderates in a week in his bid for a fiercely contested Senate seat in Pennsylvania.
Israel's opposition Likud Party has selected a hawkish slate of candidates for upcoming parliamentary elections, making any movement toward peace with the country's Arab neighbors increasingly unlikely if the party wins the February vote.
The Washington Times, relying on a security source in Iraq, reported on June 15, 2004, that Chechen mercenaries may have been involved in an ambush of a Blackwater USA convoy that killed four contractors outside Baghdad earlier that month. While some security contractors still believe Chechens were in Iraq around the time of the ambush, Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said the company's final incident report did not conclude that there was Chechen involvement in the attack. Likewise, U.S. military and intelligence officials say they have not been able to corroborate any Chechen involvement in the ambush.
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