But, but....look at ACORN

Old Blackwater -- excuse me, Xe -- just keep on rollin'*, maybe even with the knowledge of the commander-in-chief:

At a covert forward operating base run by the US Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, members of an elite division of Blackwater are at the center of a secret program in which they plan targeted assassinations of suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, "snatch and grabs" of high-value targets and other sensitive action inside and outside Pakistan, an investigation by The Nation has found. The Blackwater operatives also assist in gathering intelligence and help run a secret US military drone bombing campaign that runs parallel to the well-documented CIA predator strikes, according to a well-placed source within the US military intelligence apparatus.

The source, who has worked on covert US military programs for years, including in Afghanistan and Pakistan, has direct knowledge of Blackwater's involvement. He spoke to The Nation on condition of anonymity because the program is classified. The source said that the program is so "compartmentalized" that senior figures within the Obama administration and the US military chain of command may not be aware of its existence.

Personally, I don't have a problem with the type of work that Blackwater is reportedly doing here, so much as with the fact that it's Blackwater -- a corrupt, rogue outfit -- that's doing the work. Here's one reason why they may not be the best choice for Pakistan:

In one of the statements, John Doe 2, who worked for Blackwater for four years, alleged that Mr Prince "views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe" and that his companies "encouraged and rewarded the destruction of Iraqi life".

As it looks like the Obama administration is preparing to step up activity in the region, it would be good for the president to filter Blackwater in the process.

(*Dated song reference of the day)