Blackwater mercenaries change corporate name to Xe - those sneaky bastards.

I guess when you murder for hire and it's legal because you are a so-called "defense contractor" and you get bad press for your murderous behavior, it's time to change your name so it won't stand out and instantly conjure up images of soldiers of fortune. I saw this tidbit on Rachel Maddow last night. They changed their worldwide name from Blackwater Lodge & Training Center - the subsidiary that conducts much of the company's overseas operations and domestic training - to U.S. Training Center Inc. How innocuous that sounds for such a bloody company.
From CBS News:

Blackwater Worldwide is abandoning its tarnished brand name as it tries to shake a reputation battered by oft-criticized work in Iraq, renaming its family of two dozen businesses under the name Xe.
The parent company's new name is pronounced like the letter "z." Blackwater Lodge & Training Center - the subsidiary that conducts much of the company's overseas operations and domestic training - to U.S. Training Center Inc.
The decision comes as part of an ongoing rebranding effort that grew more urgent following a September 2007 shooting in Iraq that left at least a dozen civilians dead. Blackwater president Gary Jackson said in a memo to employees the new name reflects the change in company focus away from the business of providing private security.
"The volume of changes over the past half-year have taken the company to an exciting place and we are now ready for two of the final, and most obvious changes," Jackson said in the note.
In his memo, Jackson indicated the company was not interested in actively pursuing new private security contracts. Jackson and other Blackwater executives told The Associated Press last year it was shifting its focus away from such work to focus on training and providing logistics.