Associated Press | February 13, 2009

Blackwater Worldwide is abandoning its brand name as it tries to shake a reputation battered by its work in Iraq, renaming its family of two dozen businesses Xe. The parent company’s new name is pronounced like the letter “z.” Blackwater’s president, Gary Jackson, said in a memorandum to employees that the new name reflected a change in focus, away from providing private security. He has said that the company is shifting to training and providing logistics.