Analyst: Americans Abroad Will Die if Blackwater Retreats

If Blackwater winds down its diplomatic security operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, American officials might end up dead.

The company's record protecting US diplomats, aid workers, VIPs and others has been flawless. Blackwater has protected the lives of 100 percent of the people in its care.

"Industry observers say Blackwater's decision to scale back security work is not a ruse to cover up a decline in business. Loren Thompson, a military analyst with The Lexington Institute, said Blackwater's work would be dearly missed if the company left the industry," AP reports.

"There's a real possibility that if Blackwater exits the business, that some US officials will receive inferior protection in war zones — and deaths will result," Thompson tells AP.

"Blackwater officials stress that the company will honor its current security contracts and take on those sought by the U.S. government," according to the wire service.