The Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121496250116121719.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

By AUGUST COLE
July 2, 2008; Page A3
Blackwater Worldwide’s bid to expand its military-training business in the San Diego area has already sparked controversy in California and is now posing problems in Washington.

Virginia Democratic Sen. James Webb is holding up the approval of four civilian defense officials until he gets more information from Defense Secretary Robert Gates about a Blackwater training facility in Otay Mesa, Calif. One of the nominees is set to be undersecretary of the Army.

Although the Defense Department has attempted to answer Sen. Webb’s questions, the senator said he isn’t satisfied. “We really don’t have any other alternative,” Sen. Webb said in an interview. “In this case, I asked very specific questions, which in my experience are easily answerable, so I think as a matter of courtesy they should be answered properly.”

Sen. Webb, a former Navy secretary, is potentially a formidable foe for companies like Blackwater. He has been mentioned as a possible running mate for Sen. Barack Obama, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, and has helped establish a commission that will be investigating wartime contracting.

The holdup also creates a potential friction point between Democratic lawmakers and Mr. Gates, who has sought to smooth relations with Congress. A Defense Department spokesman said the secretary’s office plans to provide more information in the near future. “As far as we’re concerned, we have

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