April in Review, Pt II Oil spilt, Barrick denounced, Abdelrazik supported http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/3403

Documents released by Canada's Department of National Defense show that Canadian Forces spent over $6 million dollars having troops trained by the private security company Blackwater (now known as Xe Services). The mercenary company, which has been involved in a number of cases involving civilian killings and other illegal activities while working under United States contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq, trained Canadian soldiers between 2005 and 2009. Sources with the military refused to confirm or deny whether the relationship is ongoing.

Representatives of communities affected by Barrick Gold Corporation's mining operations worldwide were in Toronto to speak out during the company's annual shareholders' meeting. They criticized the company for devastating communities in Chile, Papua New Guinea, Balochistan and other areas through industrial pollution contaminating water and destroying agricultural land. Barrick President Peter Munk responded, saying the company provides "human dignity.