Video: Blackwater tied to CIA raids

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   >>> hour of news ahead. first up, blurring the lines between the cia and private security contractors working in the war zone . a new report from "the new york times" and it quotes former blackwater guards as saying they went out on hundreds of top secret raids targeting militants in iraq and afghanistan. nbc's jim miklaszewski is live for us at the pentagon. obviously this raises many concerns including the potential lack of accountability and oversight on deadly actions in a war zone .

   >> reporter: and, as a matter of fact, monica, you just mentioned former ceo eric prince and it sets off all kinds of alarm bells here in washington. but several sources that we've talked to about this story say that, yes, blackwater personnel, delta force , navy s.e.a.l.s. were, in fact, hired by the cia to protect some protection for cia personnel and some other services such as gathering of information intelligence and the like. but whatever specifically assigned to take part in any specific operations. but some officials we talked to acknowledge that in the middle, in the heat of battle as they would call it, there may have been instances when, in fact, blackwater personnel took part in an operation to take down terrorist suspects. it was not sanctioned and not part of the contract according to some sources that we talked to with the cia and was unknown to the senior leadership at the cia headquarters here outside washington. but it's one of the reasons that cia director leon panetta went up to congress to say, hey look, we need to tell you about some programs that were under way that may not have quite been kosher. so that process of looking into those incidents is still ongoing, monica.

   >> and so far, as you say, the process is going, have been tl been abuses with repercussions?

   >> reporter: not any that we've been told about and there apparently has been no disciplinary action taken against any cia personnel. and, as a matter of fact, the blackwater participation in these operations has apparently long ceased. sources do tell us, however, that one of the allegations that a black be water personnel armed guards took part in those renditions where the cia would grab up terrorist suspects and transport them secretly to secret prisons spread out across the world is just false. according to several sources on both sides of that story that we've talked to.

   >> all right. great information as always. nbc's jim miklaszewski . thank

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