By Matthew Barakat

WASHINGTON A federal judge on Wednesday tossed out a series of lawsuits filed by alleged Iraqi victims of the contractor once known as Blackwater USA, but is allowing the plaintiffs to refile their claims.

By T. Christian Miller, ProPublica and Aram Roston, Special to ProPublica Last spring, the U.S. diplomatic mission in Iraq got a makeover, replacing the scandal-plagued Blackwater private security company with a firm named Triple Canopy.

By Matthew Lee  WASHINGTON  State Department officials say they have extended a contract with a subsidiary of the security firm formerly known as Blackwater USA to provide air support for U.S. diplomats in Iraq despite the fact the company is not allowed to work there.

By Adam Goldman and Pamela Hess WASHINGTON When the CIA revived a plan to kill or capture terrorists in 2004, the agency turned to the well-connected security company then known as Blackwater USA.

Two men who worked for Blackwater allege in a federal lawsuit that Blackwater founder Erik Prince or his agents murdered one or more people who were planning to provide information to federal authorities about criminal conduct by the company and its operatives in Iraq.

Two crew members died when a helicopter operated by private military contractor Xe crashed Friday in Iraq, according to media accounts. The MD-530 "Little Bird" chopper went down at a training facility outside Baghdad, CNN and Agence France Presse reported. Two other crew members were injured.

A just-amended lawsuit alleges six additional instances of unprovoked attacks on Iraqi civilians by Blackwater contractors. Three people, including a 9-year-old boy, are said to have died. Also added to the suit is a racketeering count accusing Blackwater founder Erik Prince of running an ongoing criminal enterprise involved in, among other things, kidnapping and child prostitution.

By Viola Gienger, Bloomberg News Xe, the provider of security services formerly known as Blackwater Worldwide, failed to supply enough personnel to protect U.S. diplomats in Iraq, creating "unnecessary risk," auditors found.

The latest in a series of war-crimes lawsuits against Blackwater and its affiliated companies alleges that they continue to operate illegally in Iraq a month after the expiration of their lucrative security contract with the U.S. State Department.

By Kim Gamel  BAGHDAD  The Baghdad contract for the North Carolina security firm once known as Blackwater Worldwide ends today,  the U.S. Embassy said, although the company will temporarily continue operations elsewhere in Iraq.