Suzanne Simons is an executive producer at CNN as well as author of the book "Master of War: Blackwater USA's Erik Prince and the Business of War" (Collins, June 2009). Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater, is pictured in Afghanistan in November 2007. (CNN) -- The private military contractor formerly known as Blackwater has held classified contracts with the Central Intelligence Agency for nearly a decade, but an allegation that the contractor was part of a secret CIA program to kill al Qaeda operatives -- if true -- would take the relationship to a whole new level. The CIA hired the private security firm Blackwater USA in 2004 to work on a covert program aimed at targeting and potentially killing top al Qaeda leaders, a source familiar with the program told CNN.
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Relationship between Blackwater and CIA goes back almost a decade
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Recent allegation says contractor was part of CIA program to kill al Qaeda operatives
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Blackwater was given contract to protect CIA facilities in Afghanistan after 9/11 attacks
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The private contractor renamed itself Xe earlier this year
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Other contractors were brought in for other parts of the program, another source said, and @placeholder's involvement ended by mid-2006.
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When Erik Prince first opened his @placeholder training facility in the late '90s, his clients included special forces teams and law enforcement agencies from around the country.