U.S. Relies on Private Security in Iraq

[Judi Lynn]

U.S. Relies on Private Security in Iraq
By KATHERINE PFLEGER SHRADER
Associated Press Writer


WASHINGTON (AP)--The blurring of lines between active-duty U.S. soldiers and contracted security personnel is causing unease in Congress, as violence continues to rise in Iraq. Some lawmakers worry that private security forces operate too far outside U.S. military control--and laws. And experts wonder what would happen if a contractor did something tragically wrong, like shoot an Iraqi child.

Thirteen Democrats wrote Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld this month to argue that providing security in a hostile area is a classic mission for the military.

``It would be a dangerous precedent if the United States allowed the presence of private armies operating outside the control of a governmental authority and beholden only to those that pay them,'' wrote the Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota.
(snip)

Roughly 20,000 private security contractors from dozens of companies operate in Iraq under contract with the Coalition Provisional Authority, the U.S.-led governing body in Iraq, plus the Defense Department and other U.S. agencies. Thousands more are on assignments for the United States and others worldwide, including in Afghanistan, taking on jobs like guarding officials, protecting buildings and supply convoys, and training police and soldiers.
(snip/...)

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/ap/ap_story.html/Intl/AP.V8512.AP-Iraq-Private-Se.html?urcm=y
(Free registration required)

[jus_the_facts]

1. privatization = failure

....time and time again. :evilfrown:

[wryter2000]

7. We need to get this message out

This is the most obvious case of the failure of privatization we've seen. The next time a repuke tells us that business does something better than government they need to be reminded of the months our troops had to eat MRE's because KBR couldn't get insurance for its employees. Of the terrible conditions of the food once it did get there. Of them not paying their bill to the subcontractor who then said they'd have to feed the troops sandwiches. Of the $$$ we paid Halliburton to bring gas into one of the most oil rich countries in the world. Of the mega-bucks we pay mercenaries to do what our troops could do better. It's a national disgrace, and we mustn't let it disappear from the collective memory.

[denverbill]

11. But if the Army is used, there is no profit to be made.

Everybody knows that if there's a profit to be made, it will reduce the cost of providing the service because of the competition.

It works for widgets, why not wars? </sarcasm>

[makhno]

12. It's a scam

But this is a more painful scam than your usual corrupt parting of citizens' assets for the benefit of a few capitalists. Lives are at stake. American military strength is at stake. And those bastards can only see the dollar signs.

Can someone explain to me how is it cheaper to have a "lean" army paying outrageous contract rates for everything from transportation to combat duty rather than employing service personnel for the same tasks? Right, spend our money training the soldiers, then spend some more hiring them back through Blackwater et al. This is appalling.

[pretzel4gore]

2. taxpayer funded mercenaries?

that goddam bush.....what a maroon.
i think the busheviks have literally burnt all bridges back to any sanity and are shovelling the cash out in desperate effort to.... outwait US history and outkill the freedom fighters....
jeezus they sure got pissed at woodstock generation etc, the counterculture.... it's amazing!
i recall how viet cong soldiers were expected to live for weeks on little bags of dried rice etc....them fatso murderous 'otto skorzenzy' wannabe hirelings won't deploy without toilet paper (charmin, preferably)

[saigon68]

3. PRIVATE THUGS PROTECT THE VICEROY

THE FIRST VICEROY OF IRAQ-NAM

Viceroy Pontius Paul Bremer I

announced that more former members of Saddam's military would be allowed to join the ranks of the new US-trained army because of the poor performance of the Iraqi forces during rebel attacks.(AFP/Pool/File/Damir Sagolj)



NOT ONLY THE BILGEWATER INC. PRIVATE ARMY w/ ITS HELICOPTERS BUT SOON TO REHIRE SADDAMS GUYS AS "CONSULTANTS"

[makhno]

10. God, I hate this guy

Tough guy, huh, wearing combat boots with a Brooks Brothers suit. What an asshole.

[SidDithers]

15. Really. Couldn't he at least have found some black ones? nt.

Sid

[saigon68]

17. He's a piece of work

We don't really know a whole lot about him---

but he's on the NeoCon gravy train along with Senor Senor--that's for sure.

[symbolman]

4. We now have what I've coined as

"McSoldiers".. they die for pennies on the dollar.. they kill whoever they are told to kill without a thought, THEY get to kill kids as opposed to what the article is saying?

And they are exported in tubes once used up.. they are forbidden to change jobs or bitch about "the boss"..

all of the info they recieve is purged of reality or the possibility of Free thought..

What happens when OUR tax dollars are used to create a Corporate "army" that will kill AMERICANS when told..

what happens when a Usurper like Bush gets a hold of this "corporate army"?

this is absolute bullshit, and it's the reason our troops are going without armor, proper vehicles, food, etc..

this SCREAMS for investigations.

time for soldiers to put down their weapons and walk home...

let THEM make deals with the enemy, instead of Rumsfeld.

latest Flash movie here "Murder by Numbers"

http://www.takebackthemedia.com/murderby.html

[FreakinDJ]

5. I wish McSoldiers came that cheap

Heard on the radio they are paid between 130k and 170k anual salery.

The military is feeling the pinch as Navy Seals, Army Special Forces, and Marine Expiditionary Forces leave in droves to these higher paid jobs.

Question: Do you think that these Mercs would ever be used against the American people?

Do you think they have morals and laws preventing them from ever fireing on US Citizens?

[SidDithers]

16. I think the McSoldiers are the ones in the US Armed forces...

not the "contractors".

Sid

[izzie]

6. I have already started on my congressmen and we all should now.

This is an army paid for by tax payers money and we have no say.It is like Bush's own army and we know another ruler who had that.Start those calls to congress.

[bobthedrummer]

8. These mercenaries are big political contributors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/resources.aspx?act=contrib

Btw, Dyn Corp has the contract to "train" Iraqi police and corrections. And SAIC has at least 7 DoD contracts for broadcast media.

:grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr:

[w4rma]

9. I am in full agreement with the Daschle and the other Dems on this subject

I am *very* glad that they are speaking out against this crap.

[legin]

13. mmmmm... I thought I bumped into this before...

The firms also maintain platoons of Washington lobbyists to help keep government contracts headed their way. In 2001, according to the most recent federal disclosure forms, 10 private military companies spent more than $32 million on lobbying. DynCorp retained two lobbying firms that year to successfully block a bill that would have forced federal agencies to justify private contracts on cost-saving grounds. MPRI's parent company, L-3 Communications, had more than a dozen lobbyists working on its behalf, including Linda Daschle, wife of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle. Last year L-3 won $1.7 billion in Defense Department contracts.

<<snip>>

It's the disinfopedia link third one down here:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Daschle+wife+lobbying+military&btnG=Google+Search

[Bandit]

14. No-Bid Contracts forever!!

:shrug: Won't raise the pay of a private to a living wage but willing to pay three thousand a day for private soldiers .

[bobthedrummer]

19. That's part of the $84+bn Iraq war budget and DoD has "lost" a trillion

our taxes are going to these mercenaries employed by the administration of George W. Bush aka The War President.

Look at some of these contracts awarded-it's organized crime imho.
http://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/resources.aspx?act=total

[bobthedrummer]

18. SAIC's David Kay was a VP before officially signing on with the CIA

But, most interesting of all imho, is the career path of former SAIC bio-warfare expert Jerome Hauer.

Jerome Hauer was hired from SAIC by Tommy Thompson on 9-10-2001.
Immediately after the 9/11 attacks, but well BEFORE the anthrax attacks, Hauer and Thompson promoted the use of Cipro in the George W. Bush administration.

The anthrax used came from the Ames strain spores in US, those spores were weaponized by the US Army for the end-user, the CIA. No arrest has been made in this entirely domestic attack using US Army weaponized spores prepared for the CIA.

Jerome Hauer in in charge of public preparedness for biological warfare.

LIHOP.

[bobthedrummer]

20. Dyn Corp provides security for US in Israel, The President of Afghanistan

Karzai is guarded by Dyn Corp.

Did you know that Dyn Corp also completed Phase 1 Clinical Trials for anthrax and smallpox vaccines and is working with Jerome Hauer for public preparedness of biological warfare?

Dyn Corp has the contract to "train" Iraqi police and corrections-it's organized crime controlling law-enforcement imho:grr: