Private Duty Soldiers or Merceneries?

[crossroads]

<a href="http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040427/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_private_security">http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040427/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_private_security</a>

"WASHINGTON - Some days, private security guards in Iraq (news <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/*http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news?p=%22Iraq%22&c=&n=20&yn=c&c=news&cs=nw> - web sites <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/*http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?cs=nw&p=Iraq>) look simply like well-armed rent-a-cops. Other days, they look like soldiers engaged in full-bore combat

That blurring of lines between active-duty 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.

In Iraq, they said, the private armies need proper screening and supervision, or they could increase Iraqi resentment.
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.

In Iraq, they said, the private armies need proper screening and supervision, or they could increase Iraqi resentment"

[bedtimeforbonzo]

1. contract killers

as opposed to volunteers, I guess.

[NoPasaran]

2. Unlawful combatants

say I

[Solon]

3. Murderers for hire n/t

[saigon68]

4. SOON TO BE MAIN COURSE AT BARBECUE

No I won't post THE PICTURE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[crossroads]

5. Sad thing is the troops volunteered...

I wonder how they feel knowing somebody else is "serving" for huge profit$? Have you seen amounts of the salary$ these hired guns are making?
The troops are averaging about 19 grand a year!

[creepy]

6. I'm ready!

As a Viet-Nam era vet, retired LEO, and wanna be hired gun, I want you to know I'm ready to go! (In fact, I've got my application in with KBR right now.)

[seemslikeadream]

7. welp hurry up there money to be made!

arms to loose

or a leg or two




make sure you geet one of these


a flag draped coffin "for some"


They don't like mercenaries over there

[crossroads]

8. Awful gruesome scenes

Can't imagine volunteering for this kind of job, especially in an illegal war!

[seemslikeadream]

11. These dogs of war can pick and leave anytime they want

if it gets a little too dangerous, they'll just pick up and leave. While the military, the real men and women, follow the orders given. They are fighting for this country each and every one of us, whatever we think of this occupation, they are true human beings, they know life is one. Mercenaries fight for bloodmoney. They'll do it in Iraq, they've already have done it in America and will again.
Unions know all about that, its been going on for 100 years.

[SquireJons]

13. "They know that life is one?"

Soldiers are like cops, some good hearted, and some power mad. I have no doubts that some of the young men (and women too) who went to Iraq did indeed shout things like "now we get to shoot some ragheads" as was reported by a soldier in a post here on DU. Not everyone who volunteers for the army has the highest noble sentiments. Power attracts bullies and along with tens of thousands of average Joe's, we've sent thousands of bullies.

The military is inherently dangerous because of it's potential for mis-use. That is exactly what is occurring now, and these are truly scary times for this country. I firmly believe that if a lazy, idiotic failure, as bush clearly is, gets elected to lead this country during one of it's worst crisis's - one that was created by bush himself - then the end is near for this republic. There was no revolution in Rome when the Republic was lost, just 400 years of despotism.

We may well end up telling our grandchildren that we remember when America was a democracy.

[seemslikeadream]

15. I couldn't judge any soldier there now

Facing death, especially one's own has an effect.


Did you ever hear this. It's a good song.

Buffalo soldier Lyrics

Buffalo Soldier, Dreadlock Rasta:
There was a Buffalo Soldier in the heart of America,
Stolen from Africa, brought to America,
Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival.

I mean it, when I analyze the stench -
To me it makes a lot of sense:
How the Dreadlock Rasta was the Buffalo Soldier,
And he was taken from Africa, brought to America,
Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival.

Said he was a Buffalo Soldier, Dreadlock Rasta -
Buffalo Soldier in the heart of America.

If you know your history,
Then you would know where you coming from,
Then you wouldn't have to ask me,
Who the 'eck do I think I am.

I'm just a Buffalo Soldier in the heart of America,
Stolen from Africa, brought to America,
Said he was fighting on arrival, fighting for survival;
Said he was a Buffalo Soldier win the war for America.

Dreadie, woy yoy yoy, woy yoy-yoy yoy,
Woy yoy yoy yoy, yoy yoy-yoy yoy!
Woy yoy yoy, woy yoy-yoy yoy,
Woy yoy yoy yoy, yoy yoy-yoy yoy!
Buffalo Soldier troddin' through the land, wo-ho-ooh!
Said he wanna ran, then you wanna hand,
Troddin' through the land, yea-hea, yea-ea.

Said he was a Buffalo Soldier win the war for America;
Buffalo Soldier, Dreadlock Rasta,
Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival;
Driven from the mainland to the heart of the Caribbean.

Singing, woy yoy yoy, woy yoy-yoy yoy,
Woy yoy yoy yoy, yoy yoy-yoy yoy!
Woy yoy yoy, woy yoy-yoy yoy,
Woy yoy yoy yoy, yoy yoy-yoy yoy!

Troddin' through San Juan in the arms of America;
Troddin' through Jamaica, a Buffalo Soldier# -
Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival:
Buffalo Soldier, Dreadlock Rasta.

[seemslikeadream]

17. Got this from a friend

the road to peace is guarded by veterans.

[SquireJons]

18. And the road to hell?

Must literally be built with the souls of veterans. Gen. Sherman once said "War is all hell; there's no use in trying to reform it. The worse it is, the sooner it will be over." He was right of course, and one of Americas first modern generals. But he fails to address the fact that the victims of his hell see peace sooner than anyone else.

I don't pretend to judge soldiers from this or any other country. Most have little or no choice, and young minds are easily manipulated. But that doesn't change reality, and the reality is that when you give out millions of guns, many of them are held by not very nice people.

[Malva Zebrina]

19. all they wanted was a college education NT

:shrug:

They were innocent when they signed up to do George Bush's will. Even though Bush is a known AWOL chickenhawk coward of a bastard who thumbed his nose at those who were serving, because he considered himself a member of the
"elite"

--ie a member of the
Bush family--

who "summered" at Kennebunkport, contributed nothing to the community, is a proven idiot, and who desperately wanted to become a part of the high society of the "summer people" but who never quite made it because he was too stupid , uniniformed and not inclined to do anything more than coast along on the Bush name--you know that one that was connected to Prescott--the Nazi sympathizer.

and why did they not quite make it in high society?

Too stupid I suspect.

In spite of the daddy being a president, and a failed one at that, they have never quite ",made it" into high society--anywhere.

and that is because they for the most part are really grossly crass and stupid people.



Take a look at Jenna and Barbara, the progeny of the stupid George Bush and his frump o lump, Laura the great pretender--they portray exactly why George and the joker smiling, frump who came from nowhere and has done nothing, but who is manufactured as having done "something" although no one really knows what she has , indeed, "done", and has never, actually, "done" a damn thing in her life, and has no name to flaunt, could never quite make it in high society.

They are all crass , gross and stupid, but they actually, try and do consider themselves elite and above us all by shear bullying.

The bitter truth is that most of us have more intelligence than them all, in spite of thier wealth. That makes they really, really mad




The sullen expression on the faces of the twins, are telling.

[GreenArrow]

9. Hessians

that's what they used to be called, 200 some odd years ago.

[Thor_MN]

12. IIRC, Hessians were soldiers of what is now Germany and were mercenaries

The "Contractors" are not mercenaries as they are not the hired soldiers of a foreign country. The "Coalition" forces, excluding US, Canadian and British troops more closely fit the title of Mercenary, as we are "hiring" them by holding foreign aid programs under their noses.

The "Contractors" are unlawful combatants, fitting in most closely with the detainees down Gitmo way.

[GreenArrow]

14. sure the "contractors" are mercenaries

at least according to Websters, which provides four definitons in my desk copy. First, in the broad sense it defines mercenaries as "working or acting merely for money or other reward; venal." From the latin mercennarius -- hired worker. The second and third defintions are more in line with your own. The fourth defintion is simply "any hireling."

Your point about the "coalition" soldiers being mercenaries is extremely well taken.

[Chicago Democrat]

10. Men who Like To Kill for Money

:(

[bobthedrummer]

16. They're mercenaries, and big political contributors

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