Civilians to Take U.S. Lead After Military Leaves Iraq

[Duppers]

Source: NY Times

Published: August 18, 2010

WASHINGTON — As the United States military prepares to leave Iraq by the end of 2011, the Obama administration is planning a remarkable civilian effort, buttressed by a small army of contractors, to fill the void.
...

By October 2011, the State Department will assume responsibility for training the Iraqi police, a task that will largely be carried out by contractors. With no American soldiers to defuse sectarian tensions in northern Iraq, it will be up to American diplomats in two new $100 million outposts to head off potential confrontations between the Iraqi Army and Kurdish pesh merga forces.

To protect the civilians in a country that is still home to insurgents with Al Qaeda and Iranian-backed militias, the State Department is planning to more than double its private security guards, up to as many as 7,000, according to administration officials who disclosed new details of the plan.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/world/middleeast/19withdrawal.html

[msongs]

1. "race to the top" of the war profiteers for cash pile. blackwater's wet dream nt

[jwirr]

2. Hmmm. doesn't this mean that Hillary is in charge?

[Wilms]

3. Wow.

Dick secures an oilfield.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=415837&mesg_id=415837

And this.

[watajob]

4. So, we withdraw soldiers ...

... at $35K @ year and replace them with mercenaries making $100K? What's this say about the Iraqi's "standing up"? And, I voted for this fool. :(

[saigon68]

5. Its just Disgusting

Football season is about to bring its annual circus to the SHEEP,

THERE'S PLENTY OF BREAD STILL FOR MOST

Its amazing how the churches are still vacuuming the pockets of the lower class.

And patriotism has never been higher.

USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA
USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA
USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA USA

</sarcasm>

[TheWatcher]

6. Rome was more Respectful.

It is utterly unbelievable the Delusional, Weak, Soft, Brainwashed, Cowed, and utterly ignorant country we have become.

Rome was a Renaissance of Reason compared to this.

What else is there to say.

We Suck.

And we can't even be bothered to care.

Bret Favre demands our full and undivided attention.

Just a build a Roman Colosseum in every major Metropolitan City and be done with it.

We LIKE being Conquered.

It's almost like we fetishize it now.

Welcome To Hell.

[Greyhound]

7. With 50,000 'non-combat' troops remaining stationed there indefinitely, why does State need

as many as 14,000 'private security' forces?

Oh wait, change...
:eyes:

[dipsydoodle]

8. I don't believe the 14000 'private security' forces' figure

Two years ago there were 190000 there :

As of early 2008, at least 190,000 private personnel were working on US-funded projects in the Iraq theater, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) survey found. That means that for each uniformed member of the US military in the region, there was also a contract employee – a ratio of 1 to 1.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2008/0818/p02s01-usmi.html

I'm sure they haven't retired and the majority remaining lurking there.

The 50000 are not totally non combat : of those 4000 are special forces. If the balance are non combat then how come they remain armed exactly as before in every single respect.

Not really change - just a fresh coat of paint.