Contractors, military in " bidding war"

[Uncle Joe]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2005-07-31-contractors-private_x.htm

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has hired private companies at a cost approaching $1 billion to help dispose of Saddam Hussein's arsenal in Iraq. That spending has created fierce competition for specialized workers that's draining the military's ranks of explosives experts
Experienced military explosives specialists can earn $250,000 a year or more working for the private companies. In the military, an enlisted man with 10 years' experience can make more than $46,000. The better pay from private companies has led troops to sign on with contractors when their service ends and has aggravated tensions between military and civilian workers in Iraq. (Related story: Bomb specialists needed)
Those tensions boiled over in May, when Marines arrested 16 security workers for Zapata Engineering, one of the companies doing ammunition-disposal work in Iraq. The Marines said the workers had fired at U.S. troops and civilians. The contractors said they're innocent and claim they were treated badly by jeering Marines.
<snip>
"We find ourselves, in some cases, in a bidding war for some of our most experienced soldiers and airmen," said Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, chief of the Pentagon's National Guard Bureau.

[bushisanidiot]

1. Holy Crap! Look at what AWOL Bush started.. americans are now shooting

at americans in iraq over who is going to make more money from the bounty.

[htuttle]

2. Genghis Khan used to have the same problem with his troops

:shrug:

[izzie]

3. Bush can not make any thing work right.

I see he is now going to work on the UN.

[lyonn]

4. Planning? Who needs a plan

Bushco forgot there was more to war than shock and awe, darnit. Brian Lamb on C-Span booknotes had a fellow on his show Sunday that was a prof. at a college and had a job with the govt. being part of a military and global discussion group, sorry didn't catch the proper terminology, who had written a recent article for the Wash. Post on the leading up to the war and the miserable mistakes that were made after. Lamb asked him if he was concerned about his job and future, speaking out as he did against this admin., and the guy said he had tenure where he taught and he felt it important to tell it like he saw it. He has a son, Lt., that will be leaving soon for Iraq. Wish I had made a note of his name. He was truly harsh in describing those leading this fiasco in Iraq.

This military vs. private companies is one large mistake. Course, we had to use private since our military is short personnel. Private contracts looks like some sort of candy store for corps. and we the people are having the tab put in our name.

[Uncle Joe]

6. Another name for private companies is mercenaries,

and our military is in direct competition with our very own domestic mercenaires. What are the solutions to this problem? Can you imagine the kind of tax increase it would take to raise military pay to be competitive with the mercenaires? How much is our military being shortchanged armor because of the mercenaires? What kind of effect does the well paid mercenary force have on our military recruiting?
If we ever have to reinstate the draft due to our military recruiting shortfall; will there be an exemption for anyone serving as a mercenary? Bush has consumed an entire punch bowl of koolaide in believing that corporations are the answer to everything. Corporations that determine whether you will recieve healthcare that could save your life, corporations that profit off of the imprisonment of our own American Citizens (it makes you wonder what they lobby for)and corporations that profit from our wars. I believe the Iraq War is precisely what former President Eisenhower warned us against when he said to beware the military industrial complex lest they gain too much power. He also warned us against stupid Texas oilmen, although he was talking about someone else other than Bush, I believe if the shoe fits, wear it. Eisenhower's views go to show just how far to the extreme radical rabid right the Republican Party has drifted since his day.

[DebinTx]

5. The money is flowing wide open to private contractors.

Salaries of private security guards in Iraq as much as $33,000 per month
RAW STORY


A nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) report issued Thursday reveals that the U.S. is spending as much as $33,000 per private security contractor per month -- some $396,000 per year on individual guards, RAW STORY has learned.

The report, entitled Rebuilding Iraq: Actions Needed to Improve Use of Private Security Providers, examined contractors hired directly by federal agencies to provide security in Iraq, as well as security subcontractors hired by other contractors to protect their personnel and reconstruction projects, and is viewable in PDF format here. This summary was prepared by the ranking member of the Government Reform Committee, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA).

#
The GAO audit report includes troubling findings regarding high security costs in Iraq and dangerous conflicts between the military and private security contractors

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Report_Salaries_of_private_security_guards_in_Iraq_as_much_as_33000_pe_0728.html

[fedsron2us]

7. Empires that rely on mercenaries

do not remain empires for very long.