Fifteen Fijian men missing in Iraq

[catmandu57]

When I was at Lunaville a snip caught my eye, 15 Fijian men gone missing, so I started looking. Clicking on their link took me to a Fijian news source that wanted me to register, so I googled Fijian men + Iraq.

It seems that 408 former Fijian soldiers were hired as private security last September. They were paid 30.000 dollars for their service, the per capita wage in Fiji is just over 3800.00.

Now, fifteen of the security force has gone "missing", whether they took their money and ran, or were the victims of foul play is not clear.

Where the firm that hired them came up with the money to pay 30,000 is not clear either, probably from our pockets indirectly through haliburton.

I'll keep my eye on this story to see what develops.

[smartass]

1. Weird!

[Career Prole]

2. Global Risk International is the company

that set it up. Headquartered in the UK, this is just one of the many companies benefitting from the occupation. Take a look here:
http://www.abc.net.au/ra/newstories/RANewsStories_1059414.htm
I dug a little. The Fijians are part of the 'Green Zone' security, and have details in Basra and Mosul as well.
The story I've cited above regards them signing on for three more months (having been in place already six months). Curiously enough, this contract extension happened about a month after this:

US says Fiji has returned to 'community of constitutional democracies'

The United States Ambassador to Fiji, David Lyon, says he is pleased to note that the latest US Human Rights report for Fiji presents a much better picture of the country than in previous years.
http://www.abc.net.au/ra/newstories/RANewsStories_1057377.htm

A month later, on about the same day the contract extension was signed, I read this:

Fiji applauded for improvement in human rights report

The United States Ambassador to Fiji, David Lyon says he is pleased the US Human Rights report 2003 for Fiji presents a much better picture of the country than in previous years.
http://www.abc.net.au/ra/newstories/RANewsStories_1057809.htm

It's the same story, basically, as the one a month earlier.
Smells like quid pro quo to me, but I can't chase down another conspiracy theory...my head's already spinning!

[Loco_moco]

3. Here's some good info...

on the "privatization" of war...

The Guardian, December 10, 2003
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,11538,1103724,00.html

<snip>
While the official coalition figures list the British as the second largest contingent with around 9,900 troops, they are narrowly outnumbered by the 10,000 private military contractors now on the ground.
<end>

..they're building their private army...:tinfoilhat:

<snip>
When America launched its invasion in March, the battleships in the Gulf were manned by US navy personnel. But alongside them sat civilians from four companies operating some of the world's most sophisticated weapons systems. When the unmanned Predator drones, the Global Hawks, and the B-2 stealth bombers went into action, their weapons systems, too, were operated and maintained by non-military personnel working for private companies.
<end>

and regarding the Fijians...

<snip>
The big British player in Iraq is Global Risk International, based in Hampton, Middlesex. It is supplying hired Gurkhas, Fijian paramilitaries and, it is believed, ex-SAS veterans, to guard the Baghdad headquarters of Paul Bremer, the US overlord, according to analysts.
<end>

...good points, and this article was posted less than six months ago so the info is fairly recent...

plus the article makes a very good point about how these armed civilian employees are subject to the same rules of engagement as foreign troops, giving them power, authority and a "license to kill".

good info... :-)


peace;
rob