With U. S. Troops Still in the Mideast, Private Firms Must Guard Military

[Bandit]

One of George Bush Jr.'s campaign promises was to "rebuild the military power of the United States,"1 which Dick Cheney, his vice-presidential candidate, claimed had lapsed because of "multiplying missions and unclear goals."2 However, Bush's multiple deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan have overtaxed the military even more and now have led to hiring more civilian contractors for such basic duties as guarding U.S. military bases.

Private security firms have taken over what traditionally was a sole province of the military.3 In a typical contract, Akal Security has been awarded $70 million to guard eight stateside Army bases.4

http://www.misleader.org/daily_mislead/Read.asp?fn=df10222003.html

I wonder if this was another no-bid contract.

[qb]

1. Why don't they just privatize the whole GD military?

Send Halliburton employees over to fight our wars.

[brainshrub]

5. Give them time

they've only been at this for 20 years. It's not easy undoing 450 years of international military tradition.

[judge_smales]

2. This also has the effect of

lowering what Uncle Sam declairs as the cost of the war since these expences are'nt "directly" related to Iraq or Afg.

Even though they obviously are.

[Bandit]

3. I wonder if one of those eight bases is Fort Knox???

There probably isn't any gold left anyway but curious minds want to know.

[brainshrub]

4. When the revolution happens, the Bastile will be guarded by a private corp