Help finding a story - Pentagon tells State dept to hire private security

[Kelvin Mace]

I know I saw a story in the last week about the State Department being told it would have hire mercenaries for security because it needed its soldiers elsewhere. I have tried a number of different search criteria, but haven't turned up the story. Does anybody remember the story?

[NYC]

1. I remember the story.

I would guess it was about 3 days ago. If I can find it, I'll post the link.

[TayTay]

2. Washingtonpost.com chat with Dana Priest 4/6/06

Silver Spring, Md.: On Blackwater, etc. George Packer writes this week in the New Yorker about Rumsfeld wanting private security contractors to do the security work on future State Dep't. projects in Iraq so he can get back to "transforming the military". Two points: 1. Rumsfeld is not going to be SecDef that much longer. Shouldn't he be focused on cleaning up some of the messes he has already made? 2. How do you think congress or the people can stop the privatization of the military? I am outraged by it.

Dana Priest: Rumsfeld doesn't seem to be slowly down a bit, given his tenure. But he also seems to be focusing more of his attention on things-other-than-Iraq. Cleaning up the "mess" is a very, very hard job, some say it is impossible at this point. That may be one reason to switch to something more achievable in the short term. As for privatization. Sure, there's a way. Congress. It holds the purse strings.

[NYC]

3. The Tethered Goat.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040606A.shtml

...The Pentagon has informed the state department it will not provide security for these officials and that mercenaries should be hired for protection instead...

[Kelvin Mace]

4. THANKS!

You are a beacon in the night.