Iraq contractors face mounting losses

[Contrary1]

Some are making as much as a 2-Star General. There by choice. I am having a hard time drumming up a lot of sympathy for the contractors (Mercenaries in my book).

"BAGHDAD - Private security companies, funded by billions of dollars in U.S. military and State Department contracts, are fighting insurgents on a widening scale in Iraq, enduring daily attacks, returning fire and taking hundreds of casualties that have been underreported and sometimes concealed, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials and company representatives.

While the military has built up troops in an ongoing campaign to secure Baghdad, the security companies, out of public view, have been engaged in a parallel surge, boosting manpower, adding expensive armor and stepping up evasive action as attacks increase, the officials and company representatives said. One in seven supply convoys protected by private forces has come under attack this year, according to previously unreleased statistics; one security company reported nearly 300 "hostile actions" in the first four months.

The majority of the more than 100 security companies operate outside of Iraqi law, in part because of bureaucratic delays and corruption in the Iraqi government licensing process, according to U.S. officials. Blackwater USA, a prominent North Carolina firm that protects U.S. Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, and several other companies have not applied, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. Blackwater said that it obtained a one-year license in 2005 but that shifting Iraqi government policy has impeded its attempts to renew.

The security industry's enormous growth has been facilitated by the U.S. military, which uses the 20,000 to 30,000 contractors to offset chronic troop shortages. Armed contractors protect all convoys transporting reconstruction materiel, including vehicles, weapons and ammunition for the Iraqi army and police. They guard key U.S. military installations and provide personal security for at least three commanding generals, including Air Force Maj. Gen. Darryl A. Scott, who oversees U.S. military contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan..."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19256869/

[Bake]

1. At some point it will become "unprofitable."

No amount of money is worth dying. What will they do then?

Bake

[youngdem]

3. A cost plus contract never becomes unprofitable

They will just continue to hire SE Asia men instead of Americans

[Breeze54]

2. Well, it's sad when anyone is killed there.

Some are mercenaries but a lot are providing services (food, etc) to the soldiers.
Some of the contractors are trying to restore utilities, electricity, etc.
Not all are employed by KB&R, a subsidary of Halliburton or Blackwater.

http://icasualties.org/oif/Civ.aspx">An Incomplete List of Contractors Killed in Iraq

Link lists names and company and cause of death.

[fed-up]

4. article is pure PR bullsh*t-they won't tell how many of 126K mercs are in Iraq/Afg

why re-enlist when you can bilk the taxpayers for 3-4x the amount of money the military pays-mercs are paid from $300-900 A DAY-most mercs are former military that do NOT follow Geneva COnventions or ANY OTHER laws-who knows what they are doing to stir up the Iraqis...

""When you see the number of my people who have been killed, the American public should recognize that every one of them represents an American soldier or Marine or sailor who didn't have to go in harm's way," Holly said in an interview."


Read "Blackwater" by Jeremy Scahill for a more complete picture of the religious fanatic Eric Prince who owns Blackwater.

[KoKo]

5. CEO of Blackwater pulled in 400,000 Salary last year...there were probably perks

on top of that. Peanuts compared to the Hedge Fund Crowd, though.