Report: Local Marine Killed in Afghanistan by U.S. Contractor

[tekisui]

Source: South Bend Tribune

New details are emerging about a LaPorte County Marine's death in Afghanistan. The Department of Defense is now reportedly asking questions about his death.

WLS-TV in Chicago is reporting Lance Corporal Josh Birchfield was killed by a private security contractor, hired by the US government and paid by the Pentagon.

WLS says Birchfield's fellow Marines told them the Afghan guards were using opium, and were high when they killed Birchfield.

The TV station says a Pentagon spokesman reportedly released a statement saying seven security guards have been detained for questioning because of Birchfield's death.

http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20100303/News01/100309795/1130

[sakabatou]

1. Lemme guess, Blackwater?

[FreakinDJ]

2. Hmmm.... the Best Mercenaries Money can buy

[lpbk2713]

3. The BushCo Praetorian Guard

I wouldn't want to be around those hired guns.

And I wouldn't turn my back on them if I had to.

My sympathies to the Lance Corporal's family.

[arcadian]

4. retract my previous statement upon new information

[shadowrider]

5. Not quite. The headline is misleading

I'm not blaming you, it's the actual headline.

From the article:

"WLS says Birchfield's fellow Marines told them the Afghan guards were using opium, and were high when they killed Birchfield."

The AFGHAN guards who killed him were hired for security services by a U.S. contracting company, it wasn't a "U.S. Contractor" (Implying an American).

(I actually read the articles and don't comment based on headline alone)

[arcadian]

6. I read it as:

The Marines blamed the deaths on high Afghans, but in fact it was US contractors. Not that both groups were one and the same.

[tekisui]

8. I read it all as well.

It was a contractor hired by the US regardless of the nationality.

[shadowrider]

9. I'm not disagreeing with you.

But the headline says "U.S. Contractor" implying an American and not "U.S. Hired Afghan Contractor".

[EFerrari]

7. Bring them HOME.