Private Military Contractors as Buzz Lightyear: To Afghanistan and Beyond

[tekisui]

Source: Huffington Post

While the role and impact of private military and security contractors in Iraq is hardly a spent issue, increasingly, eyes and attention are turning to Afghanistan.

This is hardly surprising. The Obama Administration's surge strategy inevitably means more US and NATO member troops, which, in turn, means more bases needing to be built, more facilities to be managed, and more people to guard them, as well as the convoys that bring in supplies by truck. Remember that the 30,000 extra US troops being deployed to Afghanistan could be accompanied by up to 56,000 additional contractor personnel.

(snip)

Still, some U.S. firms have already created their own controversies. Just last week US Defence Secretary, Robert Gates, said he will review allegations of misconduct in Afghanistan by the firm formerly known as Blackwater. The company is mired in allegations that it has previously misappropriated government weapons and hired people with violent backgrounds.

But in the meantime it is still getting contracts. Just yesterday the Pentagon announced that Xe subsidiary Presidential Airways, Inc. was awarded a $39,084,532 task order for rotary wing aircraft, to perform passenger and cargo air transportation services in Afghanistan, to be completed by Nov. 30, 2010.

And despite the recent Senate Armed Services Committee hearing into various misdeeds committed by contractors working for Paravant, a Xe Service subsidiary or shell company, depending on how you look at it, that was working for Raytheon Technical Services, Xe may well win later this month a new Pentagon contract that could be worth as much as a billion dollars to train the Afghan police. Although how that could happen given Xe/Blackwater's history remains a mystery.

(snip)

According to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), as of September 2009, there were 11,423 private security contractors in Afghanistan, of which 10,712 (94%) were armed. Of the armed security contractors, 90% were local nationals. Less than one percent was American, and the rest were third country nationals.

Of course, in recent years the trend has been rising. According to DOD, from September 2007 to December 2008, the number of armed security contractors increased from 2,401 to 3,184, an increase of 33%. But from December 2008 to September 2009, the number of armed security contractors increased from 3,184 to 10,712, an increase of 236% DOD attributed the increase in security contractors to increased operational tempo and efforts to stabilize and develop new and existing forward operating bases.

much more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-isenberg/private-military-contract_b_494834.html

[lonestarnot]

1. Seeking out "moderate talibaners" no doubt.

[tekisui]

2. 10,712 armed security contractors.

That is 10,000 acting outside US military code of conduct.

[G_j]

3. great place for our taxes to go

let's close some more schools.

[Ichingcarpenter]

4. Stockholders must be happy

With all that free money propping up their companies


What a Racket

[Mari333]

5. THERE IS YOUR MFCKING HEALTH CARE FOR ALL

'But in the meantime it is still getting contracts. Just yesterday the Pentagon announced that Xe subsidiary Presidential Airways, Inc. was awarded a $39,084,532 task order for rotary wing aircraft, to perform passenger and cargo air transportation services in Afghanistan, to be completed by Nov. 30, 2010.'

RIGHT DOWN THE TOILET.

[G_j]

9. criminal

there is no other way to put it.

[Mari333]

10. k

[leftstreet]

13. +1

[tekisui]

6. Notice the 236% increase under Obama.

The war profiteers love Obama for his support.

[Mari333]

7. k

[gimama]

8. kick

for PEACE

www.march20.org

[Robb]

11. How many ways can we discuss the same numbers?!?

And the same posters doing it? I swear....

OK, I'll do it again. 10,712 armed PSCs in Afghanistan.

Here's the DoD report being referenced, yet again: http://www.acq.osd.mil/log/PS/p_vault/Contractor_Support_8Dec09.doc

...Congressional concern over the use of personal security contractors (PSCs) in areas of military operations remains high, and Congress may yet legislate that it is an inherently governmental function. There are 11,162 armed DoD PSC personnel in Iraq and 10,712 in Afghanistan. 95% of the DoD PSCs in Afghanistan are Afghans, creating important job and economic opportunities there, and is an element of the COCOM’s Counter Insurgency strategy. The present role of PSCs is strictly limited to defensive protection of people, assets and property....

Again, even if all 500 of Afghanistan's non-local PSCs are Blackwater/XE, it's still 500. There will be 100,000 US troops in Afghanistan by June. They are hardly outnumbered.

[tekisui]

12. The nationality doesn't really matter that much.

There is still an over-reliance on private (for-profit) contractors in war zones. 10,712 are armed, which is bad enough. But the for-profit contractors outnumber our troops, whether they hold guns or not.

[Robb]

14. It matters when an article conflates them with Blackwater.

[tekisui]

15. The other corporations aren't exacltly peaches.

My problem is with the use of for-profit contractors, generally. And with security contractors, in particular.

Still, though, I think 500 Xe in Afghanistan is 500 too many.

[Mari333]

16. k