How Iraq Turned Into a War of Mercenaries
I have long wondered why we have so many mercenaries or contractors as they like to call them in Iraq today. I remember Vietnam with our traditional drafted troops who fought the war in very large numbers. But when you look at Iraq, the numbers are small. But are they? What is this hidden shadow army that is costing us taxpayers up to $200,000 per man per year? What you learn in this article may surprise you.
According to an article in the April 2, ‘07, The Nation, the privatization of the military started with our recently departed Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. His vision, even before 9/11/, for a “modern, technological, sleek” army with a “small footprint” would basically cut the Pentagon and the Department of Defense manpower to be replaced with his new model based on the private sector. He complained that the Pentagon with its burgeoning bureaucracy wasn’t efficient or fast enough for him. So, he sold Bush on his most sweeping transformation of America’s global force since the end of World War II.
When 9/11 came along, this was his perfect opportunity to put it all in place. This was indeed the “perfect storm” for Rumsfeld. Even before the troop buildup began in advance of the invasion of Iraq, Rumsfeld made private contractors an integral part of the operations. As we were supposedly carrying out diplomatic attempts, Halliburton was behind the scenes prepping for a massive operation. It makes me realize that it was no wonder that this war machine couldn’t be stopped.
When U.S. tanks rolled into Baghdad in March 2003, the largest army of private contractors ever deployed in modern war was right along with them. By 2006, there were an estimated 100,000 private contractors on the ground in Iraq which is a one-to-one ratio with soldiers.
You may say we need all the help we can get. But in effect what Rumsfeld did was create a legitimacy of contractors never enjoyed before by war contractors. Typically, contractors in the past served to provide meals, lodging and administrative duties. However, we now have an army of private citizens employed in a war zone carrying out combat missions. What this has done is to provide the Bush administration with political cover, allowing the government to deploy private forces in a war zone free of public scrutiny, with the deaths, injuries and crimes of those forces shrouded in secrecy.
In addition, the Administration and GOP-controlled Congress had shielded the contractors from accountability, oversight and legal constraints. These contractors are carrying out the same missions as the soldiers with the same risks. However, there is a major difference — they are not subject to court martial like a soldier is.
One of the major contractors in Iraq is Blackwater who repeatedly cites Rumsfeld’s statement that contractors are part of the “Total Force” as a legitimate part of the nation’s warfighting capability and capacity. What this has done is allowed for contractors to be immune to not only court martial but lawsuits which in effect, makes them above the law. So what has resulted is a frightening picture of a politically connected private army that has become the Bush Administration’s private force to deploy whenever and wherever they deem necessary. It seems they also “serve at the pleasure of the President”.
If you don’t remember Blackwater, they were the same company who the government contracted to aid in the Katrina disaster. The bill to the government was $950 per man per day — at one point raking in over $240,000 a day. On top of this, Blackwater has been the biggest winner in the global war on terror winning nearly $1 billion in non-covert government contracts and many being no-bid arrangements.
And, this is just the beginning. It has been reported that their high profile, highly connected lobbyists are engaged in an intensive lobbying campaign to be sent into Darfur as a privatized peacekeeping force. Last October President Bush lifted some sanctions on Christian southern Sudan, paving the way for a potential Blackwater training mission there.
And, surprise, surprise — Blackwater has hired some well-connected officials close to the Bush Administration as senior executives one of whom was investigated for quashed or redirected ongoing criminal investigations of senior Bush Administration officials. All of this again reeks of cronyism and war profiteering. Henry Waxman, the chair of the House Oversight Committee had been trying for over eighteen months to get the Defense Department to respond to his inquiries about the contractors. When they did reply last July, they didn’t even supply the breakdown that he requested.
What this illustrates is the difficult, if not impossible, task of following the money involving powerful war contractors like KBR and Blackwater providing a graphic illustration of the secretive nature of the whole war contracting industry. This is Bush’s war without a doubt but he is running it with our money. It’s about time we have a full accounting of exactly what these contractors are doing and how much it is costing us. Again, this is just another example of the secrecy involved with the hidden cost of this atrocious war.
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Minus Blackwater and Plus Another Surge? In Bush’s September speech he promised to bring home the surge troops. “However” — so sorry, no way, if there’s any discouraging security/political developments.
The cause of this most recent “however” are the two investigations ordered by Robert Gates of the Department of Defense into contracted security services like Blackwater now in Iraq. A look into their deadly wrongdoings. //the foxes investigating the fox in the chicken coop?// What’s unusual is that Gates ordered a military query and an outside query to be done at the same time; Both investigations headed by generals, though one is retired. //which way to the Xerox™ Machine?// What will they recommend to President Bush??? Aww, you go ahead, and you make a fresh guess.
How many mercenaries, including other than Blackwater, are there presently in Iraq? 40,000 as escorts/guards? The copycat results of both investigations can be seen coming, perhaps, in four ways. 1) As-is, 2) As-is with oversight, 3) Leave Iraq, and 4) Iraqi police/army replacements. Hey, by Gawk, after the Blackwater shooting incident, something must be done to placate the Iranians.
If it comes down to number 3 — a serious “however” possibility — that means those escort and guard duties of the mercenaries leaving Iraq will have to be assumed by U.S. troops already in Iraq. Oh, Gawk! Worse case scenario! It might very well become a justification for a second surge. Yes, that’s right: Another surge. A replacement surge. More bodies needed!
Or…worse yet! These two official inquiries have upgraded this ‘however’ such as maybe obtaining additional soldiers from other countries where the U.S. military has a presence, like Germany and Japan. Stand-ins. As soldier escort/guard temps until other then-what arrangements?
Forget, one would think, the draft; No time to train draftees. A civilian call-up that’s a pseudo draft like Hitler’s last army recruitment of youths and old men? How old is old? //Am I still classified as 1-Y?// And what about the pentagon’s plans for Iran? What would Carl Rove suggest? Rove is just a phone call away. Help, help, Oh my good Gawk!
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Minus Blackwater and Plus Another Surge? In Bush’s September speech he promised to bring home the surge troops. “However” – so sorry, no way, if there’s any discouraging security/political developments.
The cause of this most recent “however” are the two investigations ordered by Robert Gates of the Department of Defense into contracted security services like Blackwater now in Iraq. A look into their deadly wrongdoings. //the foxes investigating the fox in the chicken coop?// What’s unusual is that Gates ordered a military query and an outside query to be done at the same time; Both investigations headed by generals, though one is retired. //which way to the Xerox™ Machine?// What will they recommend to President Bush??? Aww, you go ahead, and you make a fresh guess.
How many mercenaries, including other than Blackwater, are there presently in Iraq? 40,000 as escorts/guards? The copycat results of both investigations can be seen coming, perhaps, in four ways. 1) As-is, 2) As-is with oversight, 3) Leave Iraq, and 4) Iraqi police/army replacements. Hey, by Gawk, after the Blackwater shooting incident, something must be done to placate the Iranians.
If it comes down to number 3 – a serious “however” possibility – that means those escort and guard duties of the mercenaries leaving Iraq will have to be assumed by U.S. troops already in Iraq. Oh, Gawk! Worse case scenario! It might very well become a justification for a second surge. Yes, that’s right: Another surge. A replacement surge. More bodies needed!
Or…worse yet! These two official inquiries have upgraded this ‘however’ such as maybe obtaining additional soldiers from other countries where the U.S. military has a presence, like Germany and Japan. Stand-ins. As soldier escort/guard temps until other then-what arrangements?
Forget, one would think, the draft; No time to train draftees. A civilian call-up that’s a pseudo draft like Hitler’s last army recruitment of youths and old men? How old is old? //Am I still classified as 1-Y?// And what about the pentagon’s plans for Iran? What would Carl Rove suggest? Rove is just a phone call away. Help, help, Oh my good Gawk!
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A Beef-Up News Update (9-27-2007). Guess what? The military Beef-Up is here. Robert Gates, Secretary of Department of Defense, said today that he expects to approve a plan to beef up the Army by an increase of 65,000 in four years, thus bringing the active-duty roster to 547,000. And to beef up the size of the National Guard and Reserve, for a combined increase — including the active force — of 74,000. Blog4Brains has been I-told-you-so about this all month. The military’s reasons given for the Beef-Up are:
1) Our military force is stretched too thin by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
2) the conduct of private contractors as escorts/guards and others in combat roles is to be reviewed. //see other comment to Unum’s above article re the two investigations// Hey! Whom do they answer to? From whence comes their paycheck? From whom from whom from whom?//
Quote: “The rationale for the expansion is that the Army needs to get bigger in order to sustain a long-term commitment in Iraq and Afghanistan without wearing out the troops and alienating their families.”
And, by Gawk, this is going to cost big bucks — 3 billion bucks! And probably some plus bucks, too. And the what-then in the meantime? A Bush broken “however” promise re sending home the original Surge guys? Or a call for another temporary replacement surge? That is, until the newly green recruits learn their A-B-C’s. -Gawk! O woe is me, Gawk!
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Now A Third Investigation into more civilian “soldiers” like Blackwater. This one by the State Department. Maybe the Senate too and by Mrs. Magilacutte down the block, too? What does it all mean? READ BETWEEN THE LINES. It works like shoplifter’s magic. One guy diverts the store clerk’s attention and his partner grabs the stuff. Or two pickpocket guys. Don’t you get it? Your attention and the world’s attention are being diverted from — what. Surge troops not coming home and/or more troops going in to Iraq. Three investigations, indeed! Kaka! Three tons of Kaka!
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No K.P. Duty. If it’s almost a civilian contractor per U.S. soldier, 130,000 contractors in Iraq providing support and all a soldier does is war-stuff, how does one discipline a soldier? It used to be K.P. — you peeled potatoes or onions, washed pots and pans in the camp’s kitchen. And now? I don’t know. I’d like to know.
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