It’s easy to see why ordinary soldiers would be resentful: The tens of thousands of private security mercenaries working in Iraq are paid far more than U.S. soldiers and operate in a legal gray zone without the official oversight or ethical codes that apply to U.S. soldiers, according to an Associated Press article.
Congress is finally calling for stricter accountability.
Critics point to numerous instances of private soldiers exacerbating anti-American tensions by shooting civilians who get too close to their vehicles. Yet no private contractor has yet faced murder or abuse charges, as have scores of military personnel.
Moreover, the Defense Department has paid more than $200 million in cost overruns to two private British contractors alone, reports the Washington Post. A Brookings Institution analyst called the cases "the tip of the iceberg."
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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36 Comments
Lets see now … foreign fighters … not wearing a government uniform …
Isn’t that what we call TERRORISTS?
Yep, Iraq’s a mess all right. We employ mercenaries who answer to no Iraqi law to build an Iraqi democracy that’s thought will fend off future nihilsm by Iraqis.
We allow Blackwater to hustle out of Iraq one of its drunken employees who shot an Iraqi government employee to death in the Green Zone: the takeaway is Americans are not subject to any law, and no American contractor can be held to account for his behavior by any Iraqis.
We raze Fallujah as punishment when 4 Blackwater employees are murdered savagely: Iraqis in Fallujah are not protected by any law, and all residents can be held to account for the behavior of some residents.
Then we all stand around and scratch our heads wondering why American-style democracy won’t take hold (because they watch what we do and ignore what we say) and why American soldiers are murdered by IEDs (perhaps because some Iraqis angry about Blackwater and its tactics think there is no other way to hold Americans to account).
It’s a mess.
If we must, let us enlarge the size of the active duty military. Send reserves and naitonal guards home, and don;t allow mercenaries or “private security teams”
The Film “Shooter” explains how the “Contractors” work and what is really going on inside “our” government.
It isn’t pretty.
{ “Shooter” just became available on DVD }
To the Iraqis, Americans are Americans. They do not distinquish between private contractor, Marines, Army, civilian. They see Americans doing bad things.
Enlarge? You’ve got to be kidding. We don’t need more dead American soldiers, the Israelis do, and it looks as though we just heard from one of “them.”
The only way out of this mess is to cut-off the funding. Nothing else will work.
Brian-
I would agree. I would also agree that they see Americans doing good things. But then, that isn;t often posted. In any case, Foreign or American Private Security teams, unaccountable to anyone, have no place in a theater of war
In Bush’s genius of winning the hearts and minds of the people of Iraq he set out a policy that hired mercenaries cannot be held liable for their crimes. So the Bush regime hires some thugs to do some vigilante work like some petty street gang.
For some reason the Republicans didn’t see this as backfiring. Go figure.
“Private Security teams, unaccountable to anyone, have no place in a theater of war
Posted by: littlejohn | August 13, 2007 at 01:39 PM ”
I think there probably is a place for them, but not one where anyone knows a Government is funding and employing them.
I suspect that private security teams have been hired to protect private property and shipments in every conflict. And I suppose they might be acceptable, if held accountable to the same standard as us military forces. But, i think that given your point above, it would behoove the us military forces to shut down any renegade security forces. the easiest method? shut them all down.
Any idea how many different security companies are working in Iraq? Blackwater is the biggest and most corrupt. There are smaller ones that just handle things like escorting the media around (so I saw on a BBC documentary), others provide bodyguards for politicians and such.
In the BBC documentary (I think it was on channel four), they mentioned how the military set up at great taxpayer expense a program to coordinate military and mercenary activities. The problem is that it was made voluntary and most of the mercenary groups never bothered to attend.
They need the A-Team!
We would have to double our troop deployment in Iraq to make up for all those contractors. It’s another quick fix to win the easy way out vote. You don’t need a draft if you can borrow a hundred billion dollars each year to hire mercenaries.
And they don’t protect private property, they deliver supplies to the military and maintain the facilities. Things the army used to do for itself.
Although I don’t agree with the use of mercenaries I find it interesting that the Libs complain so much about Blackwater and its tactics and say nothing at all about some of Al Qaeda tactics which are much more brutal.
In fact, some of the Libs appear to take great glee when Al Qaeda increases the body count of Americans so they can further their talking points for political purposes.
Kansas, that is the most offensive, insulting, and ignorant comment I have read all day. You owe 48% of this country an apology for that.
If you ever pull your head out of your behind you might see that liberals were distributing petitions against the Taliban while conservatives still considered them allies. And yes, they have always been that brutal, even when Reagan supported them.
You write something like that and yet, you preface it by saying you agree with us. Odd.
Oh goodie. Another PSH thread.
Where leftcoaster?
I don’t’ see any petitions. And do you think petitions are actually going to impress the Taliban?
What dream world are you living in leftcoaster?
The constant daily cheering by the left for more dead American soldiers in supporting their political talking points is seen every day. That can be proven with ease.
Where is your head out leftcoaster? It sure isn’t in the realm of reality.
petitions, LMAO!!!
“The constant daily cheering by the left for more dead American soldiers in supporting their political talking points is seen every day.”Posted by: Kansas | August 13, 2007 at 03:00 PM
Ok smart guy, prove where anybody on the left has cheered for more dead soldiers.
If anybody is promoting dead soldiers, it’s the right wingnuts. How many dead American soldiers for a lost cause is enough for you people?
Kansas, do you think your posts here are going to impress the Taliban? The petitions I mentioned were for our nation to cut off support and impose sanctions. Of course, at the time they were honored guests in Texas. Nobody on the right wing complained about their atrocities. When it comes to opposing the Taliban, liberals were way ahead of conservatives. Of course you never heard about it, you probably don’t listen to liberals. This may come as a shock to you: Just because you are ignorant of something, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
“Taliban? The petitions I mentioned were for our nation to cut off support and impose sanctions. Of course, at the time they were honored guests in Texas”
Could you please substantiate that?
Kansas, the shark called. He said his back is hurting and can you please stop jumping him.
LJ, I signed one in the 90s. You can probably google 1990s Taliban petition to find it.
Kansas is right on one account. Protesting against the Taliban didn’t stop government support. Just like Amnesty International couldn’t stop Rumsfeld and Reagan from supporting Saddam in the 1980s.
It’s like the right wing supports brutal dictators and then laughs at those who warn them not to.
So what then? Wait until something terrible happens and the right wingers come on board, only to claim it was their idea all along?
Here’s a motivational video rap from a U.S. Marine.
This patriotic man has it right!
Proud of this young man as a Marine and a true Patriotic American!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBflQLa75C8
Cutting off funds is not an option for the Democrats. They know that they will be accused of “cutting off money to the troops” and “making the troops suffer”. They are not stupid.
This is all good with bush because Blackwater is a christian owned company.
Blackwater armed forces showed up in New Orleans pushing citizens around.
Who sent them in there??
“So the Bush regime hires some thugs to do some vigilante work like some petty street gang.”
it’s documented that the army has recruited street gangs to serve in the army iraq.
hey, neck tattoos are ok now if they aren’t too offensive.
spread the love worldwide
Although I don’t agree with the use of mercenaries I find it interesting that the Libs complain so much about Blackwater and its tactics and say nothing at all about some of Al Qaeda tactics which are much more brutal.
In fact, some of the Libs appear to take great glee when Al Qaeda increases the body count of Americans so they can further their talking points for political purposes.
Posted by: Kansas
i think almost everyone is growing tired of terms like…
“libs”
and when dumbass people say…
“in fact libs take great glee when americans are killed”
you are too stupid to be allowed to share your “insights” with either democrat or republician citizens.
the reason?
like those who listen to rush and think it must be true or he wouldn’t be allowed to say it in the media, you spout off a large amount of information that is plain and simple, outright lies.
you should be ashamed.you are the one who must not love our country or you wouldn’t pass on so many hurtful lies about your fellow citizens.
Here’s a motivational video rap from a U.S. Marine.
This patriotic man has it right!Proud of this young man as a Marine and a true Patriotic American!
Posted by: Kansas
i bet this is the first time you have said anything positive about a minority.
you’re a sick puppy.
Mercenaries, secret security, two can play that game.
trolls and more trolls,
walk on by
Their comments are meaningless
I think that some mention of the fact that Democrat Representative Murtha has NOT apologized for his slander against the Haditha Marines is warranted.
They have been exhonorated!
How many US servicemen or women have been CONVICTED of wrongdoing?
How many have been accused from some source other than the terrorists? (Or Democrat opportunists like Murtha?)
Aye, econ101 – I posted about this several weeks ago and the Democratic Libs have been oddly silent on the Murtha issue.
As are yours K as are yours.
Walkin’ in the beautiful sunshine.
So I see happy the resident troll has admitted to more trolling.