[wvns] Private contractors outnumber U.S. troops in Iraq
New U.S. data show how heavily the Bush administration has relied on
corporations to carry out the occupation of the war-torn nation.
Private contractors outnumber U.S. troops in Iraq
By T. Christian Miller, Times Staff Writer
July 4, 2007
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-na-private4jul04,0,5808980.story
The number of U.S.-paid private contractors in Iraq now exceeds that
of American combat troops, newly released figures show, raising fresh
questions about the privatization of the war effort and the
government's capacity to carry out military and rebuilding campaigns.
More than 180,000 civilians — including Americans, foreigners and
Iraqis — are working in Iraq under U.S. contracts, according to State
and Defense department figures obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
Including the recent troop buildup, 160,000 soldiers and a few
thousand civilian government employees are stationed in Iraq.
The total number of private contractors, far higher than previously
reported, shows how heavily the Bush administration has relied on
corporations to carry out the occupation of Iraq — a mission
criticized as being undermanned.
"These numbers are big," said Peter Singer, a Brookings Institution
scholar who has written on military contracting. "They illustrate
better than anything that we went in without enough troops. This is
not the coalition of the willing. It's the coalition of the billing."
The numbers include at least 21,000 Americans, 43,000 foreign
contractors and about 118,000 Iraqis — all employed in Iraq by U.S.
tax dollars, according to the most recent government data.
The array of private workers promises to be a factor in debates on a
range of policy issues, including the privatization of military jobs
and the number of Iraqi refugees allowed to resettle in the U.S.
But there are also signs that even those mounting numbers may not
capture the full picture. Private security contractors, who are hired
to protect government officials and buildings, were not fully counted
in the survey, according to industry and government officials.
Continuing uncertainty over the numbers of armed contractors drew
special criticism from military experts.
"We don't have control of all the coalition guns in Iraq. That's
dangerous for our country," said William Nash, a retired Army general
and reconstruction expert. The Pentagon "is hiring guns. You can
rationalize it all you want, but that's obscene."
Although private companies have played a role in conflicts since the
American Revolution, the U.S. has relied more on contractors in Iraq
than in any other war, according to military experts.
Contractors perform functions including construction, security and
weapons system maintenance.
Military officials say contractors cut costs while allowing troops to
focus on fighting rather than on other tasks.
"The only reason we have contractors is to support the war fighter,"
said Gary Motsek, the assistant deputy undersecretary of Defense who
oversees contractors. "Fundamentally, they're supporting the mission
as required."
But critics worry that troops and their missions could be jeopardized
if contractors, functioning outside the military's command and
control, refuse to make deliveries of vital supplies under fire.
At one point in 2004, for example, U.S. forces were put on food
rations when drivers balked at taking supplies into a combat zone.
Adding an element of potential confusion, no single agency keeps track
of the number or location of contractors.
In response to demands from Congress, the U.S. Central Command began a
census last year of the number of contractors working on U.S. and
Iraqi bases to determine how much food, water and shelter was needed.
That census, provided to The Times under the Freedom of Information
Act, shows about 130,000 contractors and subcontractors of different
nationalities working at U.S. and Iraqi military bases.
However, U.S. military officials acknowledged that the census did not
include other government agencies, including the U.S. Agency for
International Development and the State Department.
*********************************************************************
WORLD VIEW NEWS SERVICE
To subscribe to this group, send an email to:
wvns-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
NEWS ARCHIVE IS OPEN TO PUBLIC VIEW
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/wvns/
Need some good karma? Appreciate the service?
Please consider donating to WVNS today.
Email ummyakoub@yahoo.com for instructions.
To leave this list, send an email to:
wvns-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvns/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wvns/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:wvns-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:wvns-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
wvns-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
No comments:
Post a Comment