PMC / Mercenaries in Iraq (catch all)

[SWJED]

25 January LA Times commentary - Our Mercenaries in Iraq by Jeremy Scahill.

... Already, private contractors constitute the second-largest "force" in Iraq. At last count, there were about 100,000 contractors in Iraq, of which 48,000 work as private soldiers, according to a Government Accountability Office report. These soldiers have operated with almost no oversight or effective legal constraints and are an undeclared expansion of the scope of the occupation. Many of these contractors make up to $1,000 a day, far more than active-duty soldiers. What's more, these forces are politically expedient, as contractor deaths go uncounted in the official toll...

From Iraq and Afghanistan to the hurricane-ravaged streets of New Orleans to meetings with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger about responding to disasters in California, Blackwater now envisions itself as the FedEx of defense and homeland security operations. Such power in the hands of one company, run by a neo-crusader bankroller of the president, embodies the "military-industrial complex" President Eisenhower warned against in 1961.

Further privatizing the country's war machine — or inventing new back doors for military expansion with fancy names like the Civilian Reserve Corps — will represent a devastating blow to the future of American democracy.

[Rob Thornton]

"Such a corps would function much like our military Reserve. It would ease the burden on the armed forces by allowing us to hire civilians with critical skills to serve on missions abroad when America needs them," Bush declared. This is precisely what the administration has already done, largely behind the backs of the American people and with little congressional input, with its revolution in military affairs. Bush and his political allies are using taxpayer dollars to run an outsourcing laboratory. Iraq is its Frankenstein monster.

I think the President had a very different idea from the one Scahill puts forward. A couple of places on this site we've discussed the need for OGA and other types of capabilities that were needed here (and in other GWOT scenarios) as well as non-OGA specialties (like some of the members of the SWC have.) With less then 1% wearing the uniform, a civilian corps like the one the President described could bring additional options and functions. One thing is for sure, anyone on Uncle Sam's payroll will not make the kind of money many of the war contractors do. However if we don't do it, then somebody like Blackwater will offer to do it for us, and of course it will cost us.

What I think the President was prevailing upon the American people for was to volunteer their services (out of a military uniform) and sacrifice some of their time for modest compensation. I've heard others express sentiment for Heinlen - I agree with in-alienable rights to a degree, but the vast majority of Americans have no understanding the gifts that have been secured them through the sacrifices of others. There is some attraction to this in that a parent who serves a significant portion of their life might feel as though they've earned it for their children, so that they in turn might not have to sacrifice. That may be a good thing, but it may not if conditions have changed to a point that in order to secure our freedoms we must have a greater degree of generational sacrifice.

Heinlen explored the question of sacrifice and rewards in a republic. I think we need to consider the same question as it applies to our own future. I've seen many here who would be willing to sacrifice a great deal to enjoy the fruits of U.S. citizenship. Many would make exceptional Americans, that is they would understand the full value of being an American and enjoying its freedoms.

As for MR. Scahill's comments - its supply and demand. If more were willing to sacrifice, then its unlikely Balckwater would enjoy the success that it does and thus be able to charge the prices that allow it to expand it capabilities and enter other markets. I'd recommend that if MR Scahill is concerned he pick up a rucksack, if we could fill out the Army and Marines, and perhaps create a volunteer Corps with unique capabilities that was willing to do it for reasonable money, then he would not have needed to write his OP/ED.

[Uboat509]

I am not necessarily the biggest fan of PMCs for reasons that have been been laid out by several members of this board, though I am not against them either, per se. But this kind of alarmist crap serves no purpose other than creating paranoia. Reading this article you would think that Blackwater is only a phone call away from overthrowing the government. Scahill obviously knows that most Americans have no idea what contractors are doing in Iraq and he uses that to build the picture of tens of thousands of "mercenaries" running loose in Iraq doing whatever they want while Blackwater builds its huge "secret" army in order to further the evil goals of the neo-cons. Scary stuff if you don't know any better.

SFC W