Blackwater to be expelled from Iraq?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

One of the main private security companies in Iraq, Blackwater USA, which provides protection for senior U.S. personnel in Iraq, including Ambassador Crocker, has had its license revoked by the Iraqi government after a shootout in which they allegedly shot a number of civilians. This is a major test of how much control the U.S. government has over the Iraqi government, as tremendous pressure is being applied to get the decision to be rescinded. It should be interesting to see what will happen.

[solicitr]

If the US had much control over the Iraqi government, then one would expect the 18 'benchmarks' all to have been met by now. In fact, of course, most haven't. Maliki himself was never "our" guy- we wanted Allawi.

I'm just as upset as anybody by the privatizing of military functions (actual armed stuff, not food service and driving trucks). But this poses a real logistical problem for the Pentagon at this juncture- since if the Blackwater folks go home, they'll have to be replaced by soldiers we simply don't have.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

No, I suspect what will happen is that the same ex-special forces personnel will be hired by another company, perhaps even one that is actually a front for Blackwater.

And solictr, the benchmarks are an overrated measure of political progress, haven't you heard?

[Frelga]

If the US had much control over the Iraqi government, then one would expect the 18 'benchmarks' all to have been met by now.

Is it the measure of control of US over the Iraqi government, or is it the measure of control of the Iraqi government (whoever pulls its strings) over Iraq?

But this poses a real logistical problem for the Pentagon at this juncture- since if the Blackwater folks go home, they'll have to be replaced by soldiers we simply don't have.

Surely soldiers are less expensive than the private contractors?

I heard this on the radio, and it was fascinating. They interviewed the author of Corporate Warriors, who said that these private security companies are pretty much unchecked. They are apparently exempt from the Iraqi law (forgot how the special statute got there). They are civilians, so Pentagon is not in charge of them. And yet they walk around armed and perform many of the functions that the soldiers do.

[Cerin]

I believe it was a special 'declaration' of some kind by Paul Bremer, that exempted the security contractors from control by any legal authority.

There are many contractors operating in Iraq; I imagine some other of them could take over the Blackwater duties. But Blackwater has very close ties to the Republican Party (their extremely wealthy founder is a huge donor to Bush et al) and I don't doubt that the admin. will fight tooth and nail to keep them in the country.

[Padme]

Fregla,

US soilders get paid well, but if a buddy of Bush's can get in on the action....well out go the US military and in come the businessmen.

I have to wonder what Blackwater has done or it's being used as a fall guy. Bush Inc. seem to use fall guys from the inner circle from time to time. I wish I could be a fly on the wall during the super sekrit meetings. There's so much going on behind the curtin that every so often someone gets through out (usually a great deal richer and with a smile on their face, and sometimes without being brought to court)

It's good to be the king or in the kings favor, apparently.

[solicitr]

US soilders get paid well

Only by a rather stingy definition of "well"

[vison]

US soilders get paid well

Only by a rather stingy definition of "well"

Sad, but true.

As for "why" they use private contractors?

First, as was mentioned above, they are not part of the military or government, they operate outside both and are thus not subject to any of the controls theoretically over them. No Geneva conventions ever apply to them. And, they attract the sort of men who are attracted to this sort of thing, too.

Second, the men who do this work are paid very, very well, much more than a soldier. However, they work on contract and once the contract is up, so is the man's connection to the company: no pensions, no benefits, etc. The military is supposed to take care of its own, although we have seen how poorly that can be done.

Third, the companies doing private work in Iraq are, as far as anyone can find out, closely connected to the president and his chums. So closely connected that to read who the company officers are makes your head go wuggawugga. If there is money to be made, they feel that they are entitled to make it and how can one argue with that? You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. If you don't scratch mine, I'll put a knife in yours.

One could go on, but it is disheartening and I have troubles of my own.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

In addition, the use of the private contracters masks the extent of our involvement in the war. I have heard estimate of up to 100,000 armed contracters in Iraq. Moreover, while there is no official 'count' of the number of such contracters who have been killed, estimated range to above 1000, meaning that the the total number of U.S. forces killed is actually approaching 5000 rather than 4000.

Though of course either way those numbers pale when compared to the number of Iraqis killed.

[Padme]

The contractors get paid so well they don't need to worry about retirement or pension benefits. Most work for 3 - 6 months, make between $100,0000 and a quarter of a million tax free dollars and if they want more they repeat the process. At least the oil field workers do. These are workers who are not college educated. My uncles firm was offered 4 million for a 6 month term from a big oil company to build well compressors. He has 5 employees. He held a meeting and none of his employees wanted to do it, neither did he, so they did not take the offer. He still subcontracts out for the big oil company, so they still ask every so often.

[solicitr]

Part of the problem is sorting out what we mean by "contractors." Some, like Padme's uncle (almost) are civilians working for civilian companies doing very civilian jobs like construction. Others are civilians working for the US Gov't's civilian agencies, doing similarly civilian things. Still others work for the Pentagon, doing noncombatant things for the military like food service (every private not peeling spuds is a private available on the line). Then, finally, we have a certain indeterminate number of 'armed contractors' or 'private soldiers' or 'mercenaries' like Blackwater- this last are the only ones I really have a problem with.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Yes, it is the last that are really the issue. I have heard estimates of the number of those armed contractors in Iraq that range from 20,000 to 100,000. The fact that it is so unclear how many of them there are there is itself pretty amazing, and indicative of the problem.

[vison]

Maclean's is Canada's main newsmagazine. Latest cover:

[solicitr]

That's shameful. Bush may be an idiot, but to blithely equate him with the worst mass-murderer since Pol Pot is simply disgusting.

[yovargas]

Maclean's is Canada's main newsmagazine.

Seriously? Seriously??
With "Britney and friends" and "15 Bitchy Women" sharing that disgusting cover, are you sure it's not Canada's main cheap sensationalist tabloid?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I agree.

[WampusCat]

I'm fine with Blackwater being thrown out of Iraq ... as long as the administration doesn't bring it home to be Bush's personal army. I'm not conspiracy-minded enough to believe that would happen, but it's the sort of thought that makes me shiver.

[Cerin]

Wampus, you've articulated the vague thought that was in the back of my mind.

I recall reading that Blackwater personnel unauthorizedly launched armed patrols of Louisiana after Katrina. And here's a quote, apparently from their own website:

"We are not simply a 'private security company,' " Blackwater boasts on its corporate website. "We are a professional military, law enforcement, security, peacekeeping, and stability operations firm. ... We have become the most responsive, cost-effective means of affecting the strategic balance in support of security and peace, and freedom and democracy everywhere."

But under what authority?

[solicitr]

I'm not sure what you mean by "unauthorizedly." They were hired by some companies to provide security during the lawlwss aftermath- are you seriously suggesting that they'd simply roll down there without getting *paid*?

[Cerin]

That makes no sense, solicitr. What 'companies' have the authority to hire security personnel to patrol civilian neighborhoods?


In any case, Blackwater is back on the job in Iraq, demonstrating just who is in charge of that country.