1,600 Ugandan Mercenaries Heading to Iraq

[NNN0LHI]

http://allafrica.com/stories/200607180934.html

THE number of Ugandans seeking jobs in Iraq continues to soar despite the prospect of working under extremely high temperatures in a country ravaged by insurgency.

The latest group cleared by the recruitment firm, Askar Security numbers 1,688. The first batch will leave on a chartered flight to the Iraqi capital Baghdad on August 15 to replace 450 Ugandans who will return home after their six-months stint there.

Yesterday Daily Monitor visited their camp on Entebbe Road. Green and blue folders, with the details of each person, were being handed over to the recruits most of them in their 20s and early 30s. The jobseekers, the agency says will be deployed to offer perimeter security to four US bases in Iraq.

"They will be handling weapons and deployed at check points, observatory towers and entry points to US camps called Arlington, Striker and the EODT headquarters," said Mr Sisto Andama who coordinates external deployment for the company.

[MadMaddie]

1. So now they are allowing more mercenaries.....in Iraq

this = more civilian casualties.....

Vietnam anyone.....

[babylonsister]

2. What ever happened to Iraqis policing their own country so

the U.S. could get out? What a fucking mess!

[OzarkDem]

5. Or using oil revenues to pay for reconstruction? n/t

[joemurphy]

7. Ah, free enterprise at work! Another Republican solution

for Iraq! Let's see if we can scrape up a few more mercenaries from Congo, South Africa, Burma, or Angola and could win that ole war!

[Spazito]

3. Wow, outsourcing the illegal occupation of Iraq continues apace

I do find it interesting that the Pentagon has no problem with putting the security of four US bases, in essence the security of every soldier in the bases, in the hands of foreign mercenaries.

[OzarkDem]

4. Why aren't we using the UN instead?

It makes no sense to re-invent the wheel. I'm sick of having to pay for this illegal war.

[babylonsister]

8. Why do we need armed camps there if we're supposed to be

leaving?
As for the UN, this admin doesn't believe in international diplomacy; that became evident going into the Iraqi debacle.

[AnOhioan]

12. Which illegal war? There are currently a few going on

That the US taxpayer is footing the bill for.

[gula]

16. And just what do you expect the UN to do?

I would really appreciate an answer because I cannot see any role for them in what is basically the result of the US illegal invasion.

[AlamoDemoc]

6. What type of weapons is these Ugandans trained on…Machetes?

[TomInTib]

9. This is just bizarre on so many counts.

Ugandans?

I don't even know where to start.

But I do know that Ugandan militia can be real mofos.

[aquart]

11. They're going to be well-loved.

[aquart]

10. Uganda? Who did they used to work for?

[flyarm]

13. 4 US bases??????? 4 ????? i thought congress did not approve

perm bases??

4 bases???

we need Ugandan Mercenaries to protect our 4 US bases??????????????

this is utter bullshit..when are Americans going to wake the hell up??

fly

[unhappycamper]

14. No surprise.

See this May, 2005 thread.

[Alcibiades]

15. At least it's a dry heat

unlike Uganda. (Which I am sure is lovely, especially in the mountains.)

As for the outsourcing aspect, they will claim (as always): "This move frees up more of our troops for warfighting." It also frees up our money for corrupt secret deals, so typical of Bush & co. I'm sure no one at Halliburton or anywhere else is getting a "commission" for the hiring of these troops, wink wink.