War For Profit (blood money)

[SHRED]

We are in an unprecedented time of "out-sourcing" many of the essential support services of our military.
PMC's or "private military companies", like Halliburton with it's subsidiaries such as Kellogg, Brown & Root Services Inc., are now major profiteers and I believe have therefore a vested interest in promoting war.

"Currently in Iraq there are thought to be at least 100,000 contractors working directly for the United States Department of Defense which is a tenfold increase in the use of private contractors for military operations since the Persian Gulf War, just over a decade earlier."


My buddies, who were in the military during the first Gulf War are astounded at the degree to which our military has been essentially privatized.

Except for a very few shows on television like Frontline, a few magazine and newspaper articles, and progressive talk radio, I have not heard much regarding the dangers of having private profit as a "motivation" for war.
The degree to which this current administration is in bed with corporate interests, especially Halliburton and big oil, should be alarming to anyone who supports our men and women on the ground doing the dirty work and risking their lives for this President and his war.

Where is the critical look at this motivation?
Remember Eisenhower's warnings regarding the Military Industrial Complex?

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

This is why the new Congress must investigate these contractors.
This is why we must hold their feet to the fire and encourage our representatives to go after them.

We need the details of how our money was spent in this lead up and prosecution of this Iraq fiasco.
We owe this to our troops and those that have been maimed and killed in this blunder.

[SHRED]

1. kick

:kick:

[QueenOfCalifornia]

2. Treason!

I've been saying that war profiteering should be considered an act of treason for about 3 years. 9 BILLION dollars is UNACCOUNTED for in Iraq - And that was an audit performed in 2005 which audited the war up until 2004.

Auditors were unable to verify that the Iraqi money was spent for its intended purpose. In one case, they raised the possibility that thousands of "ghost employees" were on an unnamed ministry's payroll..
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/01/30/iraq.audit/

If I lose even $65 at home, it totally messes up my budget for that week... The 9 Billion was to go to private contractors but "POOF!" it's just gone

And so... No one in Congress or the media is screaming about this massive pile of cash... And Paul Bremer got a medal because he did a heck of a job....

[SHRED]

3. And if you are a "whistleblower" ...

...then you get a little torturing.

---

December 18, 2006
Former U.S. Detainee in Iraq Recalls Torment
By MICHAEL MOSS

One night in mid-April, the steel door clanked shut on detainee No. 200343 at Camp Cropper, the United States military’s maximum-security detention site in Baghdad.

American guards arrived at the man’s cell periodically over the next several days, shackled his hands and feet, blindfolded him and took him to a padded room for interrogation, the detainee said. After an hour or two, he was returned to his cell, fatigued but unable to sleep.

The fluorescent lights in his cell were never turned off, he said. At most hours, heavy metal or country music blared in the corridor. He said he was rousted at random times without explanation and made to stand in his cell. Even lying down, he said, he was kept from covering his face to block out the light, noise and cold. And when he was released after 97 days he was exhausted, depressed and scared.

Detainee 200343 was among thousands of people who have been held and released by the American military in Iraq, and his account of his ordeal has provided one of the few detailed views of the Pentagon’s detention operations since the abuse scandals at Abu Ghraib. Yet in many respects his case is unusual.

MORE:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/18/world/middleeast/18justice.html?_r=1&ei=5094&en=8bbe0ca95f0b352c&hp=&ex=1166418000&oref=slogin&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print

[WilliamPitt]

4. Yup

Murder for Profit
By William Rivers Pitt
t r u t h o u t | Perspective

Monday, 16 September, 2002

http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/09.17A.wrp.murder.htm

---

Blood Money
By William Rivers Pitt
t r u t h o u t | Perspective

Thursday 27 February 2003

http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=1&num=53

[SHRED]

5. I forgot about those articles...

...thanks!