As Obama Sends More Troops, Giant Shadow Army Of Contractors Set To Grow In Afghanistan

[WilliamPitt]

As Obama Sends More Troops, Giant Shadow Army Of Contractors Set To Grow In Afghanistan
Justin Elliott | December 1, 2009, 3:09PM

With President Obama addressing the nation tonight about a new escalation in Afghanistan, a perennially underexamined topic is once again receiving short shrift: the huge force of contractors, which as of June outnumbered the size of the U.S. troop presence itself, is likely to swell. The Administration seemingly hasn't addressed the issue, and the word "contractor" doesn't appear much in media coverage -- for example, in the Times and Post stories on the escalation today. But David Berteau, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, tells TPM that as Obama increases troop levels to at least 100,000, "there will definitely be an increase in the number of contractors."

The contractors -- the majority of whom are Afghan nationals, according to a Congressional study -- do the work that makes the war possible, like serving food, driving trucks, constructing buildings, transporting fuel, and more. Between 7% and 16% of the total are Blackwater-style private security contractors, according to various estimates.

While contractors allow the U.S. to fight wars with fewer American troops -- which may be good or bad, depending on who you ask -- they also present serious transparency and security concerns. That includes goodwill-draining episodes like the May shooting of two Afghan civilians in Kabul by contractors working for Xe, formerly Blackwater. Experts are also concerned about an attack by enemies who might slip through security as a contractor at an American facility.

It's impossible to say how much taxpayer money is going to private contractors because various government entities either don't know, or don't agree on, just how many contractors are currently in Afghanistan. That fact "permits and invites waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer money and undermines the achievement of US mission objectives," Michael Thibault, co-chair of the bipartisan Commission on Wartime Contracting, complained at a hearing last month. At that hearing, military witnesses couldn't come up with a precise count of contractors, prompting former GOP congressman Chris Shays to remark, "I kind of want to scream."

More: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/as_obama_sends_more_troops_giant_shadow_army_of_co.php?ref=fpa

[leftstreet]

1. It's a chess move, though

Right?

[Mari333]

2. mercenaries.

the neocons are pleased as punch.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Chris Shays isn't the only one who wants to scream.

K&R

[Echo In Light]

4. "It's impossible to say how much taxpayer money is going to private contractors"

[Mari333]

5. Its not impossible, they just wont let anyone know.

the MSM wont investigate it, they profit from it.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

6. OUR MEAN SCREAM MEDIA IS ON THE JOB

LOOKING FOR BARACK'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE

[mod mom]

7. The Corporate Dems are as much part of the military industrial complex as the GOP

They've protected Bush/Cheney/Blackwater/Halliburton/KBR and now it's the Dem's turn to enrich the war profiteers. :mad:

[Bitwit1234]

8. Any way you look at it

the no bid contracts will again go to Halliburton and cheney will profit. those that have a bundle keep on getting a bundle, at the taxpayers expense. Just think of what we could have done, and would be able to do with all that money he spent and will spend on unnecessary war.

[TexasObserver]

9. Defense Contractors are running DOD. Mercenaries need JOBS.

This is the problem with those who make war for a living. Any war is better than no war, always.