More Money Down The Shithole: Guess How Much We're Spending On Mercenaries In 2011

[unhappycamper]

Use of mercenaries in armed conflict on the rise, U.N. report warns
By JT Nguyen | Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Posted on Tuesday, November 1, 2011

UNITED NATIONS — The use of mercenaries in armed conflict has increased, particularly this year in Africa where governments used paid foreign soldiers to fight their own people, a United Nations study said Tuesday.

The study by a panel of experts said the growing activities of private security companies were challenging the respect for human rights in countries they were hired. A lack of international regulation of mercenaries has aggravated human rights issues.

~snip~

It said private military and security companies receive between $20 billion and $100 billion per year.

But in Iraq and Afghanistan, contracts and grants provided by Washington to private security firms exceeded $206 billion in 2011, the study said, citing a report of the U.S. Commission on Wartime Contracting in August. Private firms are contracted to provide security and are not necessary involved in conflict.



Ka ching.

[xchrom]

1. Fuck. Nt

[Fumesucker]

2. I'm boiling down my responses to just a few..

No one could have predicted.

Why do you hate America?

Mission Accomplished.

I think this one goes for the trifecta.

[TransitJohn]

3. Why troop drawdown doesn't mean much. n/t

eom

[lunatica]

4. This has been going on for years

And the time may come when the corporations will use them against us right here in this country. What's to stop them? Our government? Not likely. Our police? That's a laugh.

[bvar22]

10. Armed Blackwater Mercenaries were "On Patrol" in New Orleans...

...after Katrina in 2005.
They got there FAST too.

Frightening.

[lunatica]

12. Yes. I remember that. thanks for the reminder

[FLSurfer]

5. Over half a billion dollars per day?

On mercenaries?
Who's driving this train?

[rfranklin]

6. Basically a private army for the PTB...

No worry about rebellion over the draft. Now, it's just another job. It's the ultimate volunteer army and we're paying for it but not really hearing about it in the news. Perfect!

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Scuba]

8. Bringing the troops home? No, just replacing them with private contractors...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1891617


You can link above for details. Here's the short story...

All the reports are that the US will be pulling most, or all, of our troops out of Iraq by December 31. Unmentioned are the 64,253 contract personnel in Iraq.


http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R40764.pdf


..snip..

DOD relies extensively upon contractors to support overseas contingency operations. As of
March 2011, DOD had more contractor personnel in Afghanistan and Iraq (155,000) than
uniformed personnel (145,000). Contractors made up 52% of DOD’s workforce in Afghanistan
and Iraq. Since December 2009, the number of DOD contractors in Afghanistan has exceeded the
number in Iraq.

According to DOD, in Iraq, as of March 2011, there were 64,253 DOD contractor personnel in
Iraq compared to 45,660 uniformed personnel in-country. Contractors made up 58% of DOD’s
workforce in Iraq.

From FY2005-FY2010, DOD obligated approximately $112.1 billion on contracts for the Iraq theater of operations...

..end snip..



These numbers don't count the 7,000 mercenaries the State Department had at the time. They also don't count the "TCNs" (third country nationals) that contractors use as virtual slaves.

[PETRUS]

9. kick

[Aerows]

11. And many of these people aren't US citizens

That's why hiring foreign armies has always been a disaster. All one needs to do is open a history book to find out what happens when a country hires mercenaries. It's not shocking that they violate human rights - it would be a shock if they DIDN'T violate human rights, since that's what they are hired to do.

It won't "stay over there", either. It never does. It always ends up coming back home.

[gratuitous]

13. Gloriosky! Has the president been notified?

I could use a little hope and change about now . . .