This issue isn't a secret, but it has certainly been skating below the radar for a long time. The U.S. doesn't have 145,000 troops fighting in Iraq. It has about 260,000, including 48,000 fighting mercenaries from over 100 private contractor military companies, including Blackwater USA . Blackwater is operating in Iraq and Afghanistan under a 3/4 billion dollar contract with the U.S. State Department. They also have been contracted to do "security operations" work in New Orleans post Katrina. Their name may say "USA," but, in fact, their recruits include mercenaries from around the world, including Chile. There was an interesting interview last night on The Daily Show with Jeremy Scahill, author of "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army":
Blackwater USA comprises nine separate business units to offer the most comprehensive professional security, peacekeeping and stability operations company in the world.
As in mercenaries. You know all those contractors we hear about that are assisting our forces in Iraq? The ones whose casualties and injuries are not counted in our numbers? The ones who make up to $30,000.00 A MONTH (compared to the average soldier's salary of maybe $30,000 a year)? The ones who until recently were not subject to the same Uniform Code of Military Justice System (i.e. court martial) as our military? Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C. and former JAG, tacked onto the recent defense appropriations bill a stipulation that the contractors would be subject to the Code, but no one has been prosecuted and it is untested. The Dems actually want to put an FBI field office in Iraq to oversee these mercenaries.
And this is a problem because... It has allowed the Bush administration to fight what is, in effect, a shadow war, with no effective oversight, and provides the administration political cover to expand the war without informing the public. That sounds about right for this administration that believes in keeping everything secret.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. GO BLACKWATER , THEY CAN AVOID ALL THE .RED TAPE AND HELP GET SOMETHING DONE OVER THERE,
larry at 8:43PM on Apr 20th 2007
2. $30k per month is a lot of money, compared to what our troops get. But maybe that is the going rate. If that kind of money were paid to our own, our shortage of fighting men and women would vanish.
Steve Bonomo at 9:00PM on Apr 20th 2007
3. The reason that these "mercenaries" are paid up to $30,000 a month (which by the way is the EXTREME end of the spectrum) is because they are all special operations; i.e. Navy SEALS, Recon Marines, SF, etc etc. They are trained to do what the regular military is not, and they are trained to operate in very small teams with virtually no back up. When they are out on their missions they are on their own. They are responsible for bringing in some of the most crucial intelligence that our military relys on.
By definition a mercenary is someone who is solely a hired gun. Talk to some of these guys some time, you will find their answers are all the same - the money is not worth the DAILY sacrifice that they make and the risks that they run - more so than the regular military. They do it because they know if it is not fought on the agressors territory then it WILL be fought here. Mercenaries are NOT what these men are. Personally, I think they need a raise.
Amanda at 12:30AM on Apr 21st 2007
4. Amanda, do you believe in the tooth fairy, too. You warmongers will find any excuse for your dysfunctional thinking.
Lynne at 10:05AM on Apr 21st 2007
5. Lynne, Why don't I buy you a plane ticket to Iraq so that you can work things out with Al-Qaida? Obviously you must have extensive personal experience in this area to make such a statement. Since thats the case you must know also know how to solve teh problems over there. So what city would you like to depart from?
Amanda at 5:33PM on Apr 21st 2007
6. This little secret of Bush's is just now being brought out. If keeping all of these independent men and bringing more in for $30,000 a month per person to keep this damn war going is if not anything else criminal. This again has nothing to do with helping Iraq become a democracy it has everything to do with arms dealers, oil people this is why Bush will keep on refusing to bring our kids home. As long as Bush can keep this war going he will have satisfied his promise to the arms dealers, oil people and big business in getting him and Cheney appointed as president and vice president and to hell with our kids who are coming home in body bags or being maimed for life. He could care less. Until the American people stand up and march to Washington D.C. and make sure that every elected official from Bush on down that come 2008 they will lose their jobs. It is time for the American people who voted in 2006 to make sure that these elected officials can't come back to Washington and start looking for a new job and for whom ever is voted gets it from the get go that we the people will no longer stand for any lie or more corruption.
Diane at 5:54PM on Apr 22nd 2007
7. Security in Iraq has EVERYTHING to do with stablizing that country. These security experts are professionals and are great assets. They know what they are doing and to suggest they are mercenaries and surrounded with corruption is an injustice against them. $30,000 per month? I say that's not NEARLY enough.
Jean at 2:32PM on Apr 23rd 2007
8. I watched a documentary on TV just yesterday about Blackwater. I hear all this talk about support for the troops. Look! The troops are going through hell over there! The missions the Blackwater "mercs" are conducting can very easliy be done by our troops. They are nothing but a protection service there to defend. The American troops are actually engaging the enemy offensively and defensively, and suffering major casualties because of it! Are the mercenaries being paid too much? Maybe! Are our troops being too little? Absolutely! How many troops you know can't take care of their families because they cant work because of missing limbs or PTSD? THINK ABOUT THAT NEXT TIME YOU'RE HOLDING A FOLDED AMERICAN FLAG AT YOUR COUSINS FUNERAL BECAUSE YOUR GRANDMOTHER WAS TOO DISTRAUGHT TO HOLD IT HERSELF LIKE I DID!
war=$ at 8:30PM on Apr 24th 2007
9. The problem with Blackwater is that the Congress isn't being allowed to see some of the contracts, yet is still asked to fund them...
qazaq at 6:18PM on May 13th 2007