U.S. Eyes Private Security for Afghanistan

Washington Post Reports Army Considers Hiring Contractors for "Theater-Wide" Armed Security

(AP)  U.S. military authorities in Afghanistan may hire a private contractor to provide around-the-clock security at dozens of bases and protect vehicle convoys moving throughout the country.

The possibility of awarding a security contract comes as the Obama administration is sending thousands of more troops into Afghanistan to quell rising violence fueled by a resurgent Taliban. As the number of American forces grow over the next several months, so too does the demand to guard their outposts.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said he wants to cut back on the use of contractors that now provide a wide range services to American troops in war zones, including transportation, communications, food service, construction, and maintenance. As recently as February, however, Gates called the use of private security contractors in certain parts of Afghanistan "vital" to supporting U.S. bases. A contract for the work also creates job opportunities for Afghans, he said.

But the use of private contractors in Iraq has been highly contentious. Since a September 2007 shooting of Iraqi civilians in Baghdad by guards employed by Blackwater (now Xe Services), critics have urged U.S. officials to maintain much tighter controls over hired guards.

The Washington Post reported Saturday that the Army published a notice July 10 informing interested contractors it was contemplating a contract for "theater-wide" armed security.

"The contract would provide for a variety of security services, to include the static security of compounds on which U.S. and coalition forces reside, and for the protection of mission essential convoys in and around forward operating bases located throughout Afghanistan," the notice states.

No formal request for proposals has been issued. If the military decides to move ahead, a contract could be awarded by Dec. 1.

[healthychickenalmanac]

Excuse for Nation Building in Afganistan. We should be trying to stop these wars and bring our guys home. We could get Al queda with a big enough Bounty and our Drones. We shouldn't be there. We shouldn't be hiring Mercenaries either.

[curiously1]

No way ! Not without capturing OBL. I don't care what it costs. You can't let a mass killer get away this easy.

[naj1953]

Both Dems and Repubs are crazy....End the WAR.....Bring our troops home....

[Benton09]

Blackwater Afdeathistan....come join us....BIG taxpayer $$$$ to be made. Killers welcome....call today or visit www.redneckswithbigguns.com...........

[curiously1]

Why not? Send trained killers to kill trained killers. I bet you our trained killers will kick butt! I am all for it.

[Solarrays247]

Do you have any idea how much it costs for these "trained killers?"

If history repeats itself, we are looking at anywhere from $800 to $1200(or more) per day per "trained killer." I was amazed when I first viewed these figures recently!

Either utilize our military forces, or get the hell out of Afghanistan! I'm tired of contributing to Cheney's wealth and corruption!

[Solarrays247]

Enough is enough!

Absolutely NO more private contractors providing security of any kind! Train our military, ramp it up! But no more outside contracts for security!

Too much corruption!


Signed,

A disgusted, moderate Independent !

[healthychickenalmanac]

Blackwater? The War-profiteers? Isn't it time to outlaw mercenaries after the fiasco of George Bush and Dick Cheney? We shouldn't be hiring Blackwater. We should be hunting them down and putting them in prison. What will they do if we dont hire them. Will they hire out to the opposition? Aren't many of them are ex death squad members from south America and other places? We need people who can stand up to scrutiny and that we know are loyal, not hired killers.

[xlib]

See you continue for bashing Bush for something YOUR thug is doing. See, take a look and find out that your thug is continuing many of the Bush policies. You leemings refuse to see it and are so easily distracted with the garbage your media puts out. There is no substance in the stories they put out on this guy, none. It's all what you want to hear.

[edward1975-2009]

When will the media and public start bashing Obama for this, just as they did Bush. When will they realize that very little has changed in way of policy, just a different President with Bill Clintons administration. Obama is a joke, as is his side-kick Pelosi.

[the_majesty]

edward1975-2009 ... Don't forget Axelrod. He is the Master.

[glaring_falsehoods]

L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.
o Brashear
? Lockheed Martin
? Longbow Limited Liability Inc.
? M7 Aerospace
? MacGregor Group (part of Cargotec corporation)
? Maersk Line and Patriot Contract Services
? ManTech International
? Marconi Corporation PLC
? Massachusetts Institute of Technology
? Maytag Aircraft Corporation
? Menatek Spare Parts
? McDonnell Douglas Corporation (wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing)
? MITRE Corporation; also see ANSER Institute for Homeland Security
? Mitsubishi
? Motorola Inc.
? NASSCO Holdings Inc.
? Nextel
? Nichols Research Corporation
? Northrop Grumman Corporation
o Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems
o Northrop Grumman Information Technologies
o Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems
o Northrop Grumman Mission Systems
o Northrop Grumman Newport News (formerly Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company)
o Northrop Grumman Ships Systems
o Northrop Grumman Space Technology
o Northrop Grumman Technical Services
? Ocean Shipholdings Inc.
? Olin Corporation; also see John M. Olin and John M. Olin Foundation
? Omega Training Group
? Orbital Sciences Corporation
? Pennsylvania State University
? Perot Systems
? Pratt & Whitney (division of United Technologies)
? Precision Castparts Corporation
? Private Military Corporations
? Private Federal Corporations
? Quantum3D
? QinetiQ North America
? Raytheon
? Rockwell Collins
? Rolls-Royce plc
? RONCO (de-mining operations Horn of Africa)
? Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)
? Sensis Corporation
? Shell Oil Company
? Siemens AG
? Sikorsky Aircraft Company
? SFA, Inc.
? SGIS
? Smartronix, Inc.
? SPARTA, Inc.
? Spectrum Astro
? SRI International
? Stanley, Inc.
? Standard Missile Company LLC
? Stevedoring Services of America
? Stewart and Stevenson
? Sverdrup Corporation
? SYColeman (subsidiary of L-3 Communications)
? Talla-Tech
? TCom
? Teledyne
? Textron Inc.
o Bell Helicopter Textron
? Tri-Star Engineering, Inc.
? TriWest Healthcare Alliance
? Tyco International Ltd.
? University of Texas System
? Unisys Corporation
? United Industrial Corporation
? United Technologies
? URS Corporation
? USmax Corporation
? US Falcon
? Vangent
? Verdian Corporation
? Verizon Communications
? Vinnell Corporation
? Vinnell Brown and Root
? Washington Group International
? Westinghouse Electric Corporation
? Worldcorp Inc.
? Wyvern Technologies, Aerospace & Defense Contractors

[woeisme1]

You might get banned for posting such lengthy comments. They ARE a violation of the TOU. Just letting ya know....especially on weekends.

[glaring_falsehoods]

More lucritive, no bid contracts for Blackwater (excuse me, Xe Services).

Face, my fellow victim-citizens of the corporate-owned country known as Americo: We will have perpetual war because it is so profitable. Cui bono?

Here is the list of defense contractors:

? Acutronic
? Accenture Ltd.
? Aerojet
? Aerospace Center Support
? Aerospace Corporation
? Aerovironment
? Advanced Integrated Systems
? Aivea Corporation
? Alliant Techsystems
? Allied Container Systems
? Allied-Signal Inc.
? AM General Corporation
? American Petroleum Institute
? Anteon International Corporation
? Applied Research Associates Inc.
? ARINC
? Argon ST
? AV-Optimal Defense Consultancy Service
? BAE Systems plc (U.S. subsidiary is BAE Systems Inc.)
? Ball Corporation
o Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
? Bath Iron Works
? Battelle Memorial Institute
? BBN Technologies
? Bechtel Corporation
? Berico Technologies
? BDM Corporation
? Blazeware Inc.
? Boecore
? Boeing Company
? Boeing Sikorsky Comanche Team
? Boeing SVS
? Booz Allen Hamilton
? British Nuclear Fuels Limited
? CACI International Inc.
? Carlyle Group
? Carnegie Mellon University
? Charles Stark Draper Laboratory
? CNA Corporation
? Colt Defense
? Concurrent Technologies Corporation
? Crye Associates
? CSA Engineering
? Computer Sciences Corporation
? Decibel Research Inc.
? Defense Technologies Inc.
? Delta Intelligence & Security (UK)
? DHB Industries
? Digital System Resources Inc.
? Dillon Aero
? DRS Technologies
? DynCorp
? Dynetics, Inc.
? Earth Class Mail
? East/West Industries, Inc.
? Edison Welding Institute
? EDO Corporation
? Elbit Systems of America (the United States division of Israeli-based Elbit, operating through subsidiaries IEI, Kollsman, and EFW)
? Electronic Data Systems Corporation
? Electric Boat (division of General Dynamics)
? ENSCO, Inc.
? Environmental Tectonics Corporation
? Evergreen International Aviation
? Exxon Corporation
? FLIR Systems
? F M C Technologies
? Foster Wheeler Ltd.
? Foundation Health Systems Inc.
? GB Industrial Battery
? Gemini Industries Inc.
? General Atomics
? General Dynamics
? General Electric's Military Jet Engines Division
? Geo-Centers Inc.
? Goodrich Corporation
? GTE
? Georgia Tech Research Institute
? Harris Corporation
? Halliburton Corporation
? Health Net, Inc.
? Hewlett-Packard
? Honeywell
? Hughes Electronics Corporation
? Humana Inc.
? IBM
? Infotech Aerospace Services (a Pratt & Whitney joint venture)
? Institute for Defense Analyses
? Intelsat
? International Resources Group
? ITT Corporation Inc.
? ITT Research Institute
? Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.
? JGB Enterprises, Inc.
? Johns Hopkins University
? JPS Communications (wholly owned subsidiary of Raytheon)
? Kaman Aircraft
? Kearfott Guidance & Navigation Corporation
? Kellogg, Brown and Root
? Kongsberg Protech
?

[glaring_falsehoods]

L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.
o Brashear
? Lockheed Martin
? Longbow Limited Liability Inc.
? M7 Aerospace
? MacGregor Group (part of Cargotec corporation)
? Maersk Line and Patriot Contract Services
? ManTech International
? Marconi Corporation PLC
? Massachusetts Institute of Technology
? Maytag Aircraft Corporation
? Menatek Spare Parts
? McDonnell Douglas Corporation (wholly owned subsidiary of Boeing)
? MITRE Corporation; also see ANSER Institute for Homeland Security
? Mitsubishi
? Motorola Inc.
? NASSCO Holdings Inc.
? Nextel
? Nichols Research Corporation
? Northrop Grumman Corporation
o Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems
o Northrop Grumman Information Technologies
o Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems
o Northrop Grumman Mission Systems
o Northrop Grumman Newport News (formerly Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company)
o Northrop Grumman Ships Systems
o Northrop Grumman Space Technology
o Northrop Grumman Technical Services
? Ocean Shipholdings Inc.
? Olin Corporation; also see John M. Olin and John M. Olin Foundation
? Omega Training Group
? Orbital Sciences Corporation
? Pennsylvania State University
? Perot Systems
? Pratt & Whitney (division of United Technologies)
? Precision Castparts Corporation
? Private Military Corporations
? Private Federal Corporations
? Quantum3D
? QinetiQ North America
? Raytheon
? Rockwell Collins
? Rolls-Royce plc
? RONCO (de-mining operations Horn of Africa)
? Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)
? Sensis Corporation
? Shell Oil Company
? Siemens AG
? Sikorsky Aircraft Company
? SFA, Inc.
? SGIS
? Smartronix, Inc.
? SPARTA, Inc.
? Spectrum Astro
? SRI International
? Stanley, Inc.
? Standard Missile Company LLC
? Stevedoring Services of America
? Stewart and Stevenson
? Sverdrup Corporation
? SYColeman (subsidiary of L-3 Communications)
? Talla-Tech
? TCom
? Teledyne
? Textron Inc.
o Bell Helicopter Textron
? Tri-Star Engineering, Inc.
? TriWest Healthcare Alliance
? Tyco International Ltd.
? University of Texas System
? Unisys Corporation
? United Industrial Corporation
? United Technologies
? URS Corporation
? USmax Corporation
? US Falcon
? Vangent
? Verdian Corporation
? Verizon Communications
? Vinnell Corporation
? Vinnell Brown and Root
? Washington Group International
? Westinghouse Electric Corporation
? Worldcorp Inc.
? Wyvern Technologies, Aerospace & Defense Contractors

[xlib]

GOOD to see you have GE in there. Now, the number of corporations that will make a fortune from the thug's crap & tax bill are the likes of GE and Goldman Sachs. Gotta love it. And I love when the left screams and screeches about the Republicans and big business. Times sure have changed.
See, the libs only hate big business when it isn't run by THEM.

[nextgenman09]

The Army Leadership is dumber than a bag of hammers. Didn't these business majors with stars on their shoulders learn ANYTHING by the Blackwater Fiasco?

[xlib]

Excuse me, but didn't the left go bat ***** when this was done in Iraq?? Too, too funny. We have "surge" on the Afgan front and now this. Bet he sends ACORN over and perhaps members of the NEW Black Panthers who did such a great job in Philly on election day.

[xlib]

CBS, since when is ***** a BAD word??? The Irish use it all the time.

[nextgenman09]

What I find hilarious is how ACORN makes the nutbag right wingnuts salivate like Pavlov's dogs. Mann Coulter actually foams at the mouth if someone shows her an oak tree seed. Too Funny.

[edward1975-2009]

Some old policies, different President. I wonder when all the Bush bashers will are going to jump all over Obama for doing the same thing. He apparently doesn't learn from past history,seeing how this turned out in Iraq.

[xlib]

nextgenman-sorta like the fixation of the left on Palin. Good, I've made my point.
Besides, I guess it's ok for a organization like ACORN to get millions each year and millions more in sitmulus money. No problem with that libtard.

[nextgenman09]

The RepubliTards screech about ACORN like its singly responsible for the destruction of the RINObaugh party. They fear ACORN. They wet themselves over ACORN. They tell scary ACORN stories to their little RINO kiddies. But the rotting RINO GOrPse killed itself. ACORN had nothing to do with its long-hoped for death.

[wyodutch]

Bend over American taxpayers... Here comes another round of stimulus spending to benefit the war profiteers.

The Congressional Budget Office did a study of what these contractors were costing in Iraq. They found that on average... the daily billing rate, per contractor was $1,222. The billing rate is greater than an employee?s pay because it includes the contractor?s indirect costs, overhead, and profit.

[the_majesty]

After 6 months of Obama, America can now see just how great president Bush was.