Obama Hiring More Mercenaries Than Bush

[defendandprotect]

Obama Hiring More Mercenaries Than Bush
America's New Mercenaries
As American commanders meet this week for the Afghanistan review, Obama is hiring military contractors at a rate that would make Bush blush.
by Tim Shorrock December 19, 2010


Without much notice or debate, the Obama administration has greatly expanded the outsourcing of key parts of the U.S.-led counterinsurgency wars in the Middle East and Africa, and as a result, for its secretive air war and special operations missions around the world, the U.S. has become increasingly reliant on a new breed of specialized companies that are virtually unknown to the American public, yet carry out vital U.S. missions abroad.

Companies such as Blackbird Technologies, Glevum Associates, K2 Solutions, and others have won hundreds of millions of dollars worth of military and intelligence contracts in recent years to provide technology, information on insurgents, Special Forces training, and personnel rescue. They win their work through the large, established prime contractors, but are tasked with missions only companies with specific skills and background in covert and counterinsurgency can accomplish.

Some observers fear that the widespread use of contractors for U.S. counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Horn of Africa could deepen the secrecy surrounding the American presence in those regions, making it harder for Congress to provide proper oversight.

Even in Iraq, where the U.S. has ended combat operations, the government is "greatly expanding" its use of private security companies, creating "an entirely new role for contractors on the battlefield," Michael Thibault, the co-chairman of the federal Commission on Wartime Contracting, recently warned Congress.



http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-12-15/counterinsurgency-outsourcing-americas-new-mercenaries-in-afghanistan-middle-east-africa/

[truedelphi]

1. mercenaries cost about 1,000% more than regular GI's.

With that money alone, we could be paying for



UNIVERSAL SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE

Or allowing for any number of other valuable social programs, rather than being a nation that can only afford its endless and non winnable wars.

And wars that always end up costing the poor.

[Capitalocracy]

13. In some cases, those mercenaries are more expensive, but make less

than our own troops... there's a whole recruiting structure, Blackwater/Xe takes a big cut, then they go to fascist ex-military under Pinochet in Chile, for example, who open recruiting businesses, they take a big cut, and then the actual Chilean thug they hire gets like $500 a month. But hey, he gets to kill brown people, so he's not complaining.

[truedelphi]

15. Those are good points. And back in the day -

It was considered illegal to have foreigners fighting our wars.

If this nation goes into martial law - will it be that surprising if it some honchos from South of the border are showing up at 4 Am and start battering down your door?

[Rex]

2. Well hell it is all over money anyway, why not hire people

that don't mind dying for a few bucks? Better then wasting our troops.

[LooseWilly]

3. If only the Feds had the courage to tax the rich to pay for it...

I mean, let's be honest, the rich are the ones who make the money off the top corporate jobs, and thereby are the ones profiting off the wars. Let them pay for them too...

[defendandprotect]

8. Realy ... this isn't about "courage" ....

this is about collusion with criminals -- corporate criminals --

government corruption ---

[LooseWilly]

17. wow, are you calling for the government to stop colluding with corporate criminals?

But, how would they get any of their shady works done without the government collusion with "criminals". Surely you're not advocating for the government operations to cease?

[defendandprotect]

18. Remember that transparency we were promised ... change?

the only thing that changed was Obama!

It is all crime and we have to stop calling it campaign finance and call it

what it is -- and recognize these elected officials for what they are -- with

few exceptions.

2012 ... wow!!

No way I'll be voting for Obama/Biden --

We need something really new to be happening, imo --




:(

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sarcasmo]

5. It's all about the money, follow the money. Blackbird Tech, Glevum Associates

K2 Solutions, and others have won hundred of millions worth of Government contracts. This is the #1 reason for the budget problem and our politicians want to blame Social Security. Clinton hand no major wars and had a budget surplus. Stop the freaking wars.

[Kaleko]

16. America's economy is totally dependent on exporting war.

Without its war-related activities and the threats these activities pose to other countries, the US would collapse immediately.

[sarcasmo]

19. Under Clinton we had no major wars and a budget surplus.

[Karmadillo]

6. See! More mercenaries qualify as change and change is what he promised! Gobama!

nt

[kenny blankenship]

7. Exactly, another Bush policy overturned!

[Wilms]

9. I really need help with this hoping problem of mine. n/t

[Uncle Joe]

10. That's one sign; of an empire's ultimate erosion, the increased reliance on for profit mercenaries.

As the government through antagonistic and short sighted policies becomes increasingly estranged from it's citizenry, the reliance on mercenaries becomes an escape valve to avoid political accountability to the people.

Corporate supremacy is driving us toward this cliff.

Thanks for the thread, defendandprotect.

[somone]

11. This will change soon, though

Any day now :sarcasm:

[Capitalocracy]

12. Republican response:

Obama is creating more government jobs! Socialist!

[BlueIris]

14. What a disgrace. nt