AP: Nearly 800 Iraq contractors killed

[deadparrot]

In a largely invisible cost of the war in Iraq, nearly 800 civilians working under contract to the Pentagon have been killed and more than 3,300 hurt doing jobs normally handled by the U.S. military, according to figures gathered by The Associated Press.

Exactly how many of these employees doing the Pentagon's work are Americans is uncertain. But the casualty figures make it clear that the Defense Department's count of more than 3,100 U.S. military dead does not tell the whole story.

"It's another unseen expense of the war," said Thomas Houle, a retired Air Force reservist whose brother-in-law died while driving a truck in Iraq. "It's almost disrespectful that it doesn't get the kind of publicity or respect that a soldier would."

Employees of defense contractors such as Halliburton, Blackwater and Wackenhut cook meals, do laundry, repair infrastructure, translate documents, analyze intelligence, guard prisoners, protect military convoys, deliver water in the heavily fortified Green Zone and stand sentry at buildings — often highly dangerous duties almost identical to those performed by many U.S. troops.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/iraq_contractors

[Greyskye]

1. typo in your 1st paragraph

Should be 800, not 8800.

[soothsayer]

2. ya go there by choice, ya take yer chances. sucks, tho.

[Ouabache]

3. 3300 hurt may be filing for SS benefits and costing us that way

Of those hurt, surely some are filing for Social Security disability, of the dead I am sure we are paying SS death benefits to survivors as well -- I mean anyone is entitled to those, but I sure doubt that Bushco is counting those costs as a cost of their little war.

[pokercat999]

4. There ya go again, you know the cost of this war has

been and is being paid for by Iraqi oil.:sarcasm:

[SheilaT]

5. And they are paid

quite a bit more than their military counterparts.

If they're making as much as $100,000 per year, often tax-free as mentioned in the article,well then it's hard to be too incredibly sympathetic. Did they think they were going off to a Club Med somewhere? There's a war going on in Iraq, and has been for how many years now? And these contractors truly are volunteers over there, in a way that some National Guardsman who signed up in 1994 and honestly never thought he or she would ever be in a war zone is not.

edited for clarity.

[roody]

6. except for the not white, manual laborers

and service providers recruited from poor countries.

[Heidi]

7. Kick.

:kick:

[PA Democrat]

8. Iraq contractor deaths go little noticed

In a largely invisible cost of the war in Iraq, nearly 800 civilians working under contract to the Pentagon have been killed and more than 3,300 hurt doing jobs normally handled by the U.S. military, according to figures gathered by The Associated Press.

Exactly how many of these employees doing the Pentagon's work are Americans is uncertain. But the casualty figures make it clear that the Defense Department's count of more than 3,100 U.S. military dead does not tell the whole story.

"It's another unseen expense of the war," said Thomas Houle, a retired Air Force reservist whose brother-in-law died while driving a truck in Iraq. "It's almost disrespectful that it doesn't get the kind of publicity or respect that a soldier would."

Employees of defense contractors such as Halliburton, Blackwater and Wackenhut cook meals, do laundry, repair infrastruture, translate documents, analyze intelligence, guard prisoners, protect military convoys, deliver water in the heavily fortified Green Zone and stand sentry at buildings — often highly dangerous duties almost identical to those performed by many U.S. troops.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070223/ap_on_re_us/iraq_contractors

[bamacrat]

9. If they were soldiers and not just hired guns maybe they would get acknowledgment

The mercs get way more money than soldiers do, and arent obligated to the military to stay or perform like a soldier is. They chose to come, to make money and do something you cant get paid for anywhere else: Hunting People.

[OwnedByFerrets]

10. .............

"often highly dangerous duties almost identical to those performed by many U.S. troops".......and in many cases, make much more money for those duties.
Unless I am badly mistaken, no one put a gun to their heads and forced them to go into this situation.
I feel badly for their families, but they are there because they chose to be. If I am wrong, feel free to correct me. Its gotten to where I cant say anything about this invasion without it sounding bitter.:-(

[scavenger]

14. The best way to support the troops, is by not supporting the troops.

[Hissyspit]

11. AP: Nearly 800 Civilian Contractors Killed In Iraq ("...off the books")

http://abclocal.go.com:80/kabc/story?section=nation_world&id=5064298

Nearly 800 Civilian Contractors Killed in Iraq

February 23, 2007 - In a largely invisible cost of the war in Iraq, nearly 800 civilians working under contract to the Pentagon have been killed and more than 3,300 hurt doing jobs normally handled by the U.S. military, according to figures gathered by The Associated Press.

- snip -

But when contractors are killed or wounded, the casualties are off the books, in a sense. The Defense Department issues a press release whenever a soldier or Marine dies. The AP obtained figures on many of the civilian deaths and injuries from the Labor Department, which tracks workers' compensation claims, after repeated efforts including a Freedom of Information Act request.

- snip -

Contractor deaths are less costly politically, said Deborah Avant, a political science professor at George Washington University.

- snip -

Houle's brother-in-law, Hector C. Patino, was driving a truck for a Halliburton subsidiary in the Green Zone when he was killed by friendly fire at an Australian checkpoint. Patino, who served two tours in Vietnam, thought he was safe, said his mother, 82-year-old Flora Patino. "I said, 'Hector, you're playing with fire,' " she recalled.

MORE

[saigon68]

12. Boo Hoo more ROSE PETAL PARADES

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

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

[scavenger]

15. Checkmate

They got what they deserve in my opinion.

Bush has this country in checkmate and there is not one damn thing anyone can do about it and that's a fact. He knows this isn't a winnable war but he's not going to admit that while he's in office because that would be a defeat for him. Bush is willing the sacrifice many life's to feed his ego and protect his honor. Bush will be able to place the blame of his war failure on the next president that withdraws the troops to end the war.

[w8liftinglady]

16. a lot of those guys are military on inactive reserve-before you judge

my son and his buddies signed up with contractors vs. going back as regular Army when they heard their unit might be deployed AGAIN this year.If they are with a contractor,they can't be called up.And yes-they are doing the same job,just no guard duty.

[scavenger]

17. Don't matter

Your son and his buddy's were "willing" to be used as pawns on Bush's chess board.

Supporting the troops will get them killed.

[Esra Star]

18. Yes, mercenaries never become an official statistic and

can be discarded more easily.
The whole thing sucks.