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T U E S D A Y , A U G U S T 1 6 , 2 0 0 5Keeping The Peace In Iraq...With PrivateArmiesby Michael in New York on
8/16/2005 02:00:00 AMA very good NYT article about the 25,000+ soldiers offortune/mercenaries or -- as they prefer -- private securitycompany employees who provide extensive protection in Iraq.Since we have 140,000 troops there, it's obvious these oftenelite former soldiers are a crucial element in keeping the peace(not to mention the 50,000- 75,000 unarmed civilian workersfrom Halliburton et al). Frankly, we're desperately short ofboots on the ground and Iraq would be in far worse shape ifthese hired guns weren't there as well. Some fascinatingdetails in the story, which begins with a look at one company,Triple Canopy:For guns, too, Triple Canopy had to make do. Transportingfirearms from the United States required legal documentsthat the company couldn't wait for; instead, in Iraq, it gotDepartment of Defense permission to visit the dumpinggrounds of captured enemy munitions. The company tookmounds of AK-47's and culled all that were operable.So Triple Canopy had vehicles and it had assault rifles, andwhen it needed cash in Iraq, to pay employees or buyequipment or build camps, it dispatched someone fromChicago, the company's home, with a rucksack filled withbricks of hundred-dollar bills. ''All the people in Iraq had tosay is, 'We need a backpack,''' Mann said. ''Or, 'We needtwo backpacks.''' Each pack held half a million dollars....Throughout his time as head of the C.P.A., L. Paul BremerIII, whom the insurgency may well have viewed as itshighest-value target, was protected by a Triple Canopycompetitor, Blackwater USA. Private gunmen, according toLawrence Peter, are now guarding four U.S. generals. TripleCanopy protects a large military base. And throughout Iraq,the defense of essential military sites like depots ofcaptured munitions has been informally shared by privatesoldiers and U.S. troops....''Sure, they are performing a military role,'' Garner said ofthe companies. Then, while noting that he wasn't criticizingthe Department of Defense, he added, ''The gut problemis the force'' -- that is, the U.S. fighting force -''is toosmall.'' And Bearpark, who has lately become a consultantto a large security firm, maintained that private protectionmight sometimes be better than what a regular army couldoffer. The private teams are more streamlined and flexible,he argued; they are often better trained for the job; andthey may be willing to take more risks, allowing officials tomove more freely. But about the fundamental reason forthe C.P.A.'s hiring of the companies, he said: ''Themilitary just hadn't provided enough numbers. It wasstretched to the limit.''There's much more, all interesting. By the way, these men areguarding generals but the Defense Dept. insists they're notperforming military functions. Yeah right.
Political WireMcCain Lawyers Investigated Obama Citizenship -As we asked earlier this week, if questions overPresident Obama's citizenship were valid, wouldn'tthey have come out during the presidentialcampaign? D...3 minutes ago
HuffPost PoliticsMichael J. O'Neil: The Gates/Crowley RorschachTest - Was this an instance of racial profiling? DidGates overreact to a reasonable police request?The truth is that we simply do not have enoughinformation to ...21 minutes agoThink ProgressLimbaugh: Obama has a ‘chip on his shoulder’because he’s ‘black.’ - In an interview with FoxNews’ Greta Van Susteren last night, right-wingradio host Rush Limbaugh said President Obamawas more “passionate” during Wednesd...21 minutes agoMatthew YglesiasBlogging as a Vocation - Alyssa Rosenberg onbeing a writer: My experience has been, as DanielStrauss says, that people become artists, or in thecase of journalists, artisans (I ...33 minutes agoBen SmithRegrets, sort of - Gibbs says Obama regrets hisGates comments, sort of, and blames he press: "Ithink he would regret if realized how much of an o36 minutes agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S
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8/16/2005 02:00:00 AMA very good NYT article about the 25,000+ soldiers offortune/mercenaries or -- as they prefer -- private securitycompany employees who provide extensive protection in Iraq.Since we have 140,000 troops there, it's obvious these oftenelite former soldiers are a crucial element in keeping the peace(not to mention the 50,000- 75,000 unarmed civilian workersfrom Halliburton et al). Frankly, we're desperately short ofboots on the ground and Iraq would be in far worse shape ifthese hired guns weren't there as well. Some fascinatingdetails in the story, which begins with a look at one company,Triple Canopy:For guns, too, Triple Canopy had to make do. Transportingfirearms from the United States required legal documentsthat the company couldn't wait for; instead, in Iraq, it gotDepartment of Defense permission to visit the dumpinggrounds of captured enemy munitions. The company tookmounds of AK-47's and culled all that were operable.So Triple Canopy had vehicles and it had assault rifles, andwhen it needed cash in Iraq, to pay employees or buyequipment or build camps, it dispatched someone fromChicago, the company's home, with a rucksack filled withbricks of hundred-dollar bills. ''All the people in Iraq had tosay is, 'We need a backpack,''' Mann said. ''Or, 'We needtwo backpacks.''' Each pack held half a million dollars....Throughout his time as head of the C.P.A., L. Paul BremerIII, whom the insurgency may well have viewed as itshighest-value target, was protected by a Triple Canopycompetitor, Blackwater USA. Private gunmen, according toLawrence Peter, are now guarding four U.S. generals. TripleCanopy protects a large military base. And throughout Iraq,the defense of essential military sites like depots ofcaptured munitions has been informally shared by privatesoldiers and U.S. troops....''Sure, they are performing a military role,'' Garner said ofthe companies. Then, while noting that he wasn't criticizingthe Department of Defense, he added, ''The gut problemis the force'' -- that is, the U.S. fighting force -''is toosmall.'' And Bearpark, who has lately become a consultantto a large security firm, maintained that private protectionmight sometimes be better than what a regular army couldoffer. The private teams are more streamlined and flexible,he argued; they are often better trained for the job; andthey may be willing to take more risks, allowing officials tomove more freely. But about the fundamental reason forthe C.P.A.'s hiring of the companies, he said: ''Themilitary just hadn't provided enough numbers. It wasstretched to the limit.''There's much more, all interesting. By the way, these men areguarding generals but the Defense Dept. insists they're notperforming military functions. Yeah right.
Political WireMcCain Lawyers Investigated Obama Citizenship -As we asked earlier this week, if questions overPresident Obama's citizenship were valid, wouldn'tthey have come out during the presidentialcampaign? D...3 minutes ago
HuffPost PoliticsMichael J. O'Neil: The Gates/Crowley RorschachTest - Was this an instance of racial profiling? DidGates overreact to a reasonable police request?The truth is that we simply do not have enoughinformation to ...21 minutes agoThink ProgressLimbaugh: Obama has a ‘chip on his shoulder’because he’s ‘black.’ - In an interview with FoxNews’ Greta Van Susteren last night, right-wingradio host Rush Limbaugh said President Obamawas more “passionate” during Wednesd...21 minutes agoMatthew YglesiasBlogging as a Vocation - Alyssa Rosenberg onbeing a writer: My experience has been, as DanielStrauss says, that people become artists, or in thecase of journalists, artisans (I ...33 minutes agoBen SmithRegrets, sort of - Gibbs says Obama regrets hisGates comments, sort of, and blames he press: "Ithink he would regret if realized how much of an o36 minutes agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S
Show All
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AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Keepi...http://www.americablog.com/2005/08/keeping-peace-in-iraqwit...
1 of 57/24/09 6:27 PM
A M E R I C A B L O G T V
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Judge order San Diego toget rid of the seals
Massive brawl in SouthKorean parliament
Mormons may havesecretly baptized
Medieval helpdesk withEnglish subtitles
The Taco Bell dog hasdied
In honor of SenatorDeMintNext 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Keepi...http://www.americablog.com/2005/08/keeping-peace-in-iraqwit...
2 of 57/24/09 6:27 PM
Wonk RoomBoehner Claims HeDoesn’t Know DoctorsWho Support HouseHealth Bill, Trashes AMAFor Endorsing It8 minutes agoEzra KleinFederalism: ObjectivelyPro-Recessions18 minutes agoThe TreatmentPaul Krugman Gets It(Shocking, I Know)1 hour agoManaged CareMattersFresh Health WonkReview awaiting yourperusal4 hours agoWalker ReportSimple Test ToG AY P O L I T I C S
Visit our new gay politicssection, AMERICAblog Gay.F E E D S
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A B O U TA M E R I C A B L O GWhy AMERICAblog?Because a great nationdeserves the truth.What issues do youcover?US politics overall with aparticular focus on theObama Administration, theradical right, and civilrights.Who are you?John AravosisEditorWashington, DCJoe SudbayDeputy EditorWashington, DCChris RyanAssociate EditorParis, FranceRobert ArenaContributing EditorBaltimore, MarylandJacki SchechnerContributing EditorWashington, DCAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Keepi...http://www.americablog.com/2005/08/keeping-peace-in-iraqwit...
4 of 57/24/09 6:27 PM
© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Keepi...http://www.americablog.com/2005/08/keeping-peace-in-iraqwit...
5 of 57/24/09 6:27 PM