Security

In Iraq, Troops Down, Contractors Up

The U.S. military continues its long, steady draw down of troops from Iraq — just yesterday, Marine Corps Commandant announced he’s handing over responsibility for Anbar province to Iraqi forces. Meanwhile, "the United States is spending more money than ever on private security contractors in Iraq," USA Today reports. "This year, spending on contractors, who […]

Dusty_day_psc_cropped_2
The U.S. military continues its long, steady draw down of troops from Iraq -- just yesterday, Marine Corps Commandant announced he's handing over responsibility for Anbar province to Iraqi forces. Meanwhile, "the United States is spending more money than ever on private security contractors in Iraq," *USA Today *reports. "This year, spending on contractors, who protect diplomats, civilian facilities and supply convoys, is projected to exceed $1.2 billion... Most of that bill — about $1 billion — is State Department spending, which is up 13 percent over 2007."

And private contractors are continuing to cause major headaches for the U.S. agencies that hire 'em. "MVM Inc., one of the biggest security contractors used by U.S.
intelligence agencies, has lost the bulk of a Central Intelligence
Agency contract in Iraq after failing to provide enough armed guards, *The Wall Street Journal's Siobhan Gorman *reports. And KBR -- the former Halliburton subsidiary that's the largest contractor in Iraq -- is being sued for human trafficking. According to The Washington Post, the suit alleges that:

13 Nepali men, between the ages of 18 and 27, were recruited in Nepal to work as kitchen staff in hotels and restaurants in Amman, Jordan. But once the men arrived in Jordan, their passports were seized and they were told they were being sent to a military facility in Iraq, Fryszman said.

As the men were driven in cars to Iraq, they were stopped by insurgents. Twelve were kidnapped and later executed, Fryszman said. The 13th man survived and worked in a warehouse in Iraq for 15 months before returning to Nepal.

You'll recall that two former KBR employees in Iraq have also alleged that they were raped by their co-workers.

I know it's not a one-to-one swap. But is the general trend of declining U.S. troops and increasing contractors beneficial for Iraq's stability?

Photo: Noah Shachtman/Wired.com

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