Blackwater on The Hill: "The hearing revealed a fascinating, but also disturbing, lack of awareness in Congress about the private military industry. Members on both sides repeatedly struggled with the most basic facts and issues that surround the over 160,000-person contractor force in Iraq: Everything from the number and roles of contractors to their status and accountability, or lack thereof. It was quite clear that this was the first time that many had been forced to think much about the issue (even though the industry is over a decade old and the supplemental funds have been paying for the use of contractors in Iraq, year after year)."
It is clear that the use of sub-contractors for tasks that formerly were armed service member provided does several things:
1. Reduces the size requirements for the armed forces.
2 Privatizes a "public good".
3. Eliminates chain of command, accountability and performance evaluation.
4. Creates multiple missions at odds with the strategic goal and creates tactics at odds with the mission requirements.
I suppose the 2 primary issues that the Bush White House and Rumsfeld DOD targeted in going this route was to reduce the quantity of troops in theater while converting public service to private enterprise - ostensibly reducing the size of government. We know how well this has worked.
For whatever reason, we traded US Army and Marine casualties for private contractors that rarely make the body or wounded count lists. It is estimated that over 1,000 priovate contractors have been killed and more than 13,000 wounded. Ultimately, the American public will pay either way. There are still families left without a parent or wounded to carry for the balance of their lives.
Most striking is the core business interest of the private contractors is to keep the effort going - counter to our goal. Their revenue dries up if the war ends.
A wonderful circle jerk brought to us by Bush.
Posted by: pfknc | Oct 03, 2007 at 09:17 AM
"The hearing revealed a fascinating, but also disturbing, lack of awareness in Congress about the private military industry."
As also revealed here by and about people who make comments like this one:
"A wonderful circle jerk brought to us by Bush."
Posted by: Bubba | Oct 03, 2007 at 09:43 AM
pfknc, your comment illustrates exactly the misinformation, myths, distortions, inaccuracies, and ignorance displayed yesterday by your fellow Dems/libs. You're a credit to your party.
No wonder they've only got an 11% public confidence level.
Posted by: jaycee | Oct 03, 2007 at 12:17 PM
pfknc, you'll probably find yourself more welcome here where the idea of America spending this kind of money to enrich war-profiteers is not a cause celebre.
Posted by: James | Oct 03, 2007 at 01:46 PM