Jim Hightower: Obama to Bring More Mercenaries to Afghanistan -- Sound Familiar?

[laststeamtrain]

Obama to Bring More Mercenaries to Afghanistan -- Sound Familiar?
By Jim Hightower, Creators Syndicate
Posted on March 28, 2009, Printed on March 29, 2009
http://www.alternet.org/story/133289/

Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to war we go!

As President Barack Obama begins winding down the Bush war in Iraq, he is building up his own war farther east. We're told that it will be a new, expanded, extra-special American adventure in Afghanistan, involving a vigorous surge strategy to "stabilize" this perpetually unstable land.

The initial surge will add 17,000 troops to the 36,000 already there. Then, later this year, there is to be a second troop surge of another 17,000 or so. This mass of soldiers is expected to be deployed to a series of new garrisons to be built in far-flung regions of this impoverished, rural, mostly illiterate warlord state that is ruled by hundreds of fractious, heavily armed tribal leaders. We're not told how much this escalation will cost, but it will at least double the $2 billion a month that American taxpayers are already shelling out for the Afghan war.

The extra-special part of this effort is to come from a simultaneous "civilian surge" of hundreds of U.S. economic development experts. "What we can't do," said Obama in an interview last Sunday, "is think that just a military approach in Afghanistan is going to be able to solve our problems." To win the hearts (and cooperation) of the Afghan people, this development leg of the operation will try to build infrastructure (roads, schools, etc.), create new crop alternatives to lure hardscrabble farmers out of poppy production and generally lift the country's bare-subsistence living standard.

What Obama has not mentioned is that, in addition to soldiers and civilians, there is a third surge in his plan: private military contractors. Yes, another privatized army, such as the one in Iraq. There, the Halliburtons, Blackwaters and other war profiteers ran rampant, shortchanging our troops, ripping off taxpayers, killing civilians and doing deep damage to America's good name.

Already, there are 71,000 private contractors operating in Afghanistan, and many more are preparing to deploy as Pentagon spending ramps up for Obama's war. The military is now offering new contracts to security firms to provide armed employees (aka, mercenaries) to guard U.S. bases and convoys. Despite the widespread contractor abuses in Iraq, Pentagon chief Robert Gates defends the ongoing privatization push: "The use of contractor security personnel is vital to supporting the forward-operating bases in certain parts of the country," he declared in a February letter to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

What the gentle war secretary is really saying is this: "We don't have a draft, and I don't see a lot of senators' kinfolks volunteering to put their butts on the line in Afghanistan, so I've gotta pay through the nose to find enough privateers to guard America's Army in this forbidding place."

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http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/133289/obama_to_bring_more_mercenaries_to_afghanistan_--_sound_familiar/

[Fovea]

1. Good intentions

and a noble commitment that I think will fall to the economic reality of 2010.

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. Ya know, I wonder if the USA will let other countries NEIGHBORS monitor them

.
.
.

The locals had a handle on Saddam - well, until the USA tricked him into a war with Iran . .

THEN sanctioned Iraq into the stone ages -

THEN bombed the shit out of them, invaded and occupied.

USA should get the fuck out of the Middle East

TOTALLY

Let the ME handle the ME.

As far as nuclear concerns, I think China and Russia can handle that.

USA come HOME! - you are needed here - your families miss you, the economy misses you - come spend your money in your own country, and your efforts.

Don't give me this "spreading democracy" bullshit -

there's a barely recognizable version of democracy trying to survive right in the USA

SAVE IT for chrissakes

yayzussss . . .

[The Traveler]

3. As a former private military contractor

I cannot advise against this too strongly. Contractors have their right use, in limited scale and in controlled situations. Our strategists rely on them too much, and in the face of this elevated demand the quality has definitely been compromised. Pretty much any goober who can load a gun can get a job.

The last offer I got was to run a "guns for money" deal in Iraq. This was right before Fallujah below up. I turned the job down, telling my prospective employers they were fucking idiots if they thought the "picture on the ground" story they had just barfed up on my living room floor had any basis in reality. I was, of course, right, but am now regarded as "unreliable" in those circles. Worse tragedies have befallen me, I assure you. And the prospect of never again being required to raise a weapon in anger ... ah. What a wonderful prospect that is indeed. Smedley was right, ya know. War is nothing but a racket, 99 out of a 100 times.

I predict significant rueage ... if their strategy requires the hiring of mercs in any significant numbers, if is an untenable strategy and we are all best served by acknowledging that now.

Trav

** edited for typos ... when will I ever learn ... spell check before posting ...

[MISSDem]

4. No more war.

I thought we were getting out of the killing business.