Still Worried

The growth of private security contractors being utilized by our armed forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and by FEMA in New Orleans still concerns me. I have checked out a few of their websites and am not encouraged by what I see. These groups may not always be taking necessary precautions before using force, as mercenary groups tend to do.

But the media may be checking things out a bit more. That is a relief, but this still worries me. If we are serious about this war in Iraq achieving its stated purposes, then all our forces must be held to the highest accountability possible. Handing a contract to "defend" certain areas to a private organization does nothing to ensure that the individuals involved will be held to the same standard as the common enlisted soldier.

Check out this group, and if you missed it, here is another one.

Apparently, I am not the only one concerned. Here is an article about an Army colonel whose task was to oversee an independent contractor in the training of Iraqi security forces. The colonel was previously a professor of ethics at West Point. You can do the math, or read the article. That contractor's site is here.