Contractor deaths in Iraq prove difficult to track

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — There are 50,000 to 100,000 contractors working in Iraq, experts believe, though reliable estimates are hard to come by.

Private security personnel are thought to account for as many as 20,000 of those, or more than all U.S. coalition partners together.

The number of contractors killed is just as difficult to pin down, partly because the employers often keep the deaths quiet. The U.S. military death toll, now over 1,620, would be higher but for the number of military tasks contracted out to the private sector, say analysts.

"Outsourcing troops not only outsources costs and capabilities, but also casualties," said Peter Singer, who specializes in the topic for the Washington-based Brookings Institution. Security firms "have sent more troops and taken more casualties than all of our other reluctant allies combined."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2005-05-21-iraq-contractors_x.htm

[daleo]

1. They are not troops.

"Outsourcing troops not only outsources costs and capabilities, but also casualties," said Peter Singer, who specializes in the topic for the Washington-based Brookings Institution. Security firms "have sent more troops and taken more casualties than all of our other reluctant allies combined."

They are employees of private companies, mercenaries.

[K-W]

5. They are both mercenaries and american troops. EOM

[AtTheEndOfTheDay]

7. They are war whores.

Troops are the underpayed members of the service, victims of Bush the mass murderer and liar king.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

6. I don't think that we should paint with such a broad brush on this...

I posted an article earlier about translators dying by the dozens over there who are, for the most part Iraqis just trying to earn money to stay alive. These people would be contract labor as well. Along with drivers, etc.

[daleo]

8. But the quotation specifically refers to them as "troops"

So I don't think it was meant to cover interpreters and the like, but the actual para-military forces employed there. The role of some of the other foreign corporate employees, such as interpreters, engineers, etc. is perhaps more debatable, although Iraqis may not see the distinction.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

9. In that regard, you are absolutely correct, but I feel the piece was

talking about the 50-100K of contractors of which, "only" 20K are security which I would also read as mercs.

:toast:

[daleo]

10. Okey- doke, I was just focussing on the one quote.

And I may have pulled it out of context a bit.:beer:

[Imagevision]

2. 295 contractors, including security personnel killed up to April 30th

Bush keeps smiling with assurance of "progress" being made in Iraq?

Insurgents bent on derailing Iraq's reconstruction are averaging 70 attacks a day, mainly against U.S. and Iraqi forces, the military has said. Some 295 contractors, including security personnel, have been killed until April 30, with most being Americans working on U.S. projects, according to Department of Labor Figures. Others have also been kidnapped.
http://isp.netscape.com/lcisp/home/story.jsp?flok=FF-APO-1333&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20050521%2F1419680436.htm&sc=1333&floc=isp-40&related=off&fr

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

3. Good piece on this here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=post&forum=102&topic_id=1490185&mesg_id=1490185

[Ouabache]

4. Any word of Jeffrey Ake, kidnapped over a month ago?

He was a contractor running a water bottling plant somewhere north of Baghdad. All the local news here in Indiana clammed up shortly after the initial flurry of interest. Then, it turns out his family was selling their house and moving about 2 weeks ago, with basically no comment to the press. Then, quite obligingly, the press completely shut up about him again. I figure a negotiation and ransom effort is under way, as well, even though we supposedly don't negotiate with terrorists.

I also wonder if there are other assets he has here also for sale to raise ransom money?

My guess there are many more like him -kidnapped- and either dead to never be found and included in this count, or for whom a negotiated ransom and release is made, with no more attention in the US press.