U.S. Considers Private Iraqi Force to Guard Sites - NYT

[goforit]

U.S. Considers Private Iraqi Force to Guard Sites
By DOUGLAS JEHL


WASHINGTON, July 17 — The Pentagon is considering a plan to train a private Iraqi security force and make it responsible for guarding pipelines, government buildings and hundreds of other sites in Iraq, military officials said today.

The new private force, to be composed primarily of former Iraqi soldiers armed with small weapons, would take over from American troops the guard duties at as many as 2,000 sites, the officials said. Such a force would provide jobs to potentially thousands of unemployed Iraqis and ease the burden on an American military that is finding itself stretched thin in Iraq despite the presence there of nearly 150,000 soldiers. Some Pentagon officials believe private Iraqi security guards at prominent government sites could help ease tensions created by the atmosphere of foreign military occupation.

But such a transfer would also raise some security concerns by putting more weapons in the hands of the former Iraqi soldiers and other Iraqis who would compose a force that could include hundreds or even thousands of security guards, the officials said. They said the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad and private American companies, including Kroll Inc., a well-known private security consulting concern, were discussing how members of the proposed force could be screened and approved.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/18/international/worldspecial/18SECU.html>

[goforit]

1. Hmmmmm..........Broad daylight folks!

Unbelievable!!

If this a confession!

That they are superior to the law and justice???

[cap]

2. mercenaries....

eom

[burrowowl]

3. If they create a private force

it means they want to privatize the oil fields.
I wonder how many Iraqis will line up to be mercenaries in their own country?

[I AM SPARTACUS]

4. I wonder how many of the alleged "dead-enders" will be in that line...

...and I question the ability of the military or the State Dept to appropriately screen...

[realFedUp]

5. Why aren't more people outraged about this????

Troops being paid by American taxpayers guarding corporately owned and operated oil pipelines etc.? I know this happens in South America and other countries, but shouldn't this be commented on in the media somewhere?

[Nottingham]

6. Well A Private Iraqi force could Lie Cheat & Control the Profits

and the Military are under American Law & jurisdiction

Iraqi force could be Bush's private mafia!

:bounce:

[umcwb]

7. Kick, n/t