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The Human Timebomb: Why Was He Given Iraq Job?
A British military contractor accused of shooting dead two of his colleagues in Iraq was hired despite being sacked from another security firm and having a long history of psychiatric illness, The Independent has learnt.
Daniel Fitzsimons, 29, is in Iraqi custody facing charges of premeditated murder after the shooting of fellow ArmorGroup colleagues Paul McGuigan and Darren Hoar and wounding Iraqi worker Arkhan Mahdi. If convicted he faces execution. (File) Daniel
Fitzsimons, 29, is in Iraqi custody facing charges of premeditated
murder after the shooting of fellow ArmorGroup colleagues Paul McGuigan
and Darren Hoar and wounding Iraqi worker Arkhan Mahdi. If convicted he
faces execution.
Last night, in an interview
with The Independent, his family revealed that just months before being
hired by ArmorGroup, a psychiatric report had found Mr Fitzsimons was
suffering from severe post-traumatic stress with repeated flashbacks,
nightmares and anxiety attacks.
He had also been dismissed by the security firm
Aegis while working in Iraq for "extreme negligence". At the time he
was taken on by ArmorGroup he was awaiting trial for assault having
already been convicted of three other crimes including robbery,
possession of ammunition and public order offences. The incident
happened within 36 hours of Mr Fitzsimons arriving back in Iraq.
Last night his father and stepmother, both teachers from Manchester, said others also bore responsibility for what happened: "We did not even know he had gone out there," they said. "He patently should not have been allowed to go to Iraq. He is extremely poorly."
ArmorGroup last night said they could not comment on the specific allegations due to the ongoing investigation and added: "Under our terms of employment, employees are obliged to provide a medical certificate prior to posting overseas that confirms they are fit to do so."
But Mike Hancock, the longest-serving member of the Commons defence select committee, said he would be pressing for an early investigation into the controls on private defence firms.
"It's unacceptable for any security company to take on any former member of the armed forces without thorough medical checks and pre-counselling. We need to legislate. Companies that recruit in the UK should be covered by British laws and have a responsibility to check the mental health wellbeing of the people they take on."
In the interview Mr Fitzsimons's father, Eric, and stepmother, Liz, said their son had been diagnosed with a form of stress disorder when he was discharged from the army five years ago. But this had been exacerbated by repeated tours with security companies in Iraq in which he had been injured and lost countless friends to bombs. A recent assessment had found his condition had worsened.
Mr Fitzsimons said his son should be recognised as another victim of the shooting. "We do feel very, very sorry for these two men and their families. But Daniel is also a victim."
The couple explained the family were terrified that he would be made an example of for a multi-billion dollar industry, whose employees recently lost immunity following a shootout involving US security firm Backwater in which 17 civilians were killed.
"We are worried the trial will be rushed through and he will be made a scapegoat. We can't let that happen."
The family said that Mr Fitzsimons was discharged from the 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment after tours in Bosnia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland and Afghanistan. But they insisted it was the dangerous work that he carried out for private security companies in Iraq that had sent him on a dramatic spiral downwards exacerbated by drink and prescription medication.
The company have agreed to the family's request to send out their own British legal team to Baghdad adding thar ArmorGroup were making arrangement for an English speaking Iraqi lawyer as well.
Tory MP Patrick Mercer, a former Army officer, called for regular checks on defence companies' recruitment policies. He said: "They need to be audited in terms of what strictures they apply to the people they recruit. The Government must be involved in that."
Mr Mercer, chairman of the Commons counter-terrorism sub-committee, said the performance of such firms in checking staff were "mentally grounded" was "very mixed".
He added: "I have always argued that the discharge of veterans should be very carefully handled."
Mr Fitzsimons's MP, Jim Dobbin, said last night: "Questions have to be asked about why he was out there, did the company know he had psychological problems, and that he was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. Quite honestly if it did know of that, then it must be culpable."
Christopher Beese, director of human resources at ArmorGroup, said: "ArmorGroup has a duty of care to Daniel Fitzsimons as an employee and we are discharging those responsibilities.
"Senior managers are visiting him daily to ensure his human rights are being met, that he is safe, and has an opportunity to communicate with his family and with his lawyer.
"Yesterday he was visited by an ArmorGroup team and representatives of the UK embassy, and provided with medical care, food, water and access to a mobile phone. The company is making arrangements for his UK legal representative to travel to Iraq safely and securely as soon as possible."
17 Comments so far
Show AllIt is obvious that the British are just as foolish as the Americans. Just as arrogant, just as greedy, just as corrupted and as much controlled by the Plutocratic Oligarchy as the Americans.
When you take professional criminals, most of them with severe mental defects. Arm them better than any other humans in the immediate area. Assign them to criminal tasks, led by criminals in the field, directed by criminals 'back home'; and they kill each other, and everything else that moves in the area.
You have no one to blame but yourselves.
What you should perhaps do is separate yourselves from the Americans (you followed them there). On your way out of the country, stop an apologize to every human being you encounter. Set up a large fund where the monies you confiscate from the assets of the Plutocratic Oligarchy that you convict in your courts; and make those payments to the people of Iraq and Afghanistan for several generations.
Then pray to that mean vindictive weak and insecure God that you and the Americans spend so much time talking about and hope that when the Americans collapse; that they do not take you with them.
Great Britain is a fossil. A corrupt, and deviate 'Cancer' on humanity that has out lived its usefulness, and has little or not positive contribution and has never made one.
Unless they make some immediate changes they will be remembered by history as having 'given birth to the Americans'----
'Fraulein Shicklegruber would be proud of you'.
Quote: "It's unacceptable for any security company to take on any former member of the armed forces without thorough medical checks and pre-counselling. We need to legislate. Companies that recruit in the UK should be covered by British laws and have a responsibility to check the mental health wellbeing of the people they take on."
The question is: Do you go ape-shit after realizing you're a murderer or not? If not, then please sign on the dotted line.
The fact is that ANYONE who would sign up for such a job in "security" is a psychopath who should have his head examined.
and according to 'sky news' the family want him to be tried in the u.k. as they don't believe he'll get a 'fair' trial in iraq.........
well, boo hoo........
the iraqis haven't had much 'fairness' since 2003.......
2003? Make that 1991; the bombing slowed down a lot in intervening years, but never stopped. And major increases in bombing as part of the ground re-invasion began in Aug 2002, if I remember correctly.
point taken............thanks for the correction.
Daniel Fitzsimons was a direct hire by Dick Cheney.
I remember the days when people killed for profit and they were called "mercenaries". They were despised as bottom feeders.
These private contractors are another example of privatization with no regulation and they have been accepted as "normal".
How far will all this lowering of humane and ethical standards go?
Condolences to all involved; Iraqis, Brits, families of, etc. But by right-wing logic, the decision to hire this poor imperialist lackey was a completely rational decision by a company engaged in the 'Free Market' (ha!). To regulate their choice of who to hire based on recommendations by (National Health Service? Socialist?) doctors would limit their sovereignity as corporations. BTW; would they be sending lawyers if he'd only killed filthy brown people, and not a couple of haoles as well? Te answer to the title is he was given this job because they figured if he went ballistic (graphic phrase, init?), he would just take out a few hajiis, and they could quietly fire him and ship him home. Cost of Doing Business.
I find it ironic that the quisling government has charged a Brit with killing Brits. How many Brits and Americans have been charged with killing Iraqis?
Gde
An excellent question. An invading army has occupied two defenseless third world countries. One would think that most of the world would be rallying behind the cause of the freedom fighters. Unfortunately it appears that so many Americans remain brainwashed into believing that the United States is still the Chosen People of all that is good in the world despite the number of civilians who have been slaughtered and become maimed and crippled and who have tortured and have displaced many from their homes, all in the name of [allegedly] spreading democracy among the heathen.
"Imperialism, like dictatorship, sears the soul, degrades the spirit, and makes individuals small, the better to rule them. Fear and cowardice are its allies. Imperialism is government of other people, by other people, and for other people."- Louis Fischer [1896-1970]- American journalist
as if this person is unusual for a mercenary. mercenaries are mercenaries because they get pleasure from killingl people. yes, really.
Gee,
Where have I heard about this happening before?
Oh, that's right, every "police action" we've ever been involved in. Oh, and here's a cheery thought, when these phycos get done abusing the locals over there, they're going to come home to a local law enforcement division near you.
Sure, come on in Phyco; you don't have a warrent? Well, that didn't stop you last week. Are you on drugs again? Well, nobody drug tests cops do they?
We haven't had this much fun since the Redcoats quartered troops in our houses in the 1770's.
TJ
"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." - Thomas Jefferson
When a country decides to involve themselves in war it had better know what it is getting itself into. I have a hard time understanding that others think of war lightly. War is an insanity of the human spirit. It is a sickness that appears very difficult to treat. It is like a virus that shuts out all sensible thought, and brings out behavior that is sub human. It also makes the blood boil and roil. It fills the emptiness of the spirit with excitement. It is a human and planet destroyer. It is so seductive, and it is totally evil. The evils of war abound.
While I have great empathy for those who love killers, I also think that we must be held responsible for our actions, always with hope of healing the wounds that are responsible for loss of sanity that underscores all violence.
Good, I hope they all just kill each other.One less asshole to kill women and children of the world.Murder in the civilian world is against the law and we punish those people, these assholes get medals and paraded down main street. Put in history books as heroes. Murders all.
Peace
What about requiring a psychiatric exam for all candidates for the Presidency? Starting a war without provocation is insane. The mass horror that resulted from the US policies of aggression against Iraq due to the inflated egos of Bush and Cheney and others is mind boggling. Bush thought he was appointed by God to save the world from a dictator, who had no power beyond the country of Iraq. Many of the people who were elected to high offices in America have had psychiatric issues. Power corrupts and it seems that many people are driven insane with power, especially a superpower. When Leaders of the "free world" slaughter millions of innocent people, maim, torture, thousands more, while declaring that the possibility of Americans being harmed is worth it,they are not punished and their sanity is not questioned. But the soldiers they hire, who go insane from the cruel injustice of war, can get the death penalty.
It's strange when you hear stories like this...
Why can't these chaps ever hijack one of their own damn planes and fly the hell out of there if they hate the bloodshed so much? if it's making them so insane? No, they go bonzo and kill civvies instead and then get hit with the hammer. They could be miles away in a stolen military chopper. At least they'd be getting charged for something noble--fleeing the scene of a socio-political disaster that went horribly wrong. At least that'd show they're still sort of sane.
Go for the landing pad next time, guys. Don't kill each other, don't kill the women, don't kill the kids, don't even kill the people that are shooting at you. Just gag up the barking Colonel's/Lt's/whatever's, grab the Spam, fire up the chopper and RUN like hell.
- Insurgent
I would like to know who doesn't have enough hutzpah to reply to my post and instead flagged it for removal? There was nothing controversial in the posting and strictly a recounting of those whom my husband and I have counseled about military careers in the past and their outcomes. It is sad to know that C D, a supposedly progressive site, would let open discourse be hijacked by some pantywaist getting their knickers in a twist over something I said or maybe even possibly typo'd. I do re-read and edit. If you can support your statements, I am open-minded and educable.
CD, I suggest you at least let me view all my postings in my accounts page after removing the body of comment and replacing 'flagged for content' under my posting name here on the comments page. After all, I can't be offended by my own post under my non-public accounts page.