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U.S. Increasing Use of Private Contractors in War Zone
In Iraq, armed contractors are increasing as US troops “drawdown.” In Afghanistan, the increases are across the board.
Aug 25, 2009
The Department of Defense has released an updated census
of Pentagon contractors deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and CENTCOM's
area of operations. The overall number of contractors in the third
quarter of 2009 increased slightly from 243,000 to 244,000, which means
that private forces continue to constitute about half of the total US
force deployed in these two wars.
Two other statistics jump out.
First, in Iraq, the DoD reports that there was "a 19 % increase (from
10,743 to 13,232) of armed DoD PSCs in Iraq compared to the 2nd quarter
FY 2009 census." The DoD says the "increase can be attributed to an increased need for PSCs to provide security as the military begins to drawdown forces
and to our continued improved ability to account for subcontractors who
are providing security services." In other words, less soldiers means
more mercenaries in Iraq.
Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, there
continue to be more private contractors than US soldiers. There was "a
20% increase (from 4,111 to 5,165) of armed DoD PSCs in Afghanistan
compared to the 1st quarter FY 2009 census," according to the DoD.
That increase is, predictably, linked to the overall "build up of
forces" in Afghanistan.
In neither Iraq, nor Afghanistan, do
these numbers include the armed contractors working for the US
Department of State or for private entities or individuals. That means
that the Blackwater, DynCorp and Triple Canopy forces working for the
State Department are not included in this count. Nor are those who work
for the CIA or other covert US agencies. In other words, these
statistics are a conservative estimate of the total number of private
armed personnel on the US payroll in these countries.
In Iraq, there has been an overall 10% decrease in the total number
of private contractors- there are now 119,706. According to DoD this is
"due to ongoing efforts to reduce the contractor footprint in Iraq."
Interestingly, there has been an increase in the overall number
of contractors in Afghanistan- "a 9% increase (from 68K to 74K) in
contractor personnel in Afghanistan." Kuwait has also seen a
"significant" increase in US contractor personnel. The report was
prepared by the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Program Support.
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Jeremy Scahill is an investigative reporter, war correspondent, co-founder of The Intercept, and author of the international bestselling books "Dirty Wars: The World Is A Battlefield"(2014) and "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army" (2008). He has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, Nigeria, the former Yugoslavia, and elsewhere across the globe. Scahill has served as the national security correspondent for The Nation and Democracy Now!, and in 2014 co-founded The Intercept with fellow journalists Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, and investor Pierre Omidyar.
The Department of Defense has released an updated census
of Pentagon contractors deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and CENTCOM's
area of operations. The overall number of contractors in the third
quarter of 2009 increased slightly from 243,000 to 244,000, which means
that private forces continue to constitute about half of the total US
force deployed in these two wars.
Two other statistics jump out.
First, in Iraq, the DoD reports that there was "a 19 % increase (from
10,743 to 13,232) of armed DoD PSCs in Iraq compared to the 2nd quarter
FY 2009 census." The DoD says the "increase can be attributed to an increased need for PSCs to provide security as the military begins to drawdown forces
and to our continued improved ability to account for subcontractors who
are providing security services." In other words, less soldiers means
more mercenaries in Iraq.
Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, there
continue to be more private contractors than US soldiers. There was "a
20% increase (from 4,111 to 5,165) of armed DoD PSCs in Afghanistan
compared to the 1st quarter FY 2009 census," according to the DoD.
That increase is, predictably, linked to the overall "build up of
forces" in Afghanistan.
In neither Iraq, nor Afghanistan, do
these numbers include the armed contractors working for the US
Department of State or for private entities or individuals. That means
that the Blackwater, DynCorp and Triple Canopy forces working for the
State Department are not included in this count. Nor are those who work
for the CIA or other covert US agencies. In other words, these
statistics are a conservative estimate of the total number of private
armed personnel on the US payroll in these countries.
In Iraq, there has been an overall 10% decrease in the total number
of private contractors- there are now 119,706. According to DoD this is
"due to ongoing efforts to reduce the contractor footprint in Iraq."
Interestingly, there has been an increase in the overall number
of contractors in Afghanistan- "a 9% increase (from 68K to 74K) in
contractor personnel in Afghanistan." Kuwait has also seen a
"significant" increase in US contractor personnel. The report was
prepared by the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Program Support.
Jeremy Scahill
Jeremy Scahill is an investigative reporter, war correspondent, co-founder of The Intercept, and author of the international bestselling books "Dirty Wars: The World Is A Battlefield"(2014) and "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army" (2008). He has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, Nigeria, the former Yugoslavia, and elsewhere across the globe. Scahill has served as the national security correspondent for The Nation and Democracy Now!, and in 2014 co-founded The Intercept with fellow journalists Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, and investor Pierre Omidyar.
The Department of Defense has released an updated census
of Pentagon contractors deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and CENTCOM's
area of operations. The overall number of contractors in the third
quarter of 2009 increased slightly from 243,000 to 244,000, which means
that private forces continue to constitute about half of the total US
force deployed in these two wars.
Two other statistics jump out.
First, in Iraq, the DoD reports that there was "a 19 % increase (from
10,743 to 13,232) of armed DoD PSCs in Iraq compared to the 2nd quarter
FY 2009 census." The DoD says the "increase can be attributed to an increased need for PSCs to provide security as the military begins to drawdown forces
and to our continued improved ability to account for subcontractors who
are providing security services." In other words, less soldiers means
more mercenaries in Iraq.
Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, there
continue to be more private contractors than US soldiers. There was "a
20% increase (from 4,111 to 5,165) of armed DoD PSCs in Afghanistan
compared to the 1st quarter FY 2009 census," according to the DoD.
That increase is, predictably, linked to the overall "build up of
forces" in Afghanistan.
In neither Iraq, nor Afghanistan, do
these numbers include the armed contractors working for the US
Department of State or for private entities or individuals. That means
that the Blackwater, DynCorp and Triple Canopy forces working for the
State Department are not included in this count. Nor are those who work
for the CIA or other covert US agencies. In other words, these
statistics are a conservative estimate of the total number of private
armed personnel on the US payroll in these countries.
In Iraq, there has been an overall 10% decrease in the total number
of private contractors- there are now 119,706. According to DoD this is
"due to ongoing efforts to reduce the contractor footprint in Iraq."
Interestingly, there has been an increase in the overall number
of contractors in Afghanistan- "a 9% increase (from 68K to 74K) in
contractor personnel in Afghanistan." Kuwait has also seen a
"significant" increase in US contractor personnel. The report was
prepared by the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Program Support.
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