Why are there almost as many private contractors in Iraq as US soldiers?

Question

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-08-11-contractors_N.htm
There are now nearly as many private contractors in Iraq as there are U.S. soldiers — and about half of them are private security guards equipped with automatic weapons, body armor, helicopters and bullet-proof trucks.

They operate with little or no supervision, accountable only to the firms employing them. And as the country has plummeted toward anarchy and civil war, this private army has been accused of indiscriminately firing at American and Iraqi troops, and of shooting to death an unknown number of Iraqi citizens who got too close to their heavily armed convoys.

Not one has faced charges or prosecution.

Answer 1

Yeah, I read that article too.

I'll bet not many Americans knew that we are paying BILLIONS to these contractors!

I feel so bad for the poor Iraqi citizens who are caught up in this horrible situation!

Answer 2

I am happy that you realized this and I don't think you think the situation now is better than when saddam was alive. I think Saddam was a very bad dictator and was unfair to the Shias but at least when he was alive, Shiaas and Sunnis were not killing each other as much as now. I am saying that because I still hear Iraqis saying keep the Americans and I saw them when they celebrated the American invasion. The purpose of the Americans was to cause fitna between Shias and Sunnis more than help the Shias from Saddams evil dictatoriship. Hopefully the war in Iraq will end soon it is really sad. Those innocents dying or losing their parents, and the children who have to drop school and go for work. There should be a program for educating people and teach them that the American purpose it to cause fitna and that they should be united. This is the worst period Iraqis are passng through. They should unite and think for solutions to their problem rather than fighting for trivial things. My heart is with the innocent Iraqis and innocent people everywhere and I am sorry for the family who lost their father that your parents know. Peace

Answer 3

There are private contractors in Iraq because this 'war' is all about OIL and WAR PROFITEERING.
The only reasons we've unconstitutionally, illegally, unjustifiably and immorally attacked another sovereign nation that in no way threatened, provoked or attacked the United States is because:
a) The Bush family had a personal vendetta against Hussein since the days of Desert Storm;
b) Cheney wants all that OIL swimming underneath Iraq's sands;
c) The giant U.S. military-industrial complex needed a new 'war' to boost the sagging profits of companies like McDonnell-Douglass, Lockheed-Martin and Sikorsky, NOT to mention the two 'newcomers' to the government war trough: the Carlyle Group and Halliburton, both of whom have direct ties to the Bush-Cheney White House!
Private contractors are there for private profit, all paid for thanks to gullible American taxpayers and a cowardly U.S. Republican-led Congress that turned its back while Bush violated our own Constitution.
Private contractors are there for private profit, all paid for thanks to gullible American taxpayers and an impotent U.S. Democratic-led Congress that has not kept its promise to get us out of this insipid war.

From the very first day, this 'war' has been about OIL and WAR PROFITEERING. For those of you who still believe it's about bringing democracy to Iraq or peace to the Middle East, or about defending our country against a threatening enemy, wake up! We will be in Iraq until we've sucked every drop of OIL from its land. If that's not the case, why is the U.S. building the largest embassy in the world in downtown Baghdad overlooking the new puppet Iraqi government installed by the Bush administration?
If that's not the case, why is Halliburton building fourteen (yes - 14!) new permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq???
-RKO- 08/11/07

Answer 4

Blackstone, Haliburton, Aegis et all are making money hand over fist thanks to no-bid contracts issued by the Bush White House to further their military industrial complex dreams and to "bring about the end times" as has been suggested by MANY of the Bush regime actions. By giving jobs to private citizens they ensure that without rule of law and military discipline, that the image of our actions will remain very VERY negative. With people like this representing the "Coalition of the willing" how can you blame the Iraqi people for thinking poorly of us. These private contractors are insurance that we have a reason to continue plundering this formerly great nations natural resources by saying "We need to fight them there so we don't have to fight them here".

In short, they are there to give us a bad name, but since they aren't under the rule of any law, we can disavow any knowledge of their actions. Since we have a bad name, more insurgents come in, bomb mosques and markets, and give us the exact reasons we need to stay where we are.

Answer 5

Supposedly there was a little change in the 2007 defense bill that makes the private contractors in Iraq subject to the UCMJ.
http://www.defensetech.org/archives/003123.html

Answer 6

Money, money, money....
And they don't have to answer to any laws....
Some are making $1000 a day for their services
Meanwhile the average armed forces personnel...per day...not close...
Thank your government for these lucrative contracts handed out to these private business's. and your well used tax dollars

Watch ..".Iraq for sale" if you can get a copy

Another point; they are better equip than our military, have a better standard of living, and are actually doing some of the jobs our military personnel went over there to do (meaning we are paying for it twice), let alone the blatant disregard for our military by this administration

Answer 7

This so called "war" that has costed countless lives and suffering on both sides, is not about politics....its about BUSINESS...and oil......That is why you see those many contractors flooding the devastated areas of whats left of the country that once was "the craddle of civilization" ended up murdered by lack of the same stuff,,,,,,,,

Answer 8

The Money tree......taxpayers are a free ride, cost overruns no problem , it's free taxpayer money hire your own army, add it to the bill...it's free taxpayer money...

Answer 9

A) Because Bill Clinton gutted every branch of the military.

B) Because Dems would scream if the military budget was expanded enough to handle all the duties required.

End result, too few people and private contractors take up the slack.

/EDIT: Where have you people been? History Channel, History International, Military Channel, and Discovery Channel have been running documentaries on this for the last several years.

Answer 10

If presidick cheney reads yer missive you vill be shot as a traitor. You are probably one of those nuts that likes justice, morality, sense of fairness.........good nite & good luck.