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  1. #1
    dangerous floater Winehole23's Avatar
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    US Increasing Force Size in Iraq by Adding Contractors Thousands of Contractors Being Added to Cover for Troop 'Pullouts' Which Still Aren't Happening

    by Jason Ditz, September 09, 2009



    A report by Raw Story’s John Byrne notes that despite President Obama’s pledge with withdraw troops from Iraq, the overall force size is actually increasing in recent months, as thousands of new private contractors are being brought in.


    The Pentagon is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on the new contractors, mostly mercenaries from Uganda and Kenya, and its estimates involve adding significantly more contractors at the bases to cover for the US pullout. In one example, 900 contractors are to replace 400 soldiers.
    This is adding to concern that while the US is pretending to “stand down” in Iraq, it is actually still as active as ever and is just using contractors to do the jobs that were previously done by the American troops. This puts the whole pullout in a different light.


    Or it would if the pullout was even happening. Nearly eight months into his administration President Obama has not significantly reduced the number of troops in the nation since taking office, and what was roughly 135,000 when he arrived is now still 131,000 or so, and this number is not expected to change until at least 60 days after the January election. So indeed, these thousands of new contractors are “replacing” troops that haven’t actually gone anywhere, and amount to a covert escalation of the overall force operating in the nation.

  2. #2
    NBAChamp..to be Continued SpurNation's Avatar
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    Our "allied" forces.

  3. #3
    i hunt fenced animals clambake's Avatar
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    what do you think, winehole?

    maybe they can begin to pay for their countries protection (from itself) at some point.

    what a ing waste. people should remember this the way they remember 911.

  4. #4
    Orange Whip? Orange Whip? Viva Las Espuelas's Avatar
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    what about the level of blackwater personnel in afganistan? i heard it's more now compared to bush's era.

  5. #5
    dangerous floater Winehole23's Avatar
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    I heard that too, but wouldn't swear to it.

  6. #6
    Orange Whip? Orange Whip? Viva Las Espuelas's Avatar
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    I heard that too, but wouldn't swear to it.
    as far as...........

  7. #7
    dangerous floater Winehole23's Avatar
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    I just mean I think I read something to that effect, but have no particularized recollection of it. It seems believable to me.

  8. #8
    i hunt fenced animals clambake's Avatar
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    are you suggesting that the locals aren't snuggling up to the propped-up leadership in and around kabul?

  9. #9
    Orange Whip? Orange Whip? Viva Las Espuelas's Avatar
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    I just mean I think I read something to that effect, but have no particularized recollection of it. It seems believable to me.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE08kwhg9vg


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5IHTfekm_E

    i like the way he hands chuck todd's @ss to him.

  10. #10
    dangerous floater Winehole23's Avatar
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    are you suggesting that the locals aren't snuggling up to the propped-up leadership in and around kabul?
    Wrong war.

  11. #11
    i hunt fenced animals clambake's Avatar
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    i didn't bring up afganistan.

  12. #12
    i hunt fenced animals clambake's Avatar
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    what about the level of blackwater personnel in afganistan? i heard it's more now compared to bush's era.

  13. #13
    dangerous floater Winehole23's Avatar
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    My bad, clambake. I was stuck on the OP.

  14. #14
    i hunt fenced animals clambake's Avatar
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    My bad, clambake. I was stuck on the OP.
    back to iraq.........if these mercs are from (where was it?) uganda and kenya...would that be so different from hiring and training iraqi's?

    shouldn't it, at some point soon, be more about who is footing the bill?

  15. #15
    dangerous floater Winehole23's Avatar
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    back to iraq.........if these mercs are from (where was it?) uganda and kenya...would that be so different from hiring and training iraqi's?

    shouldn't it, at some point soon, be more about who is footing the bill?
    We're not getting out of Iraq anytime soon. Pottery barn rule. It's still our mess. We're still gonna pay for it. We'll probably still be there whenever civil war breaks out.

  16. #16
    i hunt fenced animals clambake's Avatar
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    We're not getting out of Iraq anytime soon. Pottery barn rule. It's still our mess. We're still gonna pay for it. We'll probably still be there whenever civil war breaks out.
    i agree with that, but we can change the face of the troop.

  17. #17
    Pimp Marcus Bryant's Avatar
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    Nobody gives a when you die for a C corp.

    Anyone get the feeling we're stuck in these two wars, in part, so that the DoD can test out new in actual combat operations? Oh, silly me, there I go getting conspiratorial.

    Hey, military spending creates jobs. We need jobs now. It's always about that, is it not?

  18. #18
    W4A1 143 43CK? Nbadan's Avatar
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    It's the old damned if you do and damned if you don't..if we don't leave Iraq it's gonna soak the U.S. into financial oblivion much sooner but if you leave, your looking at Civil War, strong Iranian influence in the area, and probably a reoccupation within a decade - that's the mess Dubya left us..

  19. #19
    dangerous floater Winehole23's Avatar
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    It's the old damned if you do and damned if you don't..if we don't leave Iraq it's gonna soak the U.S. into financial oblivion much sooner but if you leave, your looking at Civil War, strong Iranian influence in the area, and probably a reoccupation within a decade - that's the mess Dubya left us..
    The strong Iranian influence is already there. Are you familiar with SCIRI and DAWA?

    As for the civil war that is probably necessary to cement the de facto par ion of the country, let em have it. It's none of our business.

  20. #20
    dangerous floater Winehole23's Avatar
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    i agree with that, but we can change the face of the troop.
    We need to get the out. Tout suite. Iraq. Isn't it enough that we wrecked their country and put Saddam out of business? What possible national interest is at stake? We already ruined our rep for being the good guys, so lets not throw any more treasure or armed forces down the toilet.

  21. #21
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    US Increasing Force Size in Iraq by Adding Contractors Thousands of Contractors Being Added to Cover for Troop 'Pullouts' Which Still Aren't Happening

    by Jason Ditz, September 09, 2009



    A report by Raw Story’s John Byrne notes that despite President Obama’s pledge with withdraw troops from Iraq, the overall force size is actually increasing in recent months, as thousands of new private contractors are being brought in.


    The Pentagon is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on the new contractors, mostly mercenaries from Uganda and Kenya, and its estimates involve adding significantly more contractors at the bases to cover for the US pullout. In one example, 900 contractors are to replace 400 soldiers.
    This is adding to concern that while the US is pretending to “stand down” in Iraq, it is actually still as active as ever and is just using contractors to do the jobs that were previously done by the American troops. This puts the whole pullout in a different light.


    Or it would if the pullout was even happening. Nearly eight months into his administration President Obama has not significantly reduced the number of troops in the nation since taking office, and what was roughly 135,000 when he arrived is now still 131,000 or so, and this number is not expected to change until at least 60 days after the January election. So indeed, these thousands of new contractors are “replacing” troops that haven’t actually gone anywhere, and amount to a covert escalation of the overall force operating in the nation.
    Yeah, I got offered this summer to go with a contractor. OUTRAGEOUS pay. I mean like something most people earn in 10 yrs. It's such a waste of money.

  22. #22
    Cogito Ergo Sum LnGrrrR's Avatar
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    Yeah, I got offered this summer to go with a contractor. OUTRAGEOUS pay. I mean like something most people earn in 10 yrs. It's such a waste of money.
    My friend makes about 180 to 220K per year doing communications work over in Iraq. She was former military.

  23. #23
    Believe.
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    It's tempting, but the whole Beheading thing is a of a deterrent.

  24. #24
    Cogito Ergo Sum LnGrrrR's Avatar
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    It's tempting, but the whole Beheading thing is a of a deterrent.
    Yes, which is why they pay so much.

    Mortars suck too.

  25. #25
    Veteran Wild Cobra's Avatar
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    My friend makes about 180 to 220K per year doing communications work over in Iraq. She was former military.
    I had contemplated offering my services to someone. I like being in one place though. Moving all the time was the only thing that really bothered me about being in the military. I like making six figures though.

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