Private Contractors And The Reconstruction Of Iraq

Private Contractors and the Reconstruction of Iraq examines the controversial role of military contractors in the reconstruction of Iraq. When 'Operation Iraqi Freedom' was launched in March 2003, few, if any, of the Coalition's political leaders could have envisaged that within a few months the number of private contractors engaged to keep the troops supplied would exceed their actual combat strength. This alternative 'army' was not only to become the largest assemblage of contractors in living memory to accompany a military force into a war zone, but was also responsible for a fundamental transformation of how military logistics were delivered. This book explains how and why the US and UK governments became so dependent upon military contractors during the war in Iraq. It also examines the ramifications this new dependency will have on future military operations, as the conflict in Iraq has shown that private contractors are now indispensable to the attainment of both the military and political objectives of war. Finally, the book discusses what advantages and disadvantages these companies have brought to the reconstruction of Iraq, and what lessons need to be learned from this experience. This book will be of great interest to students of military and strategic studies, Middle Eastern politics and international security, and as well as policymakers and military professionals. Christopher Kinsey is a lecturer in international security at King's College London, Defence Studies Department, at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham. His previous publications include Corporate Soldiers and International Security: The Rise of Private Military Companies (Routledge: 2006)

The U.S. is spending billions of dollars to reconstruct Iraq while combating an insurgency that has targeted military & contractor personnel & the Iraqi people. This environment created a need for those rebuilding Iraq to obtain security services. This report evaluated the extent to which: (1) U.S. agencies & contractors acquired security services from private providers; (2) the U.S. military & private security providers developed a working relationship; & (3) U.S. agencies assessed the costs of using private security providers on reconstruction contracts. Includes recommendations to the Secretaries of Defense & State & the Admin., U.S. Agency for International Development. (USAID). Charts & tables.

Iraqi reconstruction : reliance on private military contractors and status report : hearing before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Tenth Congress, first session, February 7, 2007.

Contractors play a substantial role in supporting the U.S.¿s current military, reconstruction, and diplomatic operations in Iraq. This report examines the use of contractors in the Iraq theater from 2003 through 2007. It provides an overview of the fed. gov¿t. costs of employing contractors in Iraq and in nearby countries, the type of products and services they provide, the number of personnel working on those contracts, comparisons of past and present use of contractors during U.S. military operations, and the use of contractors to provide security. Also investigates the command-and-control structure between the U.S. gov¿t. and contract employees, and the legal issues surrounding contractor personnel working in Iraq. Tables and graphs.

From their limited use in China during World War II, for example, to their often clandestine use in Vietnam ferrying supplies before the war escalated in 1964 and 1965 when their role became more prominent-and public-private military contractors (PMCs) have played made essential contributions to the success and failures of the military and United States. Today, with an emphasis on force restructuring mandated by the Pentagon, the role of PMCs, and their impact on policy-making decisions is at an all time peak. This work analyzes that impact, focusing specifically on PMCs in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Isenberg dissects their responsibilities, the friction that exists between contractors and military commanders, problems of protocol and accountability, as well as the problems of regulation and control that PMC companies create for domestic politics. Isenberg organizes his work thematically, addressing all facets of PMCs in the current conflict from identifying who the most influential companies are and how they got to that point, to the issues that the government, military, and contractors themselves face when they take the field. He also analyzes the problem of command, control, and accountability. It is no secret that PMCs have been the source of consternation and grief to American military commanders in the field. As they work to establish more routine protocols in the field, however, questions are also being raised about the role of the contractors here at home. The domestic political arena is perhaps the most crucial battleground on which the contractors must have success. After all, they make their corporate living off of taxpayer dollars, and as such, calls for regulation have resonated throughout Washington, D.C., growing louder as the profile of PMCs increases during the current conflict.

The role of contractors in war is not new. The English Ordnance Department, which was responsible for supplying war materials to the King, is older than the British Army. Britain was no different from any other European country in using contractors to supply its overseas expeditions. From 1000 to 1800 virtually all European armies relied on contractors to support their war fighting efforts. Only when states started to move towards total war did the supply role of contractors diminish as militaries began to become self-sufficient. While it is recognized that different types of contractors now operate in the military’s operational space, this paper focuses on those supplying support functions to the military. These functions range from catering and laundry facilities, waste management, postal services, troop welfare and recreational activities to private security companies (PSCs). PSCs have had a significant impact on the ability of logistical contractors to deliver capability to the military in theater and in the case of the US military, PSCs are increasingly being seen as an alternative to troops employed in force protection roles such as guarding military camps and protecting convoys. By contracting out of these roles, PSCs influence – although not intentionally, it must be said – the military’s strategy in theater, freeing up soldiers, for example, who can then be redeployed for combat operations. This paper is divided into four parts: the first simply defines what is meant by war fighting and identifies which military tasks fall under the war-fighting banner or outside it in the case of logistical support. The second part gives a brief account of the role of contractors in support of military operations during the Cold War, which is widely seen as a period in which militaries were self-sufficient. However, the reality was somewhat different since it was during this period that contractors began to take on roles that in the past were deemed the responsibility of the military. What appeared different during the Cold War was that the contracting out of support functions was confined to home bases and had not yet reached the front line. The third part explains why states now feel the need to turn to contractors for support in expeditionary operations, while the final part examines the socio/political, economic and technological forces driving this change. It should also be noted that this paper is concerned mainly with the UK and US militaries, for the simple reason that these forces have gone the furthest in contracting out their logistical support in the operational space.