Kabul: U.S. Embassy "Lord of the Flies" {UpDated}

We're being charged an extremely high price for this, called security, not only in the monetary but in how our country is perceived, which feeds into stamping as correct the propaganda about us given by others, and just adds to the mounting number of reports already from Afghanistan and also Iraq about our private armies, mercenaries,mercs, hired guns!

Security Contractors Under Scrutiny at U.S. Embassy in Kabul

A nonpartisan watchdog on Tuesday charged that language barriers, overwork, and lewd behavior by U.S. government contractors are undermining security at the American embassy in Kabul. Margaret Warner reports.

POGO Letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding U.S. Embassy in Kabul

September 1, 2009

The Honorable Hillary Clinton
Secretary, Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Clinton:............rest of letter here

Web Site of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul

Where are, hell where were, all these so called 'teabaggers' when reports like this come out, they're supposedly complaining about their tax dollars and the disintegration of their america, yet they were silent, and always are, these last eight years and two long running occupations where the actions of these mercenaries place our soldiers in greater harm.

Where are they now as this report hits? Going to Health Care Townhalls calling everyone who disagrees with them a whole host of childish and dangerous names, while those they listen to and watch hint at harm to the newly elected President and those others not agreeing with them as they come packing weapons!

Even been recent reports, like this dedication tomorrow, of the, doing their thing at Veterans Clinics newly opened and dedicated or at ground breaking ceremonies for, supposedly voicing their opposition to 'socialist? health care' programs, but us Vets know that ain't the case, they just don't want to pay for the needs of those who serve, been that way for ages!

UpDate:

Our very expensive 'Private Army'

Rachel talks about those now making the news, and getting paid extremely well, 'Lord of the Flies' security and 'Animal House' moral U.S. values in a foreign country, one being occupied! As well as our policies in!

Pentagon lost control of billions

In Merc Contracts in the name of GWOT

As members of Congress gather this week to investigate the growing corruption and greed withing corporate mercenary firms and the Pentagon, initial reports going to Congress are that the Defense Department has failed to provide adequate oversight over tens of billions of dollars in contracts to support military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, says a new report by an independent commission investigating waste and fraud in wartime spending.......Rest Here

War Profiteering {Blood Wealth} & GitMo

Military Suicides Rise

Suicides continue alarming rise in military

Defense conference to tackle troubling persistence of untreated problems

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Suicide rates among active-duty U.S. military personnel are continuing to rise even as the Defense Department dedicates more resources to identifying troubled service members and getting them the help they need, NBC News has learned.

At least 125 soldiers were confirmed to have killed themselves in 2008, compared with 115 in 2007, 102 in 2006 and 87 in 2005, a senior defense official told NBC News. Last year’s figure is likely to rise even higher, because the Army is investigating at least 17 other deaths as possible suicides.

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Army suicides at record high, passing civilians


Graphic shows active duty Army suicides from 1990 to 2008

Stressed by war and long overseas tours, U.S. soldiers killed themselves last year at the highest rate on record, the toll rising for a fourth straight year and even surpassing the suicide rate among comparable civilians.

Army leaders said they were doing everything they could think of to curb the deaths and appealed for more mental health professionals to join and help out.

At least 128 soldiers committed suicide in 2008, the Army said Thursday. And the final count is likely to be even higher because 15 more suspicious deaths are still being investigated.

"Why do the numbers keep going up? We cannot tell you," said Army Secretary Pete Geren. "We can tell you that across the Army we're committed to doing everything we can to address the problem."

The PBS News Hour had a report on these Military Suicides on tonight. I'm going to try and grab the video report and transcript, probably be up by tomorrow w/video, it was in depth with Paul Sullivan of 'Veterans for Common Sense' on as well.

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And Domestic Violence As Well

The Hidden Casualties Of War
CBS Evening News Investigates Staggering Domestic Violence Numbers When U.S. Soldiers Return From Iraq, Afghanistan


Abused Military Wife Speaks Out
"Only On The Web:" Katie Couric speaks with dometic violence victim Jessacia Patton about the abuse she faced when her soldier husband returned from Iraq.
{There are two other video's at page link}

The Army is cracking down on sexual abuse in the ranks. One-third of service-women and 6 percent of servicemen say they've been victims. This week, the army said it will hire more prosecutors to bring perpetrators to justice. Meanwhile, critics say the military needs to do more about another crime women, being assaulted, beaten, even raped by their military husbands or boyfriends. A CBS News investigation finds more than 25,000 spouses and domestic partners have been attacked over the past decade. Nearly 90 spouses have died. The numbers are growing.
It can be as deadly as combat: Domestic violence in the U.S. military.

Nineteen-year-old Spc. Brandon Bare is accused of killing his own wife.

Jessacia Patton is a survivor.

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Two Wars, 400,000 VA Patients

Iraq, Afghanistan VA Patients Exceed 400,000

As the number of veterans seeking health care continues to rise, the VA is straining to meet demands.

Amid talk of a drawdown of troops in Iraq, new statistics from the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) show that US casualties are still climbing quickly. Iraq and Afghanistan battlefield injuries and deaths number 81,361, up from 72,043 last January, according to data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by Veterans for Common Sense (VCS). Veteran patients - including those who didn't seek care until their return home - shot up to 400,304 (from 263,909 in December 2007).

For the thousands of soldiers flooding the VA, mental illness tops the list of ailments. Forty-five percent of VA patients have already been diagnosed with mental health conditions, including a startling 105,000 diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These data do not include the incalculable number of mentally ill veterans who have not received a diagnosis or haven't sought treatment at the VA.

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Army Recalls Body Armor

Army recalls body armor amid safety fears

Military takes action as precaution after audit highlights flawed testing

U.S. Army Secretary Pete Geren has ordered the recall of more than 16,000 sets of body armor following an audit that concluded the bullet-blocking plates in the vests failed testing and may not provide soldiers with adequate protection.

The audit by the office of the Defense Department inspector general, not yet made public but obtained by The Associated Press, faults the Army for flawed testing procedures before awarding a contract for the armor.

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Iraq Booting Blackwater

Iraq won't allow Blackwater to work in country
U.S. embassy told to find new security after contractors' 'improper conduct'

Iraq will not authorize Blackwater Worldwide, the U.S. Embassy's main security company, to operate in the country anymore, a senior Iraqi official said Thursday.

Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul-Karim Khalaf said his ministry's decision was sent last Friday to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and "they have to find a new security company."

Five Blackwater Guards To Face Massacre Charges Next Week

Guards Told to Surrender to the FBI by Monday on Manslaughter, Assault Counts

Five Blackwater guards have been told to surrender to the FBI by Monday to face federal manslaughter and assault charges connected to the shooting deaths of 17 civilians at an traffic circle in Iraq last year, ABC News has learned.

Read Rest Here

Blackwater Dropping Security

Well, well, Blackwater, after ripping off the United States people with their extremely high priced Mercenary Forces, and getting U.S. troops killed from the blowback of their actions are now dropping their security details, apparently because it's bad for their business bottom line!!

Blackwater Plans Shift From Security Business
AP Interview: Blackwater plans shift from security contracting, blaming its notoriety in Iraq

Blackwater Worldwide said Monday that it planned a shift away from the security contracting business that earned it millions of dollars and made it a flash point in the debate over the use of security contractors in war zones.

"The experience we've had would certainly be a disincentive to any other companies that want to step in and put their entire business at risk," company founder and CEO Erik Prince told The Associated Press during a daylong visit to the company's North Carolina compound.

They're Mercs, and now Prince is Whining, poor baby!!

Nothing worse than a whiny mercenary, hired gun!

The company has made hundreds of millions of dollars defending U.S. diplomats in Iraq, one of several government contracts that earned Blackwater more than $1 billion since 2001.

Overpriced hired guns on No-Bid contracts and more than shady business practices, Prince walks away, still in business, but wealthier by far on our money!

"Our focus is away from security work. We're just not bidding on it," Jackson said.

Watch a fast getaway of some of the questionable mercs, and a cover try by the administration and friends when Iraq starts trying to bring charges on some of these renegades!

Blackwater: A test of Iraqi sovereignty

Sabah Al-Nasseri: Blackwater incident shows conflicts within ruling class in Iraq

Sabah Al-Nasseri is a professor of political science at York University in Toronto, Canada

The Real News