Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Foreign mercenaries, contractors to exceed troop numbers in Iraq
Security
(FreeMarketNews.com) Although the announcement that Britain is withdrawing 1,600 troops from Iraq was labeled a success by US policy makers, officials at the British Foreign Office and Ministry of Defense are in talks to hire mercenaries to take the place of the troops, according to the Scotsman. Policy makers expect an increase in demand for mercenaries to fill the gaps of troops that are redeployed elsewhere. Mercenaries will also be in high demand for security services, highway patrolling, and the training of Iraqi soldiers.
Britain has already spent an estimated $314 million on mercenaries. The US has spent much more, and it has been projected that there will be more contractors in Iraq than troops. There are about 120,000 contractors and 135,000 US troops in Iraq. Critics argue that contractors are being used to hide casualty figures and remove accountability from the military. About 800 contractors working for the US Department of Defense have been killed in Iraq and an additional 3,300 have been seriously injured, according to the Associated Press.
Labels: British Foreign Office, British troop withdrawal, contractors, mercenaries
