Archive for category Industry Talk

Libya: The Swiss Contracted Aegis To Protect Their Embassy In Libya

Jan 26

Posted by Matt in Industry Talk, Libya, Switzerland | 4 Comments

The government had justified its choice to employ a private firm with local knowledge to guard the Tripoli embassy because it needed time to draw up an operational plan and reach a decision on whether to proceed.

This story has it all–from irony to hilarity. Here are the Swiss, whom for hundreds of years were known for having some of the best mercenary armies in the world, and they contract with a foreign firm called Aegis to protect their embassy in Libya? I guess the Swiss Guard is good enough for the Pope, but not good enough for the Swiss Embassy? lol It is also ironic because the Swiss wanted to ban the use of PMSC’s, but here they are contracting the services of one to protect their embassy. hmmm…..

All kidding aside, the way I look at this story is that it was an honor that Aegis was chosen and given such a contract. And the Swiss government has within it’s right to contract the services of such a company, if it makes sense for that particular situation. I would also be curious about this quote, because the article does not give enough information as to the real numbers here. Like what was the length of time for the Aegis contract? Was this just a three month contract, or what? Because if they are going to throw around a cost effectiveness statement like this, then we need to see the numbers.

The foreign ministry said on Thursday that the Aegis contract will have cost SFr960,000 altogether. The cost to deploy members of the Army Reconnaissance Detachment 10 should be around SFr600,000 for six months.

If anyone from the company has anything to say about the contract itself, please feel free to do so in the comments section. Because this particular article makes it sound like Swiss Commandos are having to storm in and save the day.

I suspect otherwise, and if anything, Aegis did exactly what they were asked to do. Provide security on the ground for the start up of this thing, and meanwhile the Swiss can figure out a plan for what they want to do. -Matt

 

Commandos ready to secure Tripoli embassy
Jan 26, 2012
Swiss special forces will officially take over security tasks at Switzerland’s embassy in Libya on Monday, replacing private firm Aegis.
The government’s decision to hire Aegis for over three months was widely criticised in Swiss political circles. Although the company is headquartered in Basel since 2010, it also employs 20,000 mercenaries who are deployed mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan, making it one of the world’s biggest private armies.
The government had justified its choice to employ a private firm with local knowledge to guard the Tripoli embassy because it needed time to draw up an operational plan and reach a decision on whether to proceed.
The cabinet has since drawn up legislation banning private security firms operating in conflict zones or holding companies in this sector from being based in Switzerland.
The foreign ministry said on Thursday that the Aegis contract will have cost SFr960,000 altogether. The cost to deploy members of the Army Reconnaissance Detachment 10 should be around SFr600,000 for six months.
The embassy in Tripoli is the only Swiss representation abroad where Swiss soldiers will be responsible for security.
Story here.

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Industry Talk: Mexico Drug War Boosts Security Business

Jan 24

Posted by Matt in Industry Talk, Mexico | No Comments

During the five years since President Felipe Calderon took power and declared war on drug cartels, Mexico has been shaken by 47,000 drug-related murders as well as rocketing levels of kidnapping and extortion.
In the same period, Mexico’s biggest security firm, Multisistemas de Seguridad Industrial, says it has grown by 70 percent.
It now has an army of more than 10,000 private security guards — including many former soldiers — who are licensed to carry guns to protect the company’s 2,500 Mexican clients.

Multisistemas is like the G4S of Mexico? I had no idea it was that big, and I have never even heard of this company before. So that is why I wanted to put this one up in the archives for reference. Also, Multisistemas might be a good company to throw a resume at if you would like to offer your services there. Especially for the high risk PSD type operations.

If anyone has anything else to add about Multisistemas, feel free to do so in the comments. -Matt

 

Mexico drug war boosts security business
Amid the violence, Mexico’s rich get ID chips, armored cars and gunmen on call.
Ioan Grillo
January 21, 2012
Mexico’s wealthy embed GPS chips under their skin, fatten their SUV’s with bullet proof armor, and hire trucks of gun-toting bodyguards to follow them to the shopping mall.
While Mexico’s merciless drug war has scared off tourists and investment dollars, it has fed one niche industry: private-security services.

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Industry Talk: Body Of UK Security Contractor Turned Over To Embassy In Iraq

Jan 20

Posted by Matt in Industry Talk, Iraq, Kidnap And Ransom, United Kingdom | No Comments

The family can now get some closure and I am glad someone had the respect enough to finally hand over the body. It also looks like these captors killed him and his fellow guards as they were trying to escape. Back in those days, kidnapping usually turned into death by head cutting, and I am sure that is what was going through these guy’s minds at the time of escape. Rest in peace to the fallen and my heart goes out to the families and friends. -Matt

 

Alan McMenemy 007Industry Talk: Body Of UK Security Contractor Turned Over To Embassy In Iraq

Alan McMenemy.

Body of UK hostage turned over to embassy in Iraq
January 20, 2012
The body of a British hostage kidnapped in Iraq in 2007 has been turned over to the U.K. Embassy in Baghdad, officials said Friday.
Alan McMenemy was one of five men kidnapped by Shiite militants in a daytime attack outside Baghdad’s Finance Ministry. McMenemy was part of a security detail guarding computer expert Peter Moore, who was released alive in 2010.
The bodies of the other bodyguards — Jason Swindlehurst, Jason Creswell and Alec MacLachlan — were returned in 2009.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a statement Friday that his thoughts were with McMenemy’s family and friends.
“They have waited so long for his return and I hope that this will allow them to find some peace after an ordeal that no family should ever have to suffer,” Cameron said.
The statement did not provide any detail as to how or under what circumstances McMenemy’s body was returned. He was long believed to be dead, and a second statement released on behalf of McMenemy’s widow Roseleen said that his body’s return “will allow us to properly grieve for him … we will draw some comfort from the fact that we have him home at last.”
Story here.

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Iraq: Several Hundred Contractors Have Been Detained And Harassed In Iraq Since US Troop Withdrawal

Jan 15

Posted by Matt in Industry Talk, Iraq | 3 Comments

“While private organizations are often able to resolve low-level disputes and irregularities, this issue is beyond our ability to resolve,” the International Stability Operations Association, a Washington-based group that represents more than 50 companies and aid organizations that work in conflict, post-conflict and disaster relief zones, said in a letter on Sunday to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Doug Brooks, president of the organization, said in a telephone interview that the number of civilian contractors who have been detained was in the “low hundreds.” 

Not good. I have received several emails from contractors working for different companies in Iraq that have said this is happening. Ever since that story came out about the Triple Canopy guys getting detained, similar deals have been happening to not only security contractors but all types of contractors and foreigners.

The thing here that I have to emphasize with Iraq is that they are going to do whatever they want. Of course the State Department is working on trying smooth this stuff out, but I just don’t see things moving fast with this one. So if Iraq wants to implement a campaign of ‘controlled harassment’, or they cannot control their various agencies and departments, then all contractors can do is either leave the country, or somehow work with the situation as best you can.

My message to Iraq is the same message I had for Afghanistan. Private investors and business is vital to the reconstruction and growth of your nation. What you are doing to these foreign investors and businesses, by poorly treating their security or workers, is in essence shooting yourself in the foot. Many of these companies are already taking a huge risk in a country that is still being attacked by enemies and ravaged by war. Iraq should be focused on creating peace and stability in their country, and not focused on insulting or detaining those that will eventually bring prosperity to their country.

The other thing that Iraq should know is that many of these contractors that they are harassing or looking down upon, are their own people. Just look at how many Iraqi contractors have been killed over the years, either as security contractors or as interpreters? Department of Labor puts those deaths at 1,560 and their sacrifice is just as significant as any Iraqi soldier or policeman’s sacrifice. (that number is just the DoL statistic, and I am sure it is way more than that if you count all the local Iraqi security companies over the years)

Either way, we will see how this develops and I encourage other contractors to keep contacting me about this or put a heads up in the comments section of posts like this one. Also, get your congressional representative involved, or whomever elected officials that represents you in whatever country you are from, and use that political leverage to help out your situation. That is what worked for the Triple Canopy guys at least, and definitely play it smart out there. -Matt

 

Flexing Muscle, Baghdad Detains U.S. Contractors
By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT and ERIC SCHMITT
January 15, 2012
Iraqi authorities have detained a few hundred foreign contractors in recent weeks, industry officials say, including many Americans who work for the United States Embassy, in one of the first major signs of the Iraqi government’s asserting its sovereignty after the American troop withdrawal last month.
The detentions have occurred largely at the airport in Baghdad and at checkpoints around the capital after the Iraqi authorities raised questions about the contractors’ documents, including visas, weapons permits and authorizations to drive certain routes. Although no formal charges have been filed, the detentions have lasted from a few hours to nearly three weeks.
The crackdown comes amid other moves by the Iraqi government to take over functions that had been performed by the United States military and to claim areas of the country it had controlled. In the final weeks of the military withdrawal, the son of Iraq’s prime minister began evicting Western companies and contractors from the heavily fortified Green Zone, which had been the heart of the United States military operation for much of the war.
Just after the last American troops left in December, the Iraqis stopped issuing and renewing many weapons licenses and other authorizations. The restrictions created a sequence of events in which contractors were being detained for having expired documents that the government would not renew.
The Iraqi authorities have also imposed new limitations on visas. In some recent cases, contractors have been told they have 10 days to leave Iraq or face arrest in what some industry officials call a form of controlled harassment.

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Publications: Journal Of International Peace Operations, January-February 2012

Jan 15

Posted by Matt in Industry Talk, Publications | No Comments

Excellent. This is a great JIPO and I love the focus on women in the PMSC industry. Check it out. -Matt

 

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Industry Talk: Marines Expand Request For Civilian Guards At More Bases In Afghanistan

Jan 14

Posted by Matt in Afghanistan, Industry Talk | No Comments

The shift comes as 1st Battalion, 25th Marines, a Reserve unit out of Fort Devens, Mass., prepares to wrap up a deployment in which it guarded all three bases. As part of the drawdown, the Corps canceled the deployment of a replacement unit, 1st Battalion, 24th Marines, out of Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Mich. Marines with 1/24 would have replaced 1/25 this year.

So this part of the story was at the very end, and this is what I focused on. In essence, the Marines would have used 1/24 to do this work, but perhaps the latest defense cuts have forced them to not use them? I am also wondering if the Marines are putting this information out there as a message to congress that says ‘hey, if you are going to cut our funding, then we are going to have to find another means of protecting our bases in Afghanistan–so don’t be surprised if we turn to contractors’.

The reason why I say this is that Marines are famous for ‘first in, last out’. To have civilians perform base security at their top three bases in a war zone during a draw down, just does not go well with that famous quote and image. lol

But hey, I am not complaining. If the Marines trust security contractors to do this job, then the industry is thankful and honored. These are jobs that security contractors will be very happy to accept and do (as long as the companies treat them well….). The contractors that will do this work will also be veterans from all over the world, with probably more than a few of them being US Marine vets.

I just hope that the Marines have learned the lessons out there on how to set up these contracts properly, and provide plenty of oversight over the whole thing to make sure this becomes a good deal for them and the tax payer. Semper Fi. -Matt

 

Civilian guards wanted at more war-zone bases
By Dan Lamothe
Saturday Jan 14, 2012
Marine commanders have expanded a request for civilian contractors to provide military security at Marine bases in Afghanistan as U.S. forces withdraw.
Civilians will be needed to guard Camp Dwyer and Camp Delaram II, Marine officials said. The request, announced Jan. 3 by U.S. Army Contracting Command, comes after the military announced in November that at least 166 civilian contractors were needed to help guard Camp Leatherneck, the sprawling, 1,500-acre-plus installation that serves as the Corps’ main hub of operations in Helmand province. It is home to II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), headed by Maj. Gen. John Toolan.
“Security is the number one concern for service members deployed to Afghanistan,” said Navy Lt. Joseph Nawrocki, a command spokesman. “An efficient and orderly redeployment of U.S. Marines will eventually take place, and contractors will play an important role to ensure existing U.S. bases remain safe and secure.”

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Afghanistan: GardaWorld Is The Latest Victim Of A Corrupt Afghan Government

Jan 5

Posted by Matt in Afghanistan, Industry Talk | 2 Comments

This is ridiculous. The Afghan government is out of control on this stuff. Look, there is a reason why a private security company is armed with AK 47′s in Afghanistan. Because there is a war going on. So in my view, contractors transporting weapons in the back of their car is not at all abnormal, and nor should it be construed as illegal. Especially if there was a valid explanation for them having the weapons in there in the first place. Here is the quote from the company:

GardaWorld, in a statement, said that it did not yet own the weapons and that its guards were taking them to a rifle range for testing. “The weapons in question were being taken to be tested at a firing range before being purchased and properly licensed by GardaWorld,” the company said, adding that in its discussions with the government it hoped to clear up what it implied was a misunderstanding and “rectify the situation as soon as possible.”

To test these weapons is perfectly understandable, seeing how functional weapons for a security operation is pretty damn important. Now maybe if Afghanistan actually had weapons vendor laws where the dealer actually had to be licensed and all of his weapons must be licensed with Afghanistan, then maybe these kinds of incidents would not happen?

The other thing about this is that this company was operating off of the latest set of rules and laws, or the last agreements and contracts signed. According to GardaWorld, that is what they are dealing with right now. Here is the quote:

The company said it had complied with all Afghan laws and regulations in its operations in the country, where it provides mobile escort guard services and protection for compounds and bases. It would not specify which compounds or bases it protected.
The Interior Ministry said that the company had contracts to work in Kabul, Herat, Kandahar and two other cities, and that GardaWorld was one of 46 security companies licensed to operate in Afghanistan until March 2012.

Also, GardaWorld is a Canadian company. Canada has certainly contributed much to this war, and they expended blood and treasure for the sake of Afghanistan. And this is how Afghanistan treats a Canadian company?  Boy, if I was a businessman in Canada, I don’t think I would want to do business in an environment like that. The Canadian government should be furious that one of their companies is getting this kind of treatment.

I guess that is my point here. If Afghanistan is willing to do this to these businesses called PSC’s, then it is not a stretch to imagine Karzai and company doing the same to other businesses. In that kind of environment, I don’t know why anyone would want to put up with that. I guess if that is what Karzai wants, then that is what he will get. -Matt

 

Afghanistan Closes Firm Providing Security
By GRAHAM BOWLEY
January 5, 2012
The Afghan government said Thursday that it was shutting down the operations of one of the largest foreign security companies operating in the country after detaining two of its contractors on suspicion of gun smuggling.
After months of growing tension between the government and foreign security contractors, the decision marks a sharp escalation into public action by the Afghan authorities.
President Hamid Karzai is in the midst of replacing foreign security contractors with Afghan guards.
The Interior Ministry said it was immediately withdrawing the company’s license, although the company, GardaWorld, a private Canadian security outfit, said it was in discussions with the government and hoped to be able to continue to operate.
The Interior Ministry said that the contractors, two Britons, who were detained on Tuesday after being found with an arsenal of unlicensed AK-47 assault rifles in their sport utility vehicle, were among the 341 Afghan guards and 35 foreign contractors employed by GardaWorld in Afghanistan.

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Publications: UN Use Of Private Military And Security Companies– Practices And Policies, By Åse Gilje Østensen

Jan 3

Posted by Matt in Industry Talk, Publications | 1 Comment

A big hat tip to David Isenberg for finding this one. Great little paper and the real value here is all the history between the UN and private military and security companies listed in this thing. Here is a snippet about PAE in Africa which I thought was interesting.

PMSCs in UN humanitarian operations 
…..The role played by PAE in MONUC serves as a more recent illustration of  how  a  PMSC  has  been  deployed  in  a  UN  peace  operation.  In  June  2004  Congolese students released a wave of violence in central and eastern parts of the DRC in protest at the UN mission’s failure to prevent atrocities in Ituri  province.  The  frustration  of  the  Congolese  civil  war  was  directed  towards  UN associated  personnel  and  facilities.  PAE  was  an  integral  part  of  the  UN  operation.  It  ran  six  airfields  for  the  mission  and  its  employees  drove  UN  vehicles  and  were  considered  UN  workers  by  locals  –  and  hence  were  also  subject  to  attacks.  The  violence  in  Kisangani  included  burning  the  UN  headquarters  in  the  city  to  the  ground,  UN  staff  housing  was  attacked  and  burned,  and  over  70  UN  vehicles  were  stoned  and  set  ablaze.  As  the  UN  military  contingent  withdrew,  300  UN  staff  fled  to  the  local  airport  where  they  demanded  emergency  evacuation  from  the  city,  fearing  they  would  be  killed  by  the  rioting  mobs.  PAE  workers  prepared  for  and  carried  out  the  evacuation  of  the  UN  staff,  while  the  PAE  teams  stayed  behind  to complete their  contract.  This  example  in  particular illustrates a fundamental  dependency  on  commercial  companies  for  essential  tasks  in  certain  peacekeeping  operations, and  suggests  that  at  times private contractors may face more risks than UN personnel. 

The other thing that I liked about the paper is that it showed the hypocrisy of the UN and their view of this industry. Here they have the UN Working Group on Mercenaries which criticizes everyone for using PMSC’s, and yet in the same breath, the UN had companies like Executive Outcomes on their vender list. Or they use PMSC’s all over the world to help secure operations and protect personnel.

Anyway, here is the paper and definitely check it out. Let me know what you think in the comments section. -Matt

 

UN Use of Private Military and Security Companies: Practices and Policies, By Åse Gilje Østensen

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Industry Talk: Contractors Imprisoned In Iraq Planned An Escape, Suffered Under Care Of Guards

Jan 1

Posted by Matt in Fiji, Industry Talk, Iraq | 2 Comments

He said the detainment brought back the horrors of the late Saddam Hussein’s brutal and sadistic regime to Iraqi nationals who were part of his extraction team.
“The Iraqi members of my team were absolutely terrified, they had been through this during Saddam’s terror reign and with the death of the dictator they thought it was all over. The detainment and psychological torture brought back vivid memories for them,” Mr Fisher shared.

Well, here is part 2 of this whole thing and we are now starting to get a better picture of what happened to these guys. I am also disgusted with what Iraq did to these men. I see the words in these testimonies below like ‘psychological torture, filth, squalor, moments of terror, fearful, deplorable, lives threatened, food placed on the ground with flies, and they are supposed to be our ally.’  If Iraq’s intent was to bring back the days of what it was like under Saddam, then they did a great job.

As to the details, I guess they were working for Triple Canopy and it wasn’t just 3 contractors, but 7 contractors. The other 4 were local Iraqi security specialists. They were also on a mission to retrieve equipment for the US government during this draw down.

There was also another thing mentioned that perked me up.

Rep. Pete King (R-L.I.) said he learned from Melissa Antiohos that her husband was in an Iraqi jail.
“He received virtually no assistance at all from his own government,” said King. “Nobody from the American embassy out in Baghdad went to see him at all.”
The U.S. State Department declined to discuss the charges made by King.
Antiohos said what happened to him was “unfortunate, given our contribution to their nation.”
“They are supposed to be our ally,” he said.

It is hard for me to imagine that the US Embassy was not immediately working on the release of these folks? But if true, that is not cool at all. This contractor team had Americans in it, they were doing a job for the US government through a contract, and a matter like this should have been handled and fixed on day one. I mean we have plenty of diplomats and State folks in Iraq, complete with a massive security force and logistics.

Now in the second article below, that is when the whole ‘planning to escape’ thing came up. I imagine SERE training was kicking in with Alex (former Special Forces) and the others, and based on how long they were detained and their treatment, I am sure some escape planning was in order. Here is the quote below.

According to the 41-year-old (Mark Fisher), the Iraqi military played psychological games with them promising imminent release while pointing loaded automatic machine guns at them. “Their favourite words were ‘believe me’ and ‘you’re going home tomorrow’ but it didn’t happen for 18 days.
“After hearing these words for the first few days, we knew that our captors were playing games with us and that’s when we began plotting our escape,” he said.

Unbelievable. Well guys, pass this one around and get the word out. If Triple Canopy makes a statement, I will post that as well. -Matt

 

imageIndustry Talk: Contractors Imprisoned In Iraq Planned An Escape, Suffered Under Care Of Guards

Freed security contractor Alex Antiohos, left, is joined by U.S. Rep. Peter King during a news conference Friday.

Long Island contractor held in an Iraqi jail for three weeks speaks out about ‘deplorable’ conditions
Rep. Peter King said no U.S. embassy officials went to visit him
BY Matthew Lysiak & Corky Siemaszko
Friday, December 30 2011
For the Long Island contractor who was trapped in an Iraqi jail for three weeks, it was filth, squalor and uncertainty interrupted by “moments of terror.”
“I was definitely fearful at times,” a weary-looking Alex Antiohos said Friday. “But I was making a concerted effort to suppress my emotions and my feelings in order to ensure that everyone remained calm.”
Antiohos, 32, spoke out three days after he and two other Americans were released by their Iraqi captors.
“I’m thrilled, thrilled to be home,” said the 32-year-old former Green Beret. “I’m looking forward to spending time with my family and ringing in the new year.”
Antiohos, who lives in North Babylon, was working for a private security firm in Iraq. His ordeal began on Dec. 9, when he and two colleagues were detained by members of the Iraqi Defense Ministry while escorting a convoy.
They said the papers of Antiohos and the other Americans — Jonas March of Savannah, Ga., and Kevin Fisher of Fiji — were not in order.
For 24 hours, Antiohos said they were held at a checkpoint with 15 Iraqi nationals. He said he called his wife, Melissa, and fully expected to be released.
Then, suddenly, they were arrested.
“Very surprised,” a guarded Antiohos said when asked for his reaction. “One would expect that the Iraqis would be a little more friendly.”
The worst was yet to come.
The trio were taken to a “filthy” facility in Mahmudiyah, which is part of the infamous “Triangle of Death.”
“It was deplorable,” Antiohos said. “There was limited electricity, no heat. It’s difficult to describe. In general, your average American would consider it appalling.”
And the food was even worse.
“Food placed on the ground with flies,” he said. “No running water.”
The Iraqi guards mostly left the prisoners alone. But when a high-ranking officer appeared, they got “aggressive,” he said.
“There were lives threatened,” he said. “That kind of thing. We were treated fairly most of the time with moments of terror.”
As the days wore on, Antiohos said they wondered when the U.S. government would spring them. It was, he said, “very frustrating.”
Rep. Pete King (R-L.I.) said he learned from Melissa Antiohos that her husband was in an Iraqi jail.
“He received virtually no assistance at all from his own government,” said King. “Nobody from the American embassy out in Baghdad went to see him at all.”
The U.S. State Department declined to discuss the charges made by King.
Antiohos said what happened to him was “unfortunate, given our contribution to their nation.”
“They are supposed to be our ally,” he said.
Story here.

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Fiji man plotted escape from Iraqis
Felix Chaudhary
Monday, January 02, 2012
DURING his 18-day detainment and psychological torture at the hands of the Iraqi military, a Fiji man began planning his group’s escape.
Mark Fisher, a former Republic of Fiji Military Forces sergeant and an employee of United States security contractor Triple Canopy Incorporated and his fellow workers were held captive for 18 days while retrieving equipment left behind by the US Army pull out.

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Industry Talk: Afghanistan Seizes Millions Of Dollars Worth Of Armored Vehicles And Weapons From Private Security Firms

Dec 29

Posted by Matt in Afghanistan, Industry Talk | No Comments

Kimberley Motley, an American lawyer in Kabul who advises security firms, said company executives were taken aback by the crackdown. They had opened their books to the government as a good-faith gesture, she said, in hopes that they could remain involved in the security industry as risk-mitigation consultants under the APPF model.
“A lot of companies are being penalized for trying to transparently run their security companies,” Motley said. The bulk of the equipment being seized, she said, was imported during years when there were “limited laws that dictated how they should operate.”

This government in Afghanistan is something else. First they ask the companies to see their books, and the companies comply in good faith, and then the government says ‘hey, let’s seize their valuable equipment’ listed in that book. Not a thought or care about any prior arrangements or contracts that allowed those companies to have that stuff in the first place. No compensation for that equipment, and just out-right take it for their own use. Boy, that is the kind of thing that will attract investors and business…….pffft.

The other thing that gets me about this whole deal is that part of what makes the private industry so effective, is the ability of the principal to just fire a poor company. If one security firm does not perform, then the principal goes with the next best company. The only thing the government should be involved with, is making sure everyone plays nice and that they deal specifically with the bad ‘agents’ or companies that ruin it for everyone else. That is how the free market is supposed to work.

With this arrangement, none of these NGO’s or companies investing in Afghanistan will have that option to ‘fire’ their protective detail.  And because Afghanistan is so corrupt anyways, all of these companies and groups thoroughly expect to not only get a poor service, but to be extorted and ripped off in the process. They have no choice in the matter, and to be honest, I do not blame them for making the decision to not do business in Afghanistan under those circumstances.

Hell, this whole deal of the government seizing property from these private companies should be a loud message to all. “Come to Afghanistan and get ripped off.” lol That should be their motto, and plaster it all over their flag or something. -Matt

 

Afghanistan cracks down on contractors
By Ernesto Londoño
December 2011
Afghan officials have seized millions of dollars worth of armored vehicles and weapons from private security firms in recent weeks, a move that has exacerbated concerns about the government’s plan to replace the hired guns that protect convoys and installations with an unprepared state-run guard force.
The crackdown is being carried out even though the Afghan Public Protection Force failed to meet any of the six benchmarks that were set out for it when President Hamid Karzai formally announced a plan to ban private security firms by March 20. An assessment team led by the NATO military coalition, which is heavily involved in the creation of the Afghan force, concluded in the fall that the guard force is far from ready to take over.
Diplomats, development experts and company executives worry that the abolition of private security contractors within three months could endanger Afghans and foreigners supporting NATO and its allies, halt reconstruction projects and open new channels for corruption.

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