Archive for category Iraq

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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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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Legal News: Iraq Releases 3 Security Contractors That Have Been Detained Since December 9th

Dec 27

Posted by Matt in Industry Talk, Iraq, Legal News | No Comments

I have no clue what company these guys were working for, but stuff like this burns me up. The US has had plenty of time to plan for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, and prepare the legal battlefield for security contractors and others. These folks must have legal protections or some kind of an agreement established with Iraq so that these contractors can perform the service they were hired to do.

The other thing that bothers me with this is that two of these contractors were Americans. Yet again, why isn’t the DoS fighting tooth and nail to get every reasonable protection and agreement they can with Iraq so that US citizens at the least are treated fairly and with dignity. I mean someone should be reminding Iraq about how much blood and treasure the US has expended in this whole thing. Or remind them that we did not take their oil and other treasures, like most armies would have done in the past. (yep, I went there….)

The partners of US contractors deserve to be treated fairly and with dignity as well. The Fijians have certainly lost contractors in this war doing extremely dangerous missions all over Iraq. Missions that helped support efforts to rebuild Iraq and helped to encourage peace and stability there. There are and will be other contractors from other parts of the world who are supporting the mission to rebuild post war Iraq, and to treat them with disrespect is not right.

Either way, I think most contractors in Iraq have the feeling that regardless of whatever laws or agreements that are passed or lack there of, Iraq will do whatever they want. So I expect to see more of this kind of thing over the next year or couple of years. And contractors will do in Iraq, like they normally do in all countries where there is no SOFA, or has a corrupt/weak legal system. They will accomplish the task as best they can, and take huge risks in the process. I am sure money will be thrown all over the place in order to buy off a police officer or ministry official, or free a contractor from detention, or whatever. That is how these things work…. -Matt

 

NY Rep. King: Iraq releases 3 security contractors
December 27, 2011
A U.S. congressman from New York says three security contractors, including two Americans, have been released by Iraqi Army forces after they were held for more than two weeks.
Republican Peter King announced the releases of the men Tuesday. He identifies them as an Army veteran from Long Island, a former National Guardsman from Savannah, Ga., and a man from Fiji. He says they were working for a security firm when Iraqi Ministry of Defense officials rejected paperwork prepared on their behalf by the Iraqi Ministry of Interior and held them Dec. 9.
The men weren’t charged with any crimes. King says they were released Tuesday after efforts by his office, the State Department, the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, the Defense Department and the White House.
Story here.

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Quotes: My Security Colleagues Would Call It ‘Getting Off The X’–Patrick Kennedy

Dec 27

Posted by Matt in Iraq, Quotes | No Comments

So I wonder if Mr. Kennedy has talked with the enemy in Iraq about this whole ‘getting off the X’ thing? lol Because somehow I don’t think they plan on playing by the rules.-Matt

 

“My security colleagues would call it ‘getting off the X’,” Kennedy said. “We run. We go. We do not stand and fight. We will execute a high-speed J-turn and we will get as far away from the attackers as we possibly can.” -Patrick Kennedy, US State Department’s Under Secretary of State For Management on DoS Iraq security contractors.

 

Patrick Kennedy 600Quotes: My Security Colleagues Would Call It Getting Off The X Patrick Kennedy

 

 

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Iraq: After More Than 8 1/2 Years, The Iraq War Ends

Dec 15

Posted by Matt in Iraq | No Comments

A close to a costly and deadly war, both for the military and contractors. For those of us that have done time in that war, there is a little piece of all of us over there. It is quiet the thing, and I know many of us will be reflecting upon our time there for the rest of our lives. Especially remembering those who were killed there.

But now that the military mission is officially over, and we have had the ceremony, that doesn’t mean the insurgency is done. So for many contractors, the war will not have ended really. We will see how it goes during this post war phase…. -Matt

 

After more than 8 1/2 years, Iraq war draws to a quiet close
By Liz Sly and Craig Whitlock,
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta paid solemn tribute on Thursday to an “independent, free and sovereign Iraq” and declared the official end to the Iraq war, formally wrapping up the U.S. military’s 81 / 2-year mission in the country.
“After a lot of blood spilled by Iraqis and Americans, the mission of an Iraq that could govern and secure itself has become real,” Panetta said at a ceremony at Baghdad ‘s international airport. “To be sure, the cost was high – in blood and treasure for the United States, and for the Iraqi people. Those lives were not lost in vain. ”
The 1:15 p.m. ceremony (5:15 a.m. in Washington) effectively ended the war two weeks earlier than was necessary under the terms of the security agreement signed by the U.S. and Iraqi governments in 2008, which stipulated that the troops must be gone by Dec. 31.
But commanders decided there was no need to keep troops in Iraq through the Christmas holidays given that talks on maintaining a U.S. presence beyond the deadline had failed. The date of the final ceremony had been kept secret for weeks, so as not to give insurgents or militias an opportunity to stage attacks.
Dignitaries and a small crowd of military personnel in fatigues gathered at a terminal in the Baghdad airport, which until now had been operated by the U.S. military. In the future, it will be overseen by the State Department, which is assuming responsibility for a massive, $6 billion civilian effort to sustain American influence in Iraq beyond the troops’ departure.

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Legal News: US Pursuing Legal Protections For Contractors Still In Iraq

Dec 15

Posted by Matt in Iraq, Legal News | 1 Comment

You know, this would have been cool if they would have figured this out before this transition. To not have some kind of protections in place will really suck for the contractors that are operating in Iraq still. Hopefully something is put together in a reasonable time. -Matt

 

U.S. pursuing legal protections for contractors still in Iraq
By ERIK SLAVIN
December 14, 2011
The United States is still pursuing an agreement with the government of Iraq that could provide defense contractors working for the U.S. State Department with some legal protections in 2012, U.S. embassy and military officials said last week.
While diplomats and service members working for the State Department are shielded by diplomatic immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law, the thousands of private contractors who will be working for the agency have no such protections.
Contractors have lacked immunity from Iraqi law since 2009, when a new status of forces agreement excluded them.
However, with the pullout of the remaining 50,000 troops from Iraq this year, contractors say they now feel more vulnerable to danger, both from potentially corrupt Iraqi police and from anti-American groups.
“You have to cross a major Iraqi road and, should the [Iraqi police or Iraqi army] decide, they might begin detaining American personnel,” said one contractor, who asked for anonymity because his company has not authorized him to speak publicly.

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Industry Talk: Xe Services Announces Name Change To ACADEMI

Dec 12

Posted by Matt in Industry Talk, Iraq | No Comments

Plato’s Akademia, established in the third century B.C., was an institution that produced the best thinkers and warriors alike. These were elite individuals capable of facing the challenges of the time thanks to a strong foundation in training, strategy and strength, both mental and physical.

Interesting news. I am wondering if this will help things at all for future contracts?  In interviews, CEO Ted Wright said they plan on pursuing contracts in Iraq again, and that would be quite the thing.  Here is a quote from CNN’s interview with him:

“The day I’m allowed to do business in Iraq will be success,” said Wright. “If the government of Iraq let’s us do business there again, you know we’ve been successful.”

As to the new business focus of ACADEMI, here was a little hint as to what they are thinking:

Wright would like to double the training side of the business. His company boasts one of the country’s largest, most well-equipped training facilities, located in Moyock, in sparsely populated northeastern North Carolina. He’s also exploring new business opportunities when it comes to certifying bodyguards for high net-worth individuals, such as celebrities or executives. He’d also like to expand the company’s number of commercial clients such as oil and gas companies, and insurers who do business in dangerous parts of the world.

“Hopefully we can reduce insurance rates for their clients so that they can bring us on as an offering to say, ‘Hey listen, go use these people, they’re gonna come and do an assessment for you and they’re gonna improve your security environment and your insurance rates will go down,” said Wright.

Now that is cool. Maybe they might get into the maritime security game again?  That industry needs quality folks and those shipping companies would benefit greatly from reduced insurance rates based on using the services of a company like ACADEMI. Even if they do not get into that game, the energy sector is still a massive market. Things are also getting more dangerous and unstable, and the world is highly dependent on the free flow of oil. Security is a crucial element of the free flow. -Matt

 

ACADEMI Hi res LogoIndustry Talk: Xe Services Announces Name Change To ACADEMI

 

Leading Training and Security Services Provider Xe Services Announces Name Change to ACADEMI
New name draws on company legacy while building on new leadership, governance and strategy.
Dec 12, 2011
USTC Holdings, LLC, the investor consortium that acquired Xe Services, LLC, including its main holding U.S. Training Center, Inc. in December 2010, today announced ACADEMI as the new name and brand for Xe Services. The name ACADEMI (pronounced “academy”) was selected to better communicate the new company’s focus on future growth.
“We have had a year of extraordinary changes that have resulted in a new, better company,” President and CEO Ted Wright said in a statement. The ACADEMI name communicates both our legacy and where we are going as a company in the future. This is more than a simple name change,” Wright continued. “Rather it is a reflection of the changes we have made while retaining those elements that made us who we are today — the best in our industry.”
The announcement of ACADEMI is the culmination of a year of change as part of the company’s new chapter of growth. Upon acquiring Xe Services and its core operating subsidiaries in December 2010, USTC Holdings, LLC indicated that it would form a new Board of Directors, including independent unaffiliated directors, to manage the company and enhance its governance and oversight capabilities.

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Iraq: US Military Hands Camp Victory Over To Iraqis

Dec 2

Posted by Matt in Iraq, Military News | 1 Comment

Man, to see Camp Victory go is quite the thing. That FOB was such a huge and important base in the war, and everyone that ever worked or served in Iraq has probably cycled through that base at one point or another.

The thing I would be interested in is what are they going to do with the T-Wall art? On all of these bases over there, units cycled through year after year, and many of them painted some really cool unit logos on T-Walls (protective cement barriers, shaped like ‘T’s) That art would make for a great coffee table book, that’s for sure. lol

As to it’s future? Maybe the Iraqis will turn it into an amusement park, or maybe keep it as a base? Only time will tell.

So farewell Camp Victory. You will forever be a memory in the minds of thousands of veterans and contractors who lived there….-Matt

 

U.S. Military Hands Camp Victory Over to Iraqis
December 02, 2011
CAMP VICTORY, Iraq –  The U.S. military says it has handed over Camp Victory, a sprawling base at the edge of Baghdad that used to be the headquarters for the U.S. military, to the Iraqi government.
The handover of the sprawling complex of grandiose former palaces of Saddam Hussein, encircled by 27 miles of blast walls, comes as American troops prepare to pull out by the end of the month after nearly nine years.
“The Victory Base Complex was officially signed over to the receivership of the Iraqi government this morning [Friday]. The base is no longer under U.S. control and is now under the full authority of the government of Iraq,” Col. Barry Johnson, a spokesman for the U.S. forces in Iraq, was quoted as saying by AFP.
He added, “There was no ceremony, just a signing of paperwork akin to the closing of a home sale.”
U.S. vice president Joe Biden spoke Thursday at one of the palaces during a ceremony to mark the imminent U.S. withdrawal, which Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki has dubbed “the day of fulfilling the promise.”
The Iraqi claimants to the compound are numerous, and the ideas for its use are many, ranging from the somber — military barracks, Hussein museums and cultural centers — to the more business-minded, such as five-star hotels or an amusement park, The Wall Street Journal reported.

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Industry Talk: Up To 763 Contractors And 157 US Military Trainers To Train Iraqi Forces Post-2011

Nov 23

Posted by Matt in Industry Talk, Iraq | 1 Comment

Well I guess there goes that whole idea that ‘all troops will be out of Iraq’? lol Sure, they will be out by Christmas, but according to this article, military trainers will be in Iraq ‘post-2011′. So how is that a departure of the troops?

The big one here is that we have some solid numbers on how many contractors will be involved with training.  Iraq has made some weapons purchases that require lots of training, and contractors/military advisers are a necessity for training the Iraqis on how to use that stuff.

Also, with the economy as it is, weapons sales to other countries is a matter of importance to the US and our defense companies. Nothing new going on there, and we have quite the history of selling military hardware to allies throughout the region. The Vinnell Arabia contract in Saudi Arabia is a prime example, and those guys have been training Saudis to use American gear for a long time. Iraq will be no different and I have written about this in the past. Although with these contracts, Iraq will still be a dangerous place to operate in. -Matt

 

Up to 763 contractors to train Iraqi forces: US
By W.G. Dunlop
November 23, 2011
A maximum of 763 civilian contractors and 157 US military personnel will train Iraqi security forces post-2011, if the Iraqi government gives its approval, a US officer said on Wednesday.
US President Barack Obama announced on October 21 that US troops would depart Iraq by year’s end, after negotiations with Baghdad on a larger-scale post-2011 US military training mission broke down.
The military personnel and contractors are part of the Office of Security Cooperation – Iraq (OSC-I), which falls under US embassy authority, Lieutenant Colonel Tom Hanson, director of strategic communications for OSC-I, told AFP.
“The 157 (military personnel) are here, and the up to 763 number is based on the number of active foreign military sales cases at any given time,” he said.
As not all are active at once, the 763 contractors will probably not be in Iraq at the same time, he added.
The contractors are “involved in some aspect of bringing the equipment to the Iraqis and helping them learn how to operate it, and bringing (them) to a minimum level of proficiency on it, whether it’s a tank or an airplane or an air traffic control system or a radar,” Hanson said.

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