Feral Jundi

Monday, September 28, 2009

Technology: Google Translation Tool, and Reaching Out to the Rest of the World

     This is an awesome tool.  Feral Jundi is read by mostly english literate folks from all over the world, and now with Google Translator, we can reach everyone else. And believe me, I get emails from security contractors or individuals interested in the business from all over the world, and this makes total sense to better serve this group.

     So this is how Google Translator (parked at the right on FJ) works. You hit the arabic button for example, and bam, FJ is in arabic!  Although I am sure the literal translations probably get a little mixed up, but either way, it is still a translated copy of FJ.

    From what I gather, my friends who might speak english but cannot read it, use their own translation services to read blogs like this. I am sure a few already use Google Translator, and maybe in the comments section we can get some good feedback about other translation tools.

    But what is cool about this Google Translator tool is that there is a mechanism now on this site that you can use to pump out a quick translation of the site.  That makes FJ more useful and accessible than ever before. Although, if you write back to me, please use this free google translation service, and cut and paste in the email what you want to say to me. –Matt

Africa: FP Interview’s Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire

Filed under: Africa — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 11:37 AM

   Boy, I wish Elizabeth would have had the gumption to actually discuss the concept of R2P, and the work of UNWG.  Or talk about AFRICAP and how PMC’s and PSC’s could actually be the solution for some of these manpower issues.  I kept reading the transcripts below thinking that this is where the line of questioning should logically go, but it did not.

   If the good General is reading this, perhaps you wouldn’t mind doing an interview with PMH to discuss these things? And how cool would that be to get Eeben Barlow, Doug Brooks, and David Isenberg all on the line as well, and actually discuss the concepts? Now that would be a party. lol –Matt

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Interview: Lt. Gen. Roméo Dallaire

The general who tried to stop the Rwandan genocide warns FP that the line has blurred between peacekeeping and counterinsurgency. It’s a cautionary tale for the age of Afghanistan and Iraq. Are the world’s militaries up to the task?

BY ELIZABETH DICKINSON | SEPTEMBER 21, 2009

There are few who can say they have been as close to stopping genocide as retired Lt. Gen Roméo Dallaire, the Canadian commander of the United Nations peacekeeping forces in Rwanda in 1994. Long before the killing began, Dallaire sounded a warning call. Then, he begged for reinforcements and a mandate to use force — neither of which he got — as his troops fatefully watched hundreds of thousands of Rwandans slaughtered. “You should spit in my face,” says the character based on Dallaire in the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda. “[The West is] not going to stop the slaughter.” The world did little then, and so in real life, Dallaire has spent much of his last decade and a half reminding the world not to let the same happen again.

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Industry Talk: DynCorp Agrees to Acquire Phoenix Consulting Group, Inc.

   I really don’t have much to say on this other than DynCorp is definitely getting bigger and grabbing market share in all sorts of interesting areas. –Matt

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DynCorp Agrees to Acquire Phoenix Consulting Group, Inc.

Acquisition Expected to Expand DynCorp International’s Services to Intelligence Community and National Security Clients

09/28/2009

FALLS CHURCH, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–DynCorp International LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DynCorp International Inc. (NYSE:DCP), has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the stock of Phoenix Consulting Group, Inc. Phoenix provides its proprietary training courses and materials and management consulting and augmentation services to the intelligence community. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition is expected to expand DynCorp International’s services to the intelligence community and national security clients. DynCorp International intends to fund the purchase price with cash on hand.

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Sunday, September 27, 2009

Quotes: Wartime Commission Stuff and the Isenberg Analysis

MR. THIBAULT: Well, the reason that’s important is, so often in whistleblower cases, there’ll be one or two individuals that bring the whistle and allege wrongdoing, and they’re kind of — the history says sometimes they’re summarily dismissed as disgruntled employees, or about-ready-to-be-fired employees. And in this case, it’s not everyone, but it’s — you know, have you experienced that kind of referral in your past?

MS. BRIAN: That’s a great question. I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and there has not been a circumstance that I can point to where such an enormous percentage of individuals have come forward essentially as whistleblowers. It’s — it’s — out of 150 English- speaking guards, we’re speaking to 20 of them. I mean, it’s really quite extraordinary. So it’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and it’s a testament to the magnitude of the problem.

*****

    I wanted to post this as a reminder of how significant this case is. Danielle Brian of POGO said 20 AGNA whistleblowers? Amazing. And I am sure those are just the ones that felt strong enough about their case to come forward.  I am sure there are others who have experienced equally abusive circumstances on this contract. This is pathetic, and I cannot believe how poorly managed this contract was.

   Also, I want to give a heads up to the ‘Isenberg Analysis’ over at PMH.  What David Isenberg is doing is going through the commission transcripts with a fine tooth comb, and providing the context and the historical details that would escape most of us in regards to what these guys are saying.  He has been reporting on this industry for a long while, so to hear his perspective is fascinating.  It is also a three part series, and he has already pumped out part 1 and part 2.  Check it out. –Matt

Military News: Medal of Honor Posthumously Awarded to Army Sgt. 1st Class Jared Monti

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