Feral Jundi

Friday, October 16, 2009

Film: Security Contractors Depicted in Television Show ‘Occupation’

Filed under: Film,Iraq — Tags: , , — Matt @ 12:49 PM

   Check it out and let me know what you guys think?  I have yet to see the show, and I really don’t know how we will be depicted in this thing. I tend to not have much faith in today’s film industries out there, when it comes to presenting this industry in film. But you never know, and I will wait and see….-Matt

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Occupation

Television Review | ‘Occupation’

Knocked Around by the Winds of War

By ALESSANDRA STANLEY

October 16, 2009

War movies focus on friendship because it’s the one steadfast reward of combat and perhaps the only consolation.

“Occupation,” a British look at the Iraq war on BBC America on Sunday, is one of the best television depictions yet of that conflict, and it isn’t even a straightforward war story. Nor, despite its title, is it exactly a tale of foreign occupation, though “Occupation” does take a long, disturbing look at the chaos, corruption and mayhem that choked the American-led reconstruction effort.

Mostly the film follows three British soldiers who fought together in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and then, for three entirely different reasons, keep returning there over the course of several years. And in that time soldiers, contractors, engineers, doctors and government officials — and billions of dollars in vacuum-sealed packs — are pinned down by an insurgency their leaders failed to anticipate.

(more…)

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Military News: U.S. Troop Funds Diverted to Pet Projects

Filed under: Afghanistan,Iraq,Military News — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 2:01 PM

   Thanks to Doug for passing on this story.  If this doesn’t make your blood boil, I don’t know what would. –Matt

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U.S. troop funds diverted to pet projects

October 15, 2009

Shaun Waterman THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Senators diverted $2.6 billion in funds in a defense spending bill to pet projects largely at the expense of accounts that pay for fuel, ammunition and training for U.S. troops, including those fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to an analysis.

Among the 778 such projects, known as earmarks, packed into the bill: $25 million for a new World War II museum at the University of New Orleans and $20 million to launch an educational institute named after the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat.

While earmarks are hardly new in Washington, “in 30 years on Capitol Hill, I never saw Congress mangle the defense budget as badly as this year,” said Winslow Wheeler, a former Senate staffer who worked on defense funding and oversight for both Republicans and Democrats. He is now a senior fellow at the Center for Defense Information, an independent research organization.

Sen. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Republican, called the transfer of funds from Pentagon operations and maintenance “a disgrace.”

“The Senate is putting favorable headlines back home above our men and women fighting on the front lines,” he said in a statement.

(more…)

Monday, October 12, 2009

Industry Talk: An Update on CTU–‘We Are Still Stuck Here!’

Filed under: Industry Talk,Iraq,Legal News — Tags: , , , , , — Matt @ 12:20 PM

   Check it out.  CTU is giving us an update on what is going on, and it looks like they are getting the run around.  Where is the media on this?

    Well, at least the FJ network knows what is up now, and hopefully guys can get the word out on what is happening with CTU. I know several journalist read this blog, as well as some top industry folks, so Buddy, your message will get heard. –Matt

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Buddy Feeney Said This in the Comments Section of this post:

“Seems we have been forgotten in the world press.

Yes, all five of us were cleared of any involvment in the murder of our friend Jim Kitterman.

Yes, All five of us were released “from Prison.”

However, four months later we are all still here in Iraq and not allowed to leave, for reasons NOT related to any murder.

To date: NOT one of us has been charged with any crime!

I am one of them!

WE ARE STILL STUCK HERE! 12 Oct, 2009″

Link to FJ Post here.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Company Spotlight: Oryol

Filed under: Company Spotlight,Iraq,PMC's,Russia — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 5:52 PM

   This is a continuation of the video I posted earlier about this company.  This kind of reminds of another article I wrote in regards to PMC versus PMC. Not in the way of Blackwater fighting Oryol on the battlefield, but in the way of competing with them on the battlefield of market share. That the German Landsknecht defeated the Swiss Guard back during the Italian wars, by copying the Swiss (all the way down to the uniforms), being cheaper than the Swiss (thus gaining more experience with more jobs), and finding an innovation that gave them an edge over the Swiss (firearms).

    In this case, this company wants to take market share in Iraq by doing a better job of the task than the top British and American companies. Competition is what drives innovation, and these guys sound hungry. Although I will have to say that they will have to work very hard to find the one or two innovations that will make them competitive in this market.  They are dealing with some very advanced and successful companies in this industry, and Oryol will definitely have to find a niche to get a seat at the table. –Matt

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Former Russian soldiers ready to take on Blackwater in Iraq

06 October, 2009, 19:50

A group of former Russian soldiers is involved in an intense military training program in preparation for Iraq. They believe they can compete with their British and American counterparts by adopting a unique approach.

The training of the Oryol anti-terror centre may seem like an intense action scene from a Hollywood blockbuster movie, but in fact it is to prepare Russian men to work in Iraq…

“Before we send people there, we put them through some serious training. This includes psychological training and an educational program,” says Sergey Epishkin, head of Oryol anti-terror training centre. “In our classes, we even speak the way they speak in this particular region. If you can’t master local slang, you can run into a serious trouble sometimes.”

And to avoid such trouble is the chief responsibility of this group. These men are from the anti-terror group Oryol and, much like their infamous, American counterpart “Blackwater”, they provide private security for Russian engineers and businessmen operating inside Iraq.

(more…)

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Video: Russian Security Contractors Gunning For the Iraq Market

Filed under: Industry Talk,Iraq,Russia — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 6:11 PM

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