All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. –Sun Tzu
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This battle is getting interesting now. You see, DynCorp realizes that if they can apply more pressure to public opinion about this by engaging with the media, then maybe Congress might step in and halt this action do to the negative attention on all of this.
I also noticed that a few media groups are really pushing congress and the public on the issue of disbarring Xe from the current list do to the latest stuff in Afghanistan. Strategically speaking, DynCorp benefits from this latest media attack on Xe, but you won’t hear DynCorp talking about that.
Now what could possibly be happening though is some low grade corporate espionage and/or smear campaigns. What I mean by that, is that companies can benefit from the downfall of their competition, and they will do what they can to help that process along. To maintain a moral and righteous stance, they would do what they can to feed that process on the sly.
A prime example of this, is when a contractor is fired from one company, and then goes on to work for a competitor of that company. That individual now knows a lot about the inner workings of his former company, and probably knows some dirt as well. The temptation for that individual to feed their current company corporate office with information that could potentially hurt their former company, is great. Then a few anonymous tips to some Juicebox Commandos and bam, you have now just struck a blow against your competitor. This is yet again, another reason to treat your contractors right and not play games with them. The non-disclosure agreement is not a ‘100 percent insurance policy’ solution against that type of thing.
I also would not doubt that there are corporate moles in place at a few of the companies. You see this in other industries, and I could totally see that happening with ours. The competition for these contracts is extreme, and the temptation for companies to do this is great. Plus, most of the companies are filled with guys who specialize in that kind of thing with their prior military, police, private investigator or ‘other’ career. The amount of money on the line with these contracts is huge and everyone is seeking an edge in the market.
And to clarify so I don’t get some corporate lawyer knocking on my door, I am not at all saying that DynCorp or anyone in this industry is participating in this kind of activity. I just bring this stuff up, because the potential is always there. Especially when you see it happening in other high dollar, high stakes industries. –Matt
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How to Strengthen the Afghan National Police
March 11, 2010
To the Editor:
Your March 6 editorial “ ‘If You Bring In the Cops’ ”) rightly makes the case that Afghanistan’s future lies in the ability to successfully connect the Afghan people to their government. To that end, the question of how to strengthen the Afghan National Police is correctly front and center.
As the responsibility for police training transitions to sole Pentagon control, the consequences of the choice of contract to support this effort deserve examination. The proposed Army contracting vehicle, which was originally established for technology procurement, will have the net effect of restricting the potential choice to two, or possibly only one, provider for future training.
As the former commander of the Afghan National Security Forces training mission recently testified, this crucial mission will require experienced government contractors. It is critical that concerns about the current procurement approach, lack of adequate competition and resulting choice of contractor do not undermine confidence in the training.
My own company, DynCorp International, is not one of the pre-selected bidders under the technology procurement vehicle now being used for police training, notwithstanding our history of providing more than 6,000 highly experienced police advisers in 11 countries over the last 15 years. We are proud of our work and honored that Christopher Shays, the co-chairman of the Commission on Wartime Contracting, and senior Pentagon officials have all praised our teams.
Our current contract enables us to continue to perform on this important mission until the contract expires in July. This is ample time to conduct a full and open competition. Doing so will help ensure the best value for the taxpayer and provide the best outcome for our combatants in the field supporting the mission and the Afghan people.
William L. BallhausPresident and Chief ExecutiveDynCorp InternationalFalls Church, Va., March 8, 2010
Link to letter here.