This is a great discussion on what Iraq will be like in 2012. Of course this will be the ‘test year’ for the DoS and their massive contractor work force and security force in Iraq.
Also, this coincides with the Senate Armed Services committee about the exit from Iraq, and the security issues associated with that. The exchange between Secretary Defense Panetta and Senator McCain was something else. But the big one with this hearing is that it helped to fill in some of the pieces about the contractor issue in Iraq, post US troops. It also brought up some of the same concerns issued in the past about this transition, and what the government’s official stance on it is. Here is a quote that I thought was interesting.
One consequence of the U.S. military withdrawal is that the U.S. State Department will require some 16,000 private contractors to provide security and other services, like transportation and medical evacuation, that had been provided by the Pentagon.
“No question there are risks involved here,” Panetta said about such a large, unprecedented reliance on contractors.
“Are there going to be risks associated with contractors? Yes,” Panetta said. “Do we have any other alternatives? No.”
If you would like to watch the entire hearing, here is a link for that. Check it out. –Matt