Feral Jundi

Monday, August 30, 2010

Industry Talk: PSC’s And Their Customers Make Contingency Plans In Afghanistan

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 2:06 AM

     Here are some of the commentaries being made by some of our coalition members and companies tasked with vital protection duties over in Afghanistan. There are four stories posted, with some commentary in one from Andy Bearpark of BAPSC and an interview that Doug Brooks of the IPOA did awhile back. Maybe we can collect some more commentary from some industry leaders, CEO’s, or even some customers? Until then, I will continue to fill the information void as best as I can. –Matt

Edit: 09/01/2010 – It looks like Blue Hackle’s license has just been revoked. Check it out here.

UK private security fears in Afghanistan

Garda scrabbles to stay in Afghanistan

Canadian Forces to review nine private security contracts on Afghan ban

Karzai’s Call to Expel Contractors Poses Big Logistical Hurdles

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UK private security fears in Afghanistan

By Peter Jackson

17 August 2010

Private security guards are widely used to guard compounds and convoys

As UK private security contractors are given four months to stand down in Afghanistan, security experts have warned the consequences could be dire.

President Hamid Karzai’s decision to scrap the extensive private security industry operating in his country will come as no real surprise.

He vowed to curb its operations when he was sworn in as president last year, and has made no secret of the fact that he considers it a major source of instability.

But ask the British elements of the industry what effect the move may have, and warnings are quickly sounded.

They say commercial reconstruction projects would be at risk of delay – and workers of attack – as the exodus leaves them dangerously exposed.

Afghan police are simply not up to scratch when it comes to guarding foreign staff, they argue, and that could leave embassies and Nato supply convoys and bases vulnerable.

(more…)

Quotes: Michael Thibault On Karzai’s PSC Decree And It’s Threat To The US Mission

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk,Quotes — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 12:52 AM

    At least someone with some sense is stating the obvious.  Of  course this decree is a threat to the mission and strategy in Afghanistan, and it is also a threat to President Obama’s plan and future election. He, along with his party in the US depend upon a strategy in Afghanistan that will help them politically in the near future.  The economy and war will be front and center for election season, and progress must be shown in Afghanistan for there to be any political capital to be won. That could be why you don’t hear too much about this issue in the media.

    Another thing that is interesting politically, is right now PSC’s or PMC’s are a hot potato issue.  Republicans don’t want to come to the aid of this industry either, just because the Democrats would bash them for it. I do not see support from any independent groups either, and probably for the same reason. Which is all pretty typical for this industry, but in reality, we have been vital for both Republicans and Democrats over the years.

    The way I see it right now, politically we are very important to whomever is in office. Our deaths in war do not mean the same as when troops die. Our usage allows politicians the ability to increase a security presence very quickly both at home or overseas, and without a draft or congressional mandate. All we require is financing, and you have an instant army for whatever you need done.

     We are the ones that will be protecting the diplomatic mission in Iraq and filling any of the security gaps that cannot be filled by the congressionally mandated troop presence there now. We are also important in Afghanistan, because yet again, we fill a security need that would otherwise be filled by troops that are already tasked with important combat missions. There are close to a quarter million contractors of all types in this war, with 1700 thousand plus contractors that have been killed, and yet we are all marginalized as if we don’t matter? The fact is, we do matter. But hey, that will be our own little secret I guess. lol –Matt

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Michael J. Thibault

Michael J. Thibault

Majority Co-Chair, Appointed by Senate Majority Leader Reid and Speaker of the House Pelosi

*****

Michael Thibault, the co-chair of the congressionally appointed Wartime Contracting Commission, which was brought together for the sole purpose of looking at how the U.S. can better manage its contracted workforce, sees a disconnect between what the Afghan government wants and what the U.S. government needs.

“If President Karzai sticks with this timeline, the U.S. mission and objectives will suffer,” Thibault says. “The U.S. military would have to take over those roles, and the mission we have laid out never allowed for this.”

Link to Quote here.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Industry Talk: Karzai’s Decree Regarding PSC’s And The Buzz On The Forums

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 12:55 AM

     This is a translation that I wanted to put up just so folks have something to reference. But what is really cool is all the buzz on the forums about this one.  Lots of opinions all over the place.

     The photo below is a mystery.  I have no clue if these guys were PSC’s or not.  But what the photo symbolizes is all the years that good men like them spent putting their lives on the line for Karzai. Do you think he even thanked them for their protective services? –Matt

Edit: 08/23/2010 – Tim wrote up a great post on the subject, and has a better translation of the decree.  Check it out here.

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Karzai

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, center, is surrounded by heavily armed bodyguards as he arrives for a groundbreaking ceremony in Parwan, some 34 miles, 55kms north of Kabul, Monday, March 14, 2005. Karzai was surrounded by dozens of US security personnel as he attended a ceremony of groundbreaking for a road linking the Panjshir Valley to Parwan in the district of Bayan. (AP Photo/Shah Marai, Pool)

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President Karzai’s decree regarding PSCs in Afghanistan:

For tackling corruption and ensuring security of our citizens and prevention of security irregularities as well as exploitation of arms and military equipment and uniforms by the security companies which has caused some tragic incidents, after some thorough and legal review I am approving the annulment of foreign and national security companies within four months as per the following conditions.

The members of security companies who can meet the military recruitment conditions of provided that they meet the conditions they can join the police forces with or without their registered arms or weapons. And the Interior Ministry is obliged to annul it within four months from today.

For foreign companies who are registered with IM, if they agree, then the IM, Def Min and NDS will buy their weapons and the resident visas of the foreign members will be cancelled. If the companies do not agree to sell their arms their resident visas will be cancelled and they can leave the country with their arms.

Those companies who are not registered with IM their arms will be confiscated.

Embassies or diplomatic offices, NGOs who are operating in Kabul and provinces can still use their own security personnel within their premises. They should not be visible outside their premises. The number and conditions for this will be spelled out by the IM. The MOI’s must take charge of the external security of embassies,NGOs in Kabul and other provinces.

It is the MOI’s task to implement this decree.

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(You must sign up to read a few of these forum discussions)

SOCNET Forum discussion here.

Tactical Forum discussion here.

Lightfighter Forum discussion here.

Secure Aspects Forum discussion here.

Close Protection World Forum discussion here.

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