Feral Jundi

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Industry Talk: US Drops The Hammer On AED, Watan Group, And EODT

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk,Legal News — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 9:53 AM

   In October I posted the Senate Armed Services Committee report that slammed a couple of companies in Afghanistan. The thing is like a hit list now, and the US government is doing a follow up by banning or investigating these companies further. I am sure there will be more to come. –Matt

Edit: 12/10/2010 Found some more stuff, and this is dealing with the raid on EODT. Check it out.

Monitor reveals reason for EOD Technology raid

By Josh FloryDecember 9, 2010

A federal watchdog indicated Thursday that this week’s raid on a local defense contractor is aimed at bringing accountability to those who have tried to take advantage of the situation in Iraq.

Stuart Bowen is the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, a position created by Congress in 2004 to provide accountability for the use of funds for Iraq relief and reconstruction. In an interview Thursday, Bowen said his office has more than 100 ongoing cases, including a case related to Wednesday’s raid on Lenoir City contractor EOD Technology.

The IG said most of the cases are executed through task forces, such as the one that participated in the Wednesday raid. He added that the U.S. Army’s criminal investigation division ‘played a major role’ in getting that case put together. Bowen, a graduate of the University of the South, said his agency also works closely with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, which is an arm of the Defense Department’s Office of Inspector General.

‘This is not the first, and it won’t be the last, time that we work with those agencies … as well as (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to hold accountable those who have taken advantage of the chaotic situation in Iraq for their criminal, personal benefit,’ said Bowen.

Asked if that’s what he believes happened in the case of EODT, Bowen replied, ‘Yes, that is why the search was carried out.’

In a statement issued Wednesday, EODT officials said they didn’t know of anything that could have triggered the raid. ‘We obviously would not have been selected for some of the sensitive and important projects we handle for our country around the world had we not been thoroughly investigated before and found to be trustworthy,’ the statement said……

Read the rest here.

U.S. bans contractor from further aid programs

US blacklists Afghan security firm tied to Karzai

Homeland Security, ICE agents raid EOD Technology in Lenoir City

U.S. bans contractor from further aid programs

By Ken Dilanian

December 8, 2010

The U.S. government Wednesday took the unusual step of banning an American firm from being awarded new federal contracts due to evidence of “serious corporate misconduct” uncovered in an investigation of the company’s work on aid programs in Pakistan and Afghanistan.The move by the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, to suspend the Academy for Educational Development, or AED, a Washington-based nonprofit corporation that does extensive federal contracting, highlights longstanding concerns about the way the United States delivers foreign aid through a network of American contractors that some critics deride as “Beltway Bandits.”AED has 65 contracts and grant agreements with USAID worth $640 million, according to agency spokesman Lars Anderson.The suspension prevents AED from winning new contracts with any federal agency, Anderson said. USAID is now examining whether to seek debarment of the company, a step which would mean the loss of all its federal contracts.USAID’s inspector general declined to release details of the alleged wrongdoing by AED, citing an ongoing investigation. But in a recently published report to Congress, the office noted that USAID “terminated a 5-year, $150 million cooperative agreement after [investigators] found evidence of fraud” relating to the purchase of household kits obtained by AED in Pakistan’s tribal areas.The investigation revealed evidence of collusion between vendors and AED, resulting in overpayment for certain goods, the report said. The investigation also discovered that AED had inappropriately hired relatives of a person hired by USAID to oversee the program.

(more…)

Monday, December 6, 2010

Industry Talk: Karzai Abandons Plan To Scrap Private Security Firms

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , — Matt @ 11:06 AM

     Thanks to James over at DVM for sending me this one.  Finally, this stupid plan is dead and everyone can go back to work. lol. –Matt

Karzai abandons plan to scrap private security firms

6 December 2010

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has abandoned plans to scrap private security firms in the country by mid-December, the interior ministry says.

Fifty-four private security firms have been dissolved in recent weeks in a drive to clamp down on the industry.

But interior ministry officials said most of the 52 mainly Afghan firms remaining would retain their licences.

Private security firms provide guards at everything from diplomatic missions, aid agencies and supply convoys.

Correspondents say that some security firms have been mired in controversy ever since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

In October a US Senate report found evidence that many Afghan security personnel paid with US taxpayers’ money to guard American bases were hand in glove with the Taliban insurgents intent on killing coalition troops.

In August, President Karzai gave private security companies four months to end operations in Afghanistan following concerns that some contractors empowered warlords and power brokers operating outside government control.

But recently aides to the president have advised him that the move to disband the network completely was ill-advised, as the security forces could not fill the gap.

(more…)

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Afghanistan: Government Allows Aid Projects To Employ PSC’s Until Contracts Expire

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 9:21 AM

     As the stomach turns….. So we go from disbanding the companies by December, to banning them in stages, to now allowing the aid folks to use PSC’s until their contracts expire? What’s next, start over and pretend this never happened? lol

    Another factor that might be driving this decision, besides the obvious ones brought up in the beginning, are the latest moves of some aid companies. That they are now making deals with the Taliban in order to do their thing.

     So what is worse, these groups hiring security or making deals with the Taliban to not attack them?  Even if we were to believe that they are not paying the Taliban, the Taliban are still getting some great PR out of the deal. They look like the ones who are in charge here, and not the Karzai government or coalition. Just one more reason why banning PSCs based on some time line was a bad idea. Instead, get rid of those ‘horrible’ PSC’s through the simple market mechanism called ‘a lack of demand’ and progress in the war effort.-Matt

Afghan official: Government allows aid projects to employ private guards till contracts expire

By Heidi Vogt

23/11/2010

KABUL – Afghanistan will allow armed guards employed by private security companies to continue protecting aid and economic development projects in the country until their current contracts expire, a government official said Tuesday.

The decision comes despite an earlier order that all security companies disband by mid-December.

It also clears up uncertainty that had been hanging over large companies involved with ongoing aid and development projects for the U.S. and other foreign governments since a presidential decree to disband them was issued in August.

Many of the companies had said they would have to cease operations in volatile provinces in the south and east if they could not use private security guards to protect their workers and their projects.

(more…)

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Industry Talk: Afghan Ban On Security Firms Delayed By 2 Months

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 10:34 AM

     That’s a start. Although I wonder how much we had to pay Crazy Karzai for this two month extension? lol Lately I have been reading all the latest articles about this circus, and it is just dumb. It is obvious that Karzai is playing games. I mean this guy is talking with the Taliban, getting money from Iran, and at the same time jerking us around about PSCs in Afghanistan.  He is using the ban on PSCs as a means of extortion and it is just dumb. It’s almost as if some agent was able to penetrate his brain and plant this idea, ‘Inception‘ style.

     Because lets be real on this one. Karzai’s life was dependent upon private security during many of the years of his presidency. His family operated private security companies who made millions of dollars from contracts over the years. And all of these recent incidents involving kidnapping, attacks on facilities, and attacks on convoys all highlight how important security is. If there are not enough troops to do the job, then of course private security is the next step, and yet Karzai wants to ban them?

     Also, if Karzai has an issue with companies, then instead of throwing the baby out with bath water, he could instead ‘fairly’ issue licenses (which they do, yet does not regulate or manage well ) and require them to be bonded. A bond could make it extremely expensive for companies that screw up, and give the offices an incentive to watch the industry. That would be one way for him to control and regulate companies.

     The alternative is that he kicks out all of these companies, to include expat companies, and all of the programs they were tasked with securing will falter. Billions of dollars in aid designed to rebuild and infuse money into the local economies, will now be shut off because these programs do not have security. Not to mention investors will now have second thoughts about doing anything in Afghanistan, all because they are not allowed to use private security.

     The logical way to reduce the numbers of contractors is through success in the war. As security increases, attacks and threats decrease, and the requirement for security will decrease. Actually this would be a great metric on how the war is going, and if security contractor use naturally decreases because of that classic market force called ‘a lack of demand’, then this would be an excellent indicator that things are getting better.

     It is a lot like the timeline issue that I have talked about in the past. The enemy loves timelines, because it is a date for victory. Troops or contractors should leave not based on timelines but based on progress and success. –Matt

Press Release From The Office Of The President (Afghanistan)

October 27, 2010

 Arg, Kabul – For a rapid implementation of Presidential Decree 62 on the dissolution of private security companies, President Hamid Karzai has ordered the establishment of a committee led by the Minister of Interior and participated by representatives from NATO-ISAF and major international donors.

The Committee will develop plans for the disbandment of the PCSs that provide security for development projects and report on progress to the President.

The phasing out of illegal PCSs and road convoy security companies continues on a priority basis as laid out in the Decree.

Recognizing the importance of maintaining the continuous delivery of critical development projects and programs funded by the international community, the Committee will prepare a timetable for the disbandment of the PCSs that secure development projects and submit it to the President on November 15th, 2010.

(more…)

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Logistics: NATO Convoy Security Threatened By Events In Pakistan And PSC Disbanding In Afghanistan

Filed under: Afghanistan,Logistics,Pakistan — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Matt @ 7:20 PM

     So now reality sets in.  Crybaby Karzai is now going to set up a state-run trucking protection system to take control of NATO convoy security?  Just one problem–they don’t have a clue on how to do it or where to get the manpower. Because if you take troops from essential war duties, and shuffle them around to fill those jobs that PSCs filled, then now we are negatively impacting strategies that depended on those troops.

     Also, who says that these Afghan soldiers won’t steal from the convoys or get into firefights with insurgents in local populations?  Because these forces will probably react the same way that Afghan PSC’s reacted doing the same job.  They will probably be worse, because they will have to do some serious OJT to catch up to the capability of PSC’s.

     My guess is that we will continue to see PSCs operate on the road to some degree, just because there is another issue here that trumps the politics of Crybaby Karzai.  NATO is highly dependent on these supplies coming in from Pakistan and elswhere, and if Karzai cannot quickly raise this 5,000 man trucking brigade, then I don’t see any other choice but to continue to rely on contractors.

     The other area to look at is the impact that events in Pakistan have on supplies being brought over those mountains.  NATO helicopters killed several Pakistani soldiers in a friendly fire accident during a cross border assault on a fleeing Taliban group, and that event has caused some serious secondary effects.  Specifically, it has caused an uproar in Pakistan and the government there has decided to shut down trucking as pay back. The insurgents are getting into the action as well, and ramping up attacks on these trucks.

    Which brings up the next point and story.  Supposedly, Pakistan is not protecting these trucks.  The trucking companies have been screaming for protection by the government, or the right to self protection with armed security, and the Pakistani government has done neither. Amazing.

     Now take a lack of security and put that together with the government’s blocking of trucks at the border, and you have an opportunity for the enemy. The insurgents are taking advantage of the riff between the US and Pakistan over this latest incident by attacking the symbols of the US–which is these trucks with fuel and supplies on them. These attacks make the insurgents look like the good guys so these attacks have twice the impact on the war effort. It wins over the support of the population, and it disrupts and destroys NATO logistics. –Matt

Afghan wrestles with protecting NATO supply routes

Little security for Nato supply convoys

——————————————————————-

NATO Suplies

Pakistani fire fighters try to extinguish burning NATO supply trucks carrying military vehicles and oil following militants attack on the outskirts of Islamabad on June 9, 2010.

Afghan wrestles with protecting NATO supply routes

October 3, 2010

By DION NISSENBAUM

Afghanistan’s top security officials are urging President Hamid Karzai to establish a military-run trucking system to take control of critical NATO supply routes now protected by a ragtag network of unsavory private security firms that is scheduled to be disbanded by year-end.

With the Karzai-imposed deadline looming to close the private convoy-protection companies, Afghanistan officials told McClatchy Newspapers on Sunday that they want to create a state-run military brigade equipped with its own trucks and thousands of soldiers to carry essential NATO supplies around the country.

(more…)

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