Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Publications: Contractor Support Of USCENTCOM AOR, 4th Quarter FY 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Afghanistan: Global Strategies Group Employee Jailed By Afghans Amid Crackdown
Tim Matthews, a spokesman for the company, said the case stemmed from an inspection of Global’s main Kabul armory a few months ago. Afghan authorities found 11 weapons that were not on the list of firearms registered with the Afghan government, he said. Matthews said the additional weapons were unserviceable guns sent from personnel outside Kabul, to be used for spare parts. He said all weapons were acquired legally and were kept safe at all times.
Great, another contractor sent to jail in Afghanistan. I certainly hope the company will fight to get Michael Hearn out of jail as soon as possible, and not allow him to get sucked into a corrupt and pathetic prison system.
I also find it really discouraging that contractors are being hassled and imprisoned, and yet hundreds of Taliban are released from detention so they can go back to the battlefield and kill more troops. Crazy Karzai strikes again.
The other part of this story that needs mentioning is our friend Kimberly Motley is all over this one. I posted a deal on her legal work in regards to contractors out there that are currently suffering in Afghan prisons, and I am sure she will be doing all she can to work with authorities on this one. Hopefully Global’s lawyers and local fixers are working hard to settle this stuff, and they should not be afraid to draw upon Kim’s help for this one. –Matt
British private security company employee jailed by Afghans amid crackdown
By Ernesto LondoñoThursday, December 9, 2010
Afghan authorities this week arrested a British private security company employee and sentenced him to eight months in jail, the latest move in the government’s crackdown on private security firms.
Global Strategies Group consultant Michael Hearn was arrested Wednesday for allegedly failing to register weapons with the government.
The move comes amid uncertainty about how aggressively and quickly the Afghan government intends to disband the vast network of private security companies that flourished in the country as security worsened in recent years.
A day before the arrest and prosecution, Afghan officials announced they would take a more lenient approach to expelling the groups, an acknowledgment that the country’s security forces are not yet up to the task of protecting diplomatic installations and other sensitive sites.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Industry Talk: US Drops The Hammer On AED, Watan Group, And EODT
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.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Cool Stuff: Operation Outpost
Now this is cool. This company was founded by two contractors operating in Afghanistan and what they have set up is a way for folks who are deployed to hook each other up with needed equipment and items out in the field. A war zone Craigslist of a sorts. It kind of reminds me of the guns and ammo exchange clubs you would see on the forums.
On those sites, guys would have stuff they wanted to get rid of, and they would either sell it or trade for something else with some other contractor. Although with this site, I don’t think they plan on doing any weapons related stuff, and it seems to be all just equipment and other necessities of field living.
I really like the option of being able to donate as well. There are people out there who care about the troops and contractors, and want to contribute some way to the war effort. This site is a great way to connect these supporters to the guys out in the field, and fill some specific needs of field living. Be sure to read all the details below and go to their website to see how to join. –Matt
OPERATION OUTPOST
ABOUT
Operation Outpost was created by two people who, while deployed to Afghanistan, recognized a need for forward deployed individuals to be able to buy, sell, trade, and receive donated items that increased their standard of living in remote areas. The purpose of this site is to provide these individuals the opportunity to contact each other in an effort to obtain items that they require to make it day to day.
Additionally, Operation Outpost is proud to offer the “Donation” option to our members. We have heard time and time again of people back home that want to donate various items but have no idea of what to send, who to send it to, or where to send it. The donations option will allow the member to list items they wish someone would donate to them personally or to their unit. Individuals from around the world can view this page and chose what donation they would like to send. Patriots can also list items they would like to donate, this way forward deployed members can view all donations listed, and if interested, can contact the donor and provide the necessary information for the donation to be shipped.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Film: Casting Call For The Show Most Lethal, $100,000 To The Winner
Now this is cool. This is the casting notice for an upcoming show on Spike TV called ‘Most Lethal’. I figured that many of my readers are exactly the type of guys that would qualify for such a thing, and if they wanted to take a break from contracting in the war for a bit, this just might be your deal. Good luck out there. –Matt
Here is the Facebook page for the casting here.
Here is the email if you cannot read it on the poster below: sofsearch@grbtv.com
