security contractors « Feral Jundi

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Iraq: Bodies of Two British Hostages Identified

Filed under: Canada,Industry Talk,Iraq — Tags: Canada, Gardaworld, hostages, Iraq, security contractors — Matt @ 10:18 AM

Rest in peace to these men. And what really kills me about this news, is that it will be snuffed out by all the other crap going on. These contractors had been in captivity for awhile, and this is a sobering ending to a bad deal. If any of the readers have any more to add, feel free to post in the comments section. I also posted a small deal through the FJ Facebook page. –Matt

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Bodies of 2 British hostages identified

Sunday, June 21, 2009

LONDON — Two bodies handed over to British authorities in Iraq have been identified as bodyguards kidnapped in Baghdad two years ago, the government said Sunday.

The Foreign Office said the two bodies were “highly likely” those of Jason Creswell, from Glasgow, Scotland, and Jason Swindlehurst, from Skelmersdale in northwest England.

The two men worked for Canadian security firm GardaWorld and were abducted in May 2007 along with information technology consultant Peter Moore and two other bodyguards, identified only as Alan and Alec.

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Saturday, June 20, 2009

Industry Talk: Wars Test Limits of Law Requiring Insurance for Overseas Contractors

Filed under: Industry Talk — Tags: contractors, DynCorp, Industry Talk, Insurance, security contractors, war — Matt @ 10:16 AM

Wars test limits of law requiring insurance for overseas contractors

By Robert Brodsky rbrodsky@govexec.com

June 19, 2009

A 1941 law mandating insurance for contractors working overseas was not designed to handle conflicts on the scale of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and should be reformed, witnesses told a House panel on Thursday evening.

The Defense Base Act originally was intended to cover a small contingent of engineers and construction workers overseas, officials told the House Oversight and Government Reform Domestic Policy Subcommittee during a hearing delayed by five hours due to a marathon lineup of votes on the fiscal 2010 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill. But about 200,000 civilian workers are involved in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and nearly 35,000 contractor employees have been injured or killed since the wars began.

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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Afghanistan: Private Security Called a Boon to Canadian Bases in Afghanistan

Filed under: Afghanistan,Canada — Tags: Afghanistan, bases, Canada, Compass ISS, private security, security contractors, Tundra Strategies — Matt @ 1:05 PM

Be sure to check out Tundra’s courses you can take which are SIA certified. I guess if you want to work for them, you have to go through their courses as well, although I doubt it would be a guarantee for employment. –Matt

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Private security called a boon to Canadian bases in Afghanistan

By Colin Perkelx

June 18, 2009

PANJWAII DISTRICT, Afghanistan — The increased reliance on private companies to provide basic security for Canadian bases in southern Afghanistan is freeing up critical military manpower, officers say, although some soldiers worry about the effectiveness of local Afghan guards.

Several operating bases in the dangerous Panjwaii district are now farming out the sentry work, the latest switch-over coming just this week.

“It definitely gives us flexibility,” said Maj. Steve Jourdain, infantry commander and head of a patrol base. “If it was not for the private security, it would not be possible for me to do the next operation.”

In this particular case, the Canadian-owned security company Tundra Strategies won the contract with the Department of National Defence.

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Saturday, June 6, 2009

Legal News: Five U.S. Contractors Held in Slaying of James Kitterman

Filed under: Crime,Iraq,Legal News — Tags: Iraq, Kitterman, Legal News, security contractors — Matt @ 3:22 PM

Wow, this story is getting deeper. I do not have the inside track on this thing and if any readers have anything pertinent to add, post it in the comments section. Or you can email me in private through the contact form.-Matt

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Five U.S. contractors held in slaying of another in Iraq

June 6, 2009

* Story Highlights

* NEW: Weapons confiscated in raid of suspects’ firm, official says

* Five arrested in death of fellow contractor James Kitterman

* Kitterman found bound, blindfolded and fatally stabbed

* Victim owned a construction company that operated in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Five American security contractors were detained in connection with the killing of another American contractor last month inside Baghdad’s Green Zone, sources with knowledge of the investigation told CNN Saturday.

Iraqi and U.S. personnel took the five into custody in an operation inside the Green Zone before dawn on Friday, according to an Iraqi official involved in the investigation into the killing of James Kitterman. The five, who have not yet been charged, were being held by Iraqi security forces Saturday at a jail inside the heavily protected zone, he said.

The troops also confiscated weapons during the raid on the suspects’ firm at about 4 a.m. (11 a.m. ET), said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

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Saturday, May 23, 2009

Technology: The First InterComm™ Solution–A Communications System to Unite Contractors and Military?

Filed under: Technology — Tags: BAE Systems, convoys, First Intercomm, Iraq, military, radios, security contractors, unity of command, war — Matt @ 12:28 AM

Ok guys and gals, this is a good one. I have always been frustrated with the lack of communications capability between all the companies and the military, while operating out there in war zones. If everyone in the theater of operations had a First InterComm System set up in one of their convoy vehicles or at their FOB, then everyone should be able to communicate with one another, yet still use their current radio systems.

Companies could be issued these boxes, or it could be mandated that all convoy operations and sites have them as part of the contract. That way, the company can still use their current communications systems, but with this device they can communicate with everyone else that has their own communications system, yet has the same device. That way, companies interacting with other companies or even the military, will be able to communicate. That is cool.

For convoys that pass each other on the road, these devices could allow them to communicate with each other. Especially if one convoy just blasted through an ambush or visually spotted a potential IED, and then they could pass on this information via radio–and instantly, yet not have to mess around with reprogramming or changing radios. That is much better than going through a third party TOC that is miles away that might or might not get the information, and more than likely will get it too late to make a difference for the here and now.

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