Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Publications: Journal Of International Peace Operations, July-August 2011
Comments Off on Publications: Journal Of International Peace Operations, July-August 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Afghanistan: As Troops Draw Down, Security Contractors Will Fill In The Gaps
The latest news these days is the draw down in troops. It has been expected and talked about, but now it is becoming reality. I have yet to read any analysis on how the security contracting industry itself will be impacted by this draw down, so this is my attempt at such things. I believe given all of the investment into Afghanistan’s reconstruction and security, that our industry will be in high demand as the troops pull out. It will also be a dangerous time period because of security vacuums created by a lack of troops, or a lack of Afghan police/military.
Below I have posted three stories that discuss all of the foreign investment or organizations interested in reconstruction in Afghanistan. The troops might be pulling out, but these investment projects will still be there, and they will be ongoing for awhile. With that reduction in troop related security, someone is going to have to fill that security vacuum. I believe that ‘someone’ will be a combination of local security contractors, and expats.
Not to mention that the State Department mission in Afghanistan will be ongoing for awhile. So WPS is going to be a viable source of employment for security contractors in Afghanistan and elsewhere. DoS and USAID both have reconstruction projects, government mentor-ship programs and diplomatic missions to maintain as the troops draw down. Security contractors are going to be vital to the continuation of those missions.
The other source of work that will be ongoing in Afghanistan is training police and military. The troop draw down strategy is highly dependent upon Afghanistan’s ability to provide it’s own security and stand on it’s own. As US troops pull out, these training missions will probably require even more contractor trainers. And let’s not forget about NATO, and their inability to provide training assets. Contractors will be an essential part of maintaining this aspect of the strategy.
Then of course there are the foreign investments in mining in Afghanistan. The mines and the railroads required to ship that stuff out of the country, are necessary for the reconstruction and stability of Afghanistan. It will also help to pay for this massive army we have helped Afghanistan build, and hopefully sustain. (although foreign donors will continue to be the main source of maintaining this army) So local security contractors will be essential for those projects, and expat security contractors will be required to handle the PSD of engineers and upper management.
Probably the most important things to remember about the draw down is that troops must be approved by congress, but there is no limit as to the number of security contractors that can be hired. Matter of fact, the only limit to security contractors is financial. So if the investments and interest in Afghanistan is still there, contractors will continue to be very important. Probably more important than ever, just because the enemy will want to exploit the draw down of troops is an excellent time to attack and turn up the pressure. We will see….-Matt
The US Isn’t the Only Donor in Afghanistan
As U.S. Pulls Back, Fears Abound Over Toll on Afghan Economy
In Afghanistan, who will pick up where the U.S. leaves off?
The US Isn’t the Only Donor in Afghanistan
06/22/11
Jordan Dey
Fmr. US Director, UN World Food Program
As the Obama Administration announces its Afghanistan drawdown tonight, much has been said about what will change — the number of troops — but there has been virtually no discussion of what will remain largely the same — the continued assistance of more than four dozen countries, 20 UN agencies, and hundreds of NGOs in providing everything from road-building contracts to health care investments in Afghanistan.?As President Obama has shifted US foreign policy from the unilateralism of the Bush Administration to a more collaborative approach with our allies there is no country on earth where that multi-country approach is more apparent than Afghanistan. And, no country on earth where the US is better prepared to reduce its footprint, and leave some work to others.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Books: The Profession, By Steven Pressfield
Thanks to Mark from Zenpundit for the heads up about this book. Steven Pressfield is an outstanding author and he even has a novel on the Commandant of the Marine Corp’s reading list called Gates of Fire. The book is also taught at West Point, Annapolis, the Marine Corps Basic School at Quantico, the Virginia Military Institute and at Brophy College Preparatory.(I am sure there are others) So when an author gets that much respect for his written word, I tend to perk up when he writes a novel about private military companies in the near future.
You might also remember his discussion about solutions for the Afghanistan war. Him and Jim Gant were definitely promoting some interesting solutions, and it was a pleasure back then to read and follow along. I am still following his blog and he does a fantastic job of going over the process of writing, as well as discussing history’s military lessons.
I have not read this book yet, but I definitely would like to hear what others think about it. On Amazon there are reviews to check out, and Mark had a few readers on his site that chimed in. Here is a product description from Amazon.
Product Description
The “master storyteller” (Publishers Weekly) and bestselling author of Gates of Fire, The Afghan Campaign, and Killing Rommel returns with a stunning, chillingly plausible near-future thriller about the rise of a privately financed and global military industrial complex.? ?The year is 2032. The third Iran-Iraq war is over; the 11/11 dirty bomb attack on the port of Long Beach, California is receding into memory; Saudi Arabia has recently quelled a coup; Russians and Turks are clashing in the Caspian Basin; Iranian armored units, supported by the satellite and drone power of their Chinese allies, have emerged from their enclaves in Tehran and are sweeping south attempting to recapture the resource rich territory that had been stolen from them, in their view, by Lukoil, BP, and ExxonMobil and their privately-funded armies. Everywhere military force is for hire. Oil companies, multi-national corporations and banks employ powerful, cutting-edge mercenary armies to control global chaos and protect their riches. Even nation states enlist mercenary forces to suppress internal insurrections, hunt terrorists, and do the black bag jobs necessary to maintain the new New World Order. ? ?Force Insertion is the world’s merc monopoly. Its leader is the disgraced former United States Marine General James Salter, stripped of his command by the president for nuclear saber-rattling with the Chinese and banished to the Far East. A grandmaster military and political strategist, Salter deftly seizes huge oil and gas fields, ultimately making himself the most powerful man in the world. Salter’s endgame is to take vengeance on those responsible for his exile and then come home…as Commander in Chief. The only man who can stop him is the novel’s narrator, Gilbert “Gent” Gentilhomme, Salter’s most loyal foot soldier and as close to him as the son Salter lost. As this action-jammed, lightning fast, and brutally realistic novel builds to its heart-stopping climax Gent launches his personally and professionally most desperate mission: to take out his mentor and save the United States from self destruction.? ?Infused by a staggering breadth of research in military tactics and steeped in the timeless themes of the honor and valor of men at war that distinguish all of Pressfield’s fiction, The Profession is that rare novel that informs and challenges the reader almost as much as it entertains.
The only commentary I have on this, just based on the description, is that Gilbert “Gent” Gentilhomme sounds like a practitioner of Jundism. lol Or basically, he had the courage to do what is right, and stop this out of control General–that he used to idolize.
So if anyone is interested in purchasing this book, you can find it in the Jundi Gear store here. You can also check out all the reviews on Amazon while on that page, and so far the book is getting good reviews. To give you a taste, Steven has even published a chapter of this book on his site. Check it out and let me know what you think. –Matt
Monday, June 13, 2011
Afghanistan: Government Is Building A 7,000-man Security Force For Hajigak Mining Contracts
“The companies (at Hajigak) need to be secure and the Afghan government is making all arrangements. Security at the work camps, the steel plant, movement of men and materials, everything will be taken care of by the government of Afghanistan. We will permanently locate 1,500 persons of the Afghan National Police at Hajigak.”
In case the contractor wants to bring in their own security, like for an “inner ring” as the Chinese have done, Shahrani says Kabul will be “flexible”.
Now this is interesting. So I am wondering how the Afghan government plans to fight the insurgency, and build a security force for these mines? I thought we were training the police to actually ‘police’ in Afghanistan, and not be security guards for these mines? –Matt
Foreign companies fund private army: The Afghan Government is building up a 7,000-man privately funded militia to protect the country’s mining industry as it struggles to attract foreign investment while battling against a bloody insurgency. The Mining Protection Force will be funded entirely by foreign companies through licences they buy to develop iron, gold and copper mining projects.
Story here.—————————————————————-
New Afghanistan mining projects create opportunity for India
By Ajai Shukla
June 07, 2011
The new Great Game for the rights to mine Afghanistan’s enormous mineral wealth is gathering momentum. With the global mining industry, and especially Indian mining majors, already focused on the unfolding competition for the massive Hajigak iron-ore mine, Afghanistan has announced five potentially lucrative mines.
Speaking exclusively to Business Standard in Kabul, Afghanistan’s Minister for Mines Wahidullah Shahrani revealed, “After Hajigak, in July this year, I will put five major projects on tender: three copper and two gold deposits and, in February 2012, I will put a huge oil basin in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif on tender.”
Immediate attention, though, is focused on the tender for Hajigak, a two-billion-tonne deposit of high-grade iron ore in the central province of Bamiyan, for which bids are required to be submitted by August 3. Shahrani said the winner of the Hajigak contract would be finalised by October.
Comments Off on Afghanistan: Government Is Building A 7,000-man Security Force For Hajigak Mining Contracts
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Industry Talk: Is The DoS And The WPS Program Being Set Up For Failure By Congress?
Iraq as a democracy in our own image is a foolish dream. The State Department will now be expected to be the firewall against its descent back into chaos. Be ready with the fire hoses … um, sorry, Congress had just slashed the money for the fire hoses. –Diplopundit
What I wanted to point out here is that there are several forces that are at play, that might result in contributing to DoS and WPS failure. Congress has never really been excited about funding DoS and has always thrown way more money at defense related initiatives. (thanks to defense industry lobbyists). To get Congress to recognize the value of DoS is like pulling teeth. But folks like the DoS are essential to soft power initiatives and solving problems diplomatically, as opposed to killing people in costly wars. Remember that whole Sun Tzu quote about winning a war without fighting?
With today’s penny pinching endeavors as a result of the economy, or lack of a coherent energy policy, or the cost of fighting two ‘costly’ wars for close to ten years, there is more of an effort to cut costs. Which is good to a point, and I would love to see government get smaller and more efficient. But common sense should be applied to some of these cost cutting initiatives, and especially where lives are on the line.
There are some areas that should not be cut or messed with, because the consequences of not properly funding these functions of government could have grave consequence. Specifically, the DoS mission in places like Iraq or Afghanistan. And to really boil it down, when agencies get less money to effectively handle projects that are vital to the stability of an already weakened country like Iraq, then you start to see the really negative effects. Things like a lack of, or poor condition of equipment or weapons for security contractors. Or the amount of oversight decreases or is not fulfilled, because there is no money for such things.
The other forces at play is the public desire to just pull out of these wars, and not care about these programs that we have invested billions of dollars in. This public opinion fuels Congress, and in order to politically survive, they must meet the demands of the public. That is democracy, but it also could lead to half measures or poorly funded programs that really do need sufficient support in order to be successful. I will not sit here and say we should do one thing or the other, and my only goal here is to show the potential consequences of such things. I would hate to see this industry get thrown under the bus once again, all because of the politics of the war.
Which by the way, I really would like to hear more from the WPS folks, both DoS and contractors, as to how your program is going? The public and this industry needs to know if your operations are negatively impacted because of these political factors. I will really be mad and sad, if men and women die or get hurt because of these poorly funded and managed initiatives. You are either all in, or all out, and half measures and poor funding can have dangerous consequence. Congress and the public needs to hear it as well.
Another point I wanted to make is WPS will be vital for the ‘other’ DoS missions out there as a result of the Arab Spring. The cards are being re-shuffled in the middle east and diplomatic missions in these countries will be vital for national interest. These are dangerous times, and security for these diplomatic missions is essential. Congress should do all it can to ensure DoS and it’s security apparatus is successful, because lives and national interest are on the line.
Oh, and the main stream media might be easily influenced by the winds of politics, but this blog is not, and I am concerned with the reality on the ground. I want to know if this industry is getting a fair shot at success out there, or if they are being set up for failure. Of course I want our industry to provide an excellent service to it’s clients, but I am also wary of the factors that are out of the hands of private industry. That way, at the end of the day, we can point the finger at what really was the cause of failure as opposed to letting folks with personal or political agendas define the causes and reasons for failure. Please check out the four articles I have posted below, and let me know what you think? –Matt
Budget woes poised to hit State Department hard
By KATE BRANNEN
June 2, 2011
The State Department’s budget has already taken a hit in 2011, but it appears that its finances will be squeezed even tighter just as the department is trying to regain ground lost to the Pentagon over the past decade.
In the final budget resolution passed for 2011, Congress agreed to provide $48 billion for State and foreign operations. This marked an $8.4 billion reduction from the president’s budget request. It was also $504 million less than the department received in 2010.
For 2012 spending, the House Appropriations Committee announced that it plans to cut $11 billion from the State Department and foreign operations budget request of $47 billion. This includes funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development.