IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...
The presence of private military contractors has only worsened the situation in Iraq
One could sometimes imagine the Bush administration as a vast experiment concocted by mad political scientists who want to see what happens if a nation systematically ignores everything we’ve learned about how to make a modern government work. It has abandoned the principle of a professional, non-political civil service, stuffing agencies from FEMA to the Justice Department with unqualified cronies. Tax farming is back. And so are the mercenaries, whom Machiavelli described as “useless and dangerous” over four centuries ago.
In Iraq, mercenaries are so central to the effort that, as Peter W. Singer of the Brookings Institution points out in a new report, “The private military industry has suffered more losses in Iraq than the rest of the coalition of allied nations combined.” They carry out military missions sans military discipline & legal accountability.
We may never know what really happened in a crowded Baghdad square, two weeks ago. Employees of Blackwater USA claim that they were attacked by gunmen. Iraqi police and witnesses say that the contractors began firing randomly at a car that didn’t get out of their way. What we do know is that over 20 civilians were killed, including the couple and child in the car. And there are other such documented incidents. Singer reminds us that in 2005, “Armed contractors from the Zapata firm were detained by US forces, who claimed they saw the private soldiers indiscriminately firing not only at Iraqi civilians, but also US Marines.” In 2006, employees of Aegis posted a “trophy video” on the internet that showed them shooting civilians. Blackwater has the worst reputation. On Christmas Eve 2006, a drunken Blackwater employee reportedly shot and killed a guard of the Iraqi vice president. In May 2007, Blackwater employees reportedly shot an employee of Iraq’s Interior Ministry.
Iraqis aren’t the only victims. Of the nearly 4,000 American service members who have died in Iraq, scores would surely still be alive if it weren’t for the hatred such incidents engender. Don’t tell me these outfits are irreplaceable. The Iraq war has now gone on for four and a half years – plenty of time to find a way to do without them. And the danger they pose to US forces has been obvious at least since March 2004, when four armed Blackwater employees blundered into Fallujah in the middle of a delicate military operation, precipitating a crisis in Iraq. Yet Blackwater stays, in fact, with the lead role in diplomatic security in Ira
Singer argues that reliance on private military contractors has let the administration avoid making hard political choices. Contractors, he writes, “Offered the potential backstop of additional forces, but with no one having to lose any political capital.” Moreover, the Bush Administration has tried to privatise every aspect of the US Government it can, using taxpayers’ money to give lucrative contracts to its friends – people like Erik Prince, the owner of Blackwater, who has strong Republican connections. You might think national security would take precedence over a fetish for privatisation – but remember, President Bush tried to keep airport security in private hands, even after 9/11.
Paul Krugman
For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
Read these article :-
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The presence of private military contractors has only worsened the situation in Iraq
One could sometimes imagine the Bush administration as a vast experiment concocted by mad political scientists who want to see what happens if a nation systematically ignores everything we’ve learned about how to make a modern government work. It has abandoned the principle of a professional, non-political civil service, stuffing agencies from FEMA to the Justice Department with unqualified cronies. Tax farming is back. And so are the mercenaries, whom Machiavelli described as “useless and dangerous” over four centuries ago.In Iraq, mercenaries are so central to the effort that, as Peter W. Singer of the Brookings Institution points out in a new report, “The private military industry has suffered more losses in Iraq than the rest of the coalition of allied nations combined.” They carry out military missions sans military discipline & legal accountability.
We may never know what really happened in a crowded Baghdad square, two weeks ago. Employees of Blackwater USA claim that they were attacked by gunmen. Iraqi police and witnesses say that the contractors began firing randomly at a car that didn’t get out of their way. What we do know is that over 20 civilians were killed, including the couple and child in the car. And there are other such documented incidents. Singer reminds us that in 2005, “Armed contractors from the Zapata firm were detained by US forces, who claimed they saw the private soldiers indiscriminately firing not only at Iraqi civilians, but also US Marines.” In 2006, employees of Aegis posted a “trophy video” on the internet that showed them shooting civilians. Blackwater has the worst reputation. On Christmas Eve 2006, a drunken Blackwater employee reportedly shot and killed a guard of the Iraqi vice president. In May 2007, Blackwater employees reportedly shot an employee of Iraq’s Interior Ministry.
Iraqis aren’t the only victims. Of the nearly 4,000 American service members who have died in Iraq, scores would surely still be alive if it weren’t for the hatred such incidents engender. Don’t tell me these outfits are irreplaceable. The Iraq war has now gone on for four and a half years – plenty of time to find a way to do without them. And the danger they pose to US forces has been obvious at least since March 2004, when four armed Blackwater employees blundered into Fallujah in the middle of a delicate military operation, precipitating a crisis in Iraq. Yet Blackwater stays, in fact, with the lead role in diplomatic security in Ira
Singer argues that reliance on private military contractors has let the administration avoid making hard political choices. Contractors, he writes, “Offered the potential backstop of additional forces, but with no one having to lose any political capital.” Moreover, the Bush Administration has tried to privatise every aspect of the US Government it can, using taxpayers’ money to give lucrative contracts to its friends – people like Erik Prince, the owner of Blackwater, who has strong Republican connections. You might think national security would take precedence over a fetish for privatisation – but remember, President Bush tried to keep airport security in private hands, even after 9/11.
Paul Krugman
For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
Read these article :-
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM awards four Bengali novelists
The Hindu : Education Plus : Honour for IIPM
IIPM ranked No.1 B-School in India, Management News - By ...
IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
Moneycontrol >> News >> Press- News >> IIPM ranked No1 B-School in ...
» IIPM ranked No1 B-School in India :: Education, Careers ...
The Hindu Business Line : IIPM placements hit a high of over 2000 jobs
Deccan Herald - IIPM ranked as top B-School in India
India eNews - IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
IIPM Delhi - Indian Institute of Planning and Management New Delhi ...
domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs
IIPM makes business education truly global-Education-The Times of ...
