Thanks Don, privatization?, support the troops you unpatriotic moron

[politicaholic]

Some of Army's Civilian Contractors Are No-Shows in Iraq

BY DAVID WOOD
c.2003 Newhouse News Service

WASHINGTON -- U.S. troops in Iraq suffered through months of unnecessarily poor living conditions because some civilian contractors hired by the Army for logistics support failed to show up, Army officers said.

Months after American combat troops settled into occupation duty, they were camped out in primitive, dust-blown shelters without windows or air conditioning. The Army has invested heavily in modular barracks, showers, bathroom facilities and field kitchens, but troops in Iraq were using ramshackle plywood latrines and living without fresh food or regular access to showers and telephones.

-snip-

"We thought we could depend on industry to perform these kinds of functions," Lt. Gen. Charles S. Mahan, the Army's logistics chief, said in an interview.

One thing became clear in Iraq. "You cannot order civilians into a war zone," said Linda K. Theis, an official at the Army's Field Support Command, which oversees some civilian logistics contracts. "People can sign up to that -- but they can also back out."

-snip-

http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/wood080103.html
---------------------------------------------------

The difference between the U.S. troops and the Iraqi Guerrilas is that the Iraqi troops can load up their guns, take the long way back to their apartments, have dinner with their loved ones, and maybe take a shower.

Why?

BECAUSE THEY'RE HOME!

When can Rummy just start rotting in hell already? Sheesh

[LoneStarLiberal]

1. All Hail The Power of the Market!

What a bunch of armchair Macarthurs our fearless leaders are, eh? Federal jobs? Outsource them. IT jobs? Protect company profits by stifiling state legislation to prevent off-shore outsourcing. Military logistics? Privatize them.

How can anyone with a functioning brain look at the track record of these greedy corporate-worshiping assholes and think they really have the solution for Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid?

[tom_paine]

5. Sure they have a solution...The Final Solution

We can only guess just how close to ther spiritual forebears the monstrous progeny of the Bushevik Caesers, shall fall in the future.

They are going to put Social Security and Medicare in large bags with $$$'s and cart them off to the Grand Caymans.

[gratuitous]

2. Gee, I hope this doesn't have an affect

I hope none of the companies that have failed to perform their contract services are suffering any adverse consequences because of that. You know, like the bad old U.S. government withholding payment due them under the contract. That would probably cause a recession or an economic downturn, and you know that another round of tax cuts for the ultrawealthy is the only thing that will fix that!

[htuttle]

3. I'm still trying to figure out...

...how it can be cheaper for a multi-national defense contractor to dig latrines and pitch tents than it would be for some E-4's to do the same thing.

[cap]

4. hire 3rd world natives...

that's what KBR is doing. That's how its cheaper.

BTW, they wouldn't dare do anything like withold payment or bar the company from competing again on govt contracts would they!!!