Pentagon’s War on Drugs Goes Mercenary

[unhappycamper]

Pentagon’s War on Drugs Goes Mercenary
By Spencer Ackerman Email Author
November 22, 2011 | 6:30 am

An obscure Pentagon office designed to curb the flow of illegal drugs has quietly evolved into a one-stop shop for private security contractors around the world, soliciting deals worth over $3 billion.

The sprawling contract, ostensibly designed to stop drug-funded terrorism, seeks security firms for missions like “train Azerbaijan Naval Commandos.” Other tasks include providing Black Hawk and Kiowa helicopter training “for crew members of the Mexican Secretariat of Public Security.” Still others involve building “anti-terrorism/force protection enhancements” for the Pakistani border force in the tribal areas abutting Afghanistan.

The Defense Department’s Counter Narco-Terrorism Program Office has packed all these tasks and more inside a mega-contract for security firms. The office, known as CNTPO, is all but unknown, even to professional Pentagon watchers. It interprets its counternarcotics mandate very, very broadly, leaning heavily on its implied counterterrorism portfolio. And it’s responsible for one of the largest chunks of money provided to mercenaries in the entire federal government.

CNTPO quietly solicited an umbrella contract for all the security services listed above — and many, many more — on Nov. 9. It will begin handing out the contract’s cash by August. And there is a lot of cash to disburse.

[RKP5637]

1. Yep, big money in going after drugs, building prisons and increasing the

black market. One feeds the other. Done to help the people ... bullshit. Done to pad peoples wallets with the profits.

[kickysnana]

2. Working both sides no doubt. n/t

[woo me with science]

3. Excellent article. Of course it's mercenary.

Thank you for documenting one more slimy tentacle of what our corporate-governmental oligarchy has become.

[Rageneau]

4. Our government is using our own troops to police us.

At one time, back when Americans cared about such things, it would have been unthinkable for the Pentagon to get into the law enforcement business in any way. The press and public would hav howled. The fact that the WOD has caused the erosion and disappearance of our control over our armies is ample proof that the 'war' on drugs is itself evil. All anti-drug laws are evil. All drug warriors are evil, and all citizens who support the draconian "war" on drugs are on their way to becoming evil themselves.

By re-framing the war on drugs as a war on terrorism, the oligarchs can use Patriot Act provision to go after pot patches -- are are doing just that!

There is only one way to roll back the fascism that is engulfing us -- eliminate all drug laws.

[truedelphi]

5. Not only would the press and the public have howled - Congress would have howled too.

I never realized that the mid to late seventies were going to represent the farthest left-tilt I would see in my lifetime in this nation.

[Warren DeMontague]

6. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ALL ABOARD THE GRAVY TRAIN!!! $$$$$$$$$$

:eyes:

[RainDog]

7. k&r n/t

[piratefish08]

8. war on drugs war for drugs war to protect drugs war war war drugs drugs drugs

it all gets so confusing..........