View Full Version : Contractors Tied to Effort to Track & Kill Militants
Anyone know the skinny on this?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/15/world/asia/15contractors.html
Are our intelligence organizations constantly PUBLICLY turning on each other or do I need to take off my tinfoil hat? Or are politicians playing them against each other for their own domestic agendas?:confused:
I don't understand. The NYT never mentioned what laws were being broken, only that it was "generally considered illegal."
Can someone explain this so dumb people like me can understand what the issue is besides petty jealousies and politics?
I noticed that too. Hiring well trained highly cleared Americans as spies/intelligence operatives is illegal? Could there be a mil reg that says the "mil" can't "hire" intelligence agents and allow them to perform intelligence tasks because of the civilian oversight committees that have to approve use of deadly force in foreign intelligence operations?
How are foreign intelligence organizations and hired agents supposed to ever trust us when we constantly hang our own out to dry?
Alpha Sierra
03-16-10, 05:16
How are foreign intelligence organizations and hired agents supposed to ever trust us when we constantly hang our own out to dry?
Not only them, but also rank and file troopers and officers engaged in combat should ask themselves that very same question.
I don't understand. The NYT never mentioned what laws were being broken, only that it was "generally considered illegal."
Can someone explain this so dumb people like me can understand what the issue is besides petty jealousies and politics?
The allegations are that he was running what amounted to a private, unsanctioned organization and committed fraud by diverting funds from official projects to fund it.
Business_Casual
03-16-10, 07:47
The allegations are that he was running what amounted to a private, unsanctioned organization and committed fraud by diverting funds from official projects to fund it.
If you have any experience with the Byzantine and contradictory FARs and DARs, you wouldn't be surprised that the charge could be made. There is an entire industry dedicated to making sure that funds are used in accordance with the rules.
All I am trying to point out is that someone could have thought they were doing the right thing but ran afoul of the rules due to ignorance/inexperience.
Shrug.
M_P
I noticed that too. Hiring well trained highly cleared Americans as spies/intelligence operatives is illegal? Could there be a mil reg that says the "mil" can't "hire" intelligence agents and allow them to perform intelligence tasks because of the civilian oversight committees that have to approve use of deadly force in foreign intelligence operations?
How are foreign intelligence organizations and hired agents supposed to ever trust us when we constantly hang our own out to dry?
I'm an ends justify the means kind of guy on issues like this.
Having come from the Intel field, I am a firm believer that the public does not need to know everything about how we gather intel, what we do with it and how we handle people that threaten our country.
Ignorance is bliss.
C4
AMEN!
Having come from the Intel field, I am a firm believer that the public does not need to know everything about how we gather intel, what we do with it and how we handle people that threaten our country.
Ignorance is bliss.
C4
If whatever law that was supposedly broken (again, the article only said that it was generally considered to be illegal and no specific law was mentioned) is some sort of artificial barrier put in by goody two shoe politicians but serves no real purpose then that law should be reconsidered (of course that would apply to about 90% of the laws on the books).
Sounds like he spent money on things he wasn't supposed to, and did things that most of us don't have a problem with but did it without appropriate authority.
From what has been described, I don't see any problems with what he was doing - hiring people to track and locate known enemies and gather information generally. Seems reasonable enough. The problem seems to be, and I agree to some extent, that he did all of this on his own, in the dark, with no authority or accountability.
Also, if Eason Jordan's account is correct and they were just hiring people (locals or otherwise) to gather open source info, I don't know why that's a problem. Jane's does that every day in every country and sells it to whoever wants to buy it.
VooDoo6Actual
03-16-10, 14:37
no comment. :D
GermanSynergy
03-16-10, 14:42
Consider the source- the Old York Times- an anti American newspaper. Anything they can do to hamper our efforts or lower morale of the troops in the field, they do it. This little piece is no different.
I'm fully aware of the source and you can see by their word choices what kind of spin they are spewing, but It does sound like these guys were ratted out for public scrutiny by a CIA station chief... WTF, Over?
I'm fully aware of the source and you can see by their word choices what kind of spin they are spewing, but It does sound like these guys were ratted out for public scrutiny by a CIA station chief... WTF, Over?
They were being run by someone in the DoD...
Iraq Ninja
03-16-10, 16:25
It is ironic that Robert Young Pelton was part of this. He is no friend of the security contracting profession.
He is an entertaining author though, and the Army didn't like his article in Men's Journal. See their rebuttal in the comments section.
http://www.mensjournal.com/new-war-for-hearts-and-minds.
D. Christopher
03-16-10, 19:05
God bless Dewey Clarridge! Anything he's involved with I back 100%. DC if there is ever anything I can do for you, and I do mean anything, you know where to find me. Thanks for everything.
Whatever has to be done "behind closed doors", has to be done. These guys are highly trained, highly experienced professionals who are there to carry out a specific operation of gathering intel on our countries enemies. I dont see a big deal with it. What I see a big deal with are gossiping assholes exposing and burning these guys. The writers should be dropped off in the Pashtun region of Pakistan and left to fend for themselves.
the Bamster
03-17-10, 06:44
Once I get em in the SEIU it will be ok.
trunkmonkey
03-17-10, 10:01
To think that contractors are not used in a variety of ways is ludacris.
Common sense says the best are not always currently in the military or govt sectors.
apply the assets you have in the best fashion to get the job done no matter what color coat or uniform they have on. INTEL is INTEL for a reason. We dont need to know how or why or were it came from if everyone knows its not longer INTEL.
Iraq Ninja
03-17-10, 11:09
To think that contractors are not used in a variety of ways is ludacris.
Common sense says the best are not always currently in the military or govt sectors.
And many of these same people will tell you that the oath they took did not become null and void when they left the military.
CarlosDJackal
03-17-10, 11:27
The allegations are that he was running what amounted to a private, unsanctioned organization and committed fraud by diverting funds from official projects to fund it.
You mean something like ACORN, NAACP, Air America, ACLU, etc.?
You mean something like ACORN, NAACP, Air America, ACLU, etc.?
Huh? :confused:
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