Letter to Senator Daniel Inouye, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense

Letter

Letter to Senator Daniel Inouye, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense

Durbin Asks Defense Subcommittee to Investigate Private Contractors in Iraq

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense asking for a hearing on private security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, specifically Blackwater Security.

In today's letter, Durbin noted: "Companies such as Blackwater have enjoyed enormous government contracts. Their ties to the Administration have allowed them to grow significantly and reap large wartime profits. Yet their accountability has been limited."

Text of the letter appears below:

September 19, 2007

Dear Senator Inouye:

The recent incident in Iraq involving Blackwater Security and the Iraqi government's decision to ban the company from operating in that country shines a light on yet another critical issue in Iraq: the use of private security forces. There are approximately 20,000-30,000 private security contractors in Iraq; the exact number is unknown. I have serious concerns about the inadequate regulation and oversight of these companies.

Companies such as Blackwater have enjoyed enormous government contracts. Their ties to the Administration have allowed them to grow significantly and reap large wartime profits. Yet their accountability has been limited.

Stories abound of contract employees placed in war zones without the proper personal protection or equipment and of units being undermanned. If these companies are unnecessarily risking American lives while their profits increase, they should be held accountable just as a military commander would be held accountable under the Uniformed Code of Military Justice for a failure to protect the troops. The connections Blackwater has established with the Administration and that fact that its work is done in Iraq should not prevent it from being held legally accountable for its actions.

Many of the men and women working for Blackwater in Iraq and Afghanistan are honorable, professional and patriotic. But any organization with as wide a footprint as Blackwater is likely to have some exceptions in its midst. While in theory security contractors are bound by the same Rules of Engagement as our soldiers are, the limited oversight of their work by the Administration has made it exceedingly difficult to hold them accountable for their actions. In practice there has been little or no accountability exercised.

Finally, the Administration's haphazard planning for this war has fostered an over-reliance on private security forces to fill gaps that should have been anticipated. When the Administration has needed more security than our over-stretched armed forces can provide, it has turned to private security contractors paid by American tax dollars. Those contractors are seen abroad as representing the United States, even though U.S. oversight has been limited.

These issues need greater attention. Accordingly, I request that the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee conduct a hearing to investigate, among other things, the following issues:

1. How many private security contractors currently work in Iraq and Afghanistan?
2. Under what rules do they operate? What are their specific rules of engagement?
3. Under what legal authority are they held accountable?
4. How many lethal and non-lethal incidents have they been involved in since the beginning of the war? Who investigates these incidents and ensures that they are held accountable for any lapses or illegal acts?
5. What no-bid contracts has Blackwater received from the Administration? Are there ties between Blackwater and the Administration that raise concerns about any of these no-bid contracts?
6. What are Blackwater and other companies doing to ensure the maximum protection of their employees on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan? Who, if anyone, monitors whether the companies are placing profit ahead of the protection of their employees?
7. What U.S. laws, if any, are groups like Blackwater required to obey in their operations abroad? What Iraqi or Afghan laws are they subject to when they work in Iraq and Afghanistan? Are there any restrictions that prevent such groups from being hired by foreign governments or entities as private mercenaries?

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator

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