[NYTr] Afghanistan: Mercenaries move into Helmand

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

The Independent - Oct 14, 2007
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article3058906.ece


Private US military contractors move into Helmand

British forces fear influx of Americans may harm 'hearts and minds'
campaign after Blackwater shootings in Iraq 

By Kim Sengupta in Kabul

Large numbers of US private military personnel are expected to arrive
in Helmand, the focal point of British involvement in Afghanistan, as
part of a new effort to promote reconstruction and development in the
war-torn province.

The US has contributed the largest sum to the new aid effort, over
$200m. But British officials striving to win "hearts and minds" in the
conflict against the Taliban have expressed concern over the potential
influx of military contractors, amid a continuing furore over the
shooting of civilians in Iraq by Blackwater.

As Nato troops reclaim territory from the Taliban, the movement has
increasingly resorted to suicide attacks and roadside bombings. "The
worry is that there will be a blast, and some contractors will panic
and open fire, as happened with Blackwater in Baghdad. That is the very
last thing that Helmand needs at the moment," said a Western diplomat.

"On paper the Americans are by far the largest donors in the province,
but a big portion of that never filters down to the ground." A recent
meeting of donors decided that the security situation in Helmand was
now stable enough to start bigger aid projects. But there are recurring
complaints, including among some USAID workers, that a substantial
proportion of American aid money is siphoned off for security. The US
government spends, on average, just over $1m a year to protect each aid
worker it sends to Afghanistan.

DynCorp, one of the main American security companies, has already sown
resentment in Helmand with its participation in the campaign to
eradicate the opium poppy crop. British commanders accept that farmers
whose livelihoods have been destroyed do not distinguish between
private contractors and soldiers, despite repeated assurances that
British troops are not involved. The government of President Hamid
Karzai, like its counterpart in Iraq, has expressed concern about the
activities of private contractors and is discussing new legislation to
tighten control.

Blackwater provides security for the US embassy in Kabul, but the
largest American government contract in the country is believed to be
held by Texas-based USPI. According to reports in its home state last
week, the company has been accused of overbilling the US government by
millions of dollars for non-existent employees and vehicles. USPI
acknowledges that it is being investigated, but insists that the
allegations are untrue.

USPI's hiring practices in Afghanistan have drawn criticism from the
International Crisis Group, a think tank. It said in a report that a
majority of the men on USPI's payroll were associated with private
militias. "Many have used their authority to engage in criminal
activity, including drug trafficking," it claimed.

An American supervisor working for USPI was accused of shooting dead an
Afghan interpreter and is said to have been flown out of the country
the next day. Officials from Blackwater later took part in a raid on
its offices in which computers and files were removed.

USPI has been the target of several bomb attacks. Its headquarters in
Kandahar was hit by a suicide bomb, and another suicide bomber
targeting a convoy being escorted by the company's personnel killed 15
people and injured 26.