RSS | Newsletters | Facebook CAP en Español
Center for American Progress Center for American Progress
Issues National SecurityRegions & Countries Middle East

The Government, Not Blackwater, Should Have the Monopoly of Force

The deadly shooting of Iraqi civilians by guards working for Blackwater USA in Baghdad on Sept. 16 should raise many questions about the role of private contractors in U.S. national security. So, too, should the Bush administration's opposition to a House bill that seeks to place all private contractors in Iraq and other combat zones under the jurisdiction of U.S. courts.

The Defense Department's use of a significant number of private contractors for jobs normally done by military personnel started when Washington ended the draft, in 1973. Since the Pentagon no longer relied on the hidden tax of conscription, volunteers had to be paid a reasonable wage. To keep the number of military people small -- and hold down personnel costs -- the Pentagon began contracting out support activities like preparing food for the troops (soldiers call these duties K.P. or kitchen police) and routine maintenance. This trend was accelerated by the assumption of many federal, state and local officials that the private sector was, by definition, more efficient than the government. So government agencies began contracting out as many functions as possible.

Read more here.

This article was originally published in The Huffington Post.

To speak with our experts on this topic, please contact:

Print: Katie Peters (economy, education, and health care)
202.741.6285 or kpeters1@americanprogress.org

Print: Christina DiPasquale (foreign policy and security, energy)
202.481.8181 or cdipasquale@americanprogress.org

Print: Laura Pereyra (ethnic media, immigration)
202.741.6258 or lpereyra@americanprogress.org

Radio: Anne Shoup
202.481.7146 or ashoup@americanprogress.org

TV: Lindsay Hamilton
202.483.2675 or lhamilton@americanprogress.org

Web: Andrea Peterson
202.481.8119 or apeterson@americanprogress.org

Subscribe to RSS Feeds

RSS IconSite-Wide and Issue-Specific RSS Feeds

Related Materials

The Snake Oil of “Who Lost Iraq?”, by Matthew Duss

Event: A Discussion on the Obama Administration's National Security Policy

Panetta’s Trimmed Defense Budget Is a Good First Step—but It Isn’t Enough, by Lawrence J. Korb, Max Hoffman, Alex Rothman

A More Agile and Sustainable Military Posture

Military Benefits Must Be Cut, by Lawrence J. Korb

Also by Lawrence J. Korb

Panetta’s Trimmed Defense Budget Is a Good First Step—but It Isn’t Enough, January 27, 2012

The Right Cuts, January 25, 2012

Military Benefits Must Be Cut, January 11, 2012