Tuesday, April 20, 2010

MCCRYSTAL: TOO MANY CONTRACTORS IN AFGHANISTAN


He was commander of JSOC from 2003 to 2008. He didn’t just bump into these mercenaries from time to time, he was in charge of them, and he used them to blow people away on the say-so of Dick Cheney. McChrystal is Joseph Conrad’s Col. Kurtz come to life and promoted to a four-star deep in the very heart of McDarkness, and now he says this? I say it's time for the grocery clerks to send an errand boy to collect the bill





By JAMEY KEATEN (AP) – 3 days ago

PARIS — The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan said Friday that the coalition depends too much on private-sector contractors, and insisted his forces are keeping close watch on the flow of Taliban fighters who are training in Iran.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, during a four-day visit to France, said the coalition in Afghanistan has become too dependent on private contractors in the effort to stabilize the country.

"I think we've gone too far," McChrystal said at France's IHEDN military institute. "I actually think we would be better to reduce the number of contractors involved."



Alternatives could include increasing the number of troops "if necessary," or "using a greater number of Afghan contractors, or Afghans to help with the mission," he said.

McChrystal said the use of contractors was founded upon "good intentions," such as to limit military commitments or to save money for governments.

"I think it doesn't save money," he said. "We have created in ourselves a dependency on contractors that I think is greater than it ought to be."

He didn't specify where any cuts might come.

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