"Incidents such as this are a concern in their own right, but they are a
particular concern to the commission if they prove to be indicators of
broader, systemic problems that impede the delivery of critical services to
American military forces in a war zone," commission executive director Bob
Dickson said.
Officials acknowledged that the Defense Department has allowed U.S.
security contractors to hire Africans and nationals from other Third World
regions in an effort to reduce costs. They said more than 7,000 out of the
nearly 10,000 private security personnel working for the U.S. military in
Iraq were neither Americans or Iraqis.
Five companies have been contracted to protect American military bases
in Iraq. Perimeter security at FOB Delta has been assigned to Triple
Canopy, based in Herndon, Va., which won a $35 million contract in 2007. FOB
Hammer has come under responsibility of Sabre International Security, based
in Baghdad and winner of a $42 million contract.
Triple has garnered nearly $1 billion worth of security contracts in
Iraq. The company transferred its on-site manager at Base Delta, John Wayne
Nash, one day after he briefed a commission delegation in April 2009.
Triple said Nash, a retired Marine Corps master gunnery sergeant, has been
returned to the United States.
"We talked with him one day and he was leaving the country five days
later," Dickson said. "Incidents such as this are a concern in their own
right, but they are a particular concern to the commission if they prove to
be indicators of broader, systemic problems that impede the delivery of
critical services to American military forces in a war zone."
