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Security guards in Iraq make up to $33,000 a month |
Friday, September 02, 2005 (22:35:52) |
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Posted by Frank on (705 reads)
Thursday, September 1, 2005
Western security guards, many of them from British and U.S. special forces, earn up to $33,000 a month for their services in Iraq, according to a new U.S. government report.
The General Accountability Office said in a report that private security providers preferred to hire former military members, particularly special operations forces, for their unique skills and experience.
GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, said former special operations troops were hired to serve as security advisers and project managers and provide personal security to high ranking government officials, Middle East Newsline reported.
"These positions may pay as much as $33,000 a month," the report said, but the security guards encounter daily attacks from Sunni insurgents and accidental fire from U.S. military forces.
"Other service members may be hired to provide security to civilians in vehicle convoys with salaries between $12,000 and $13,000 per month, while some may be hired to provide site security for buildings and construction projects at somewhat lower salaries. For the most part, employees only receive these salaries when they are working in Iraq, typically 2 to 3 months at a time."
The report said U.S. and foreign security companies use guards from Britain, Fiji, Nepal, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the United States. Kurds and Arabs from Iraq have also been employed in an attempt to reduce security costs.
Services provided by private contractors include security for housing areas and work sites, protection for high-ranking U.S. officials, security escorts, convoy security and security advice and planning.
"According to security industry representatives we contacted, there are no established U.S. or international standards that identify security provider qualifications in such areas as training and experience requirements, weapons qualifications, and similar skills that are applicable for the type of security needed in Iraq," GAO said.
Entitled "Rebuilding Iraq: Actions Needed to Use of Private Security Providers," the report said U.S. companies awarded contracts in Iraq have been dissatisfied with many of the 60 security firms that operate in the country. GAO contractors replaced their security providers on five of the eight reconstruction contracts awarded in 2003 and reviewed by the agency.
"Contractor officials attributed this turnover to various factors, including their lack of knowledge of the security market and of the potential security providers, and the absence of useful agency guidance," the report said.
The report asserted that the 25,000 security guards in Iraq have comprised an unregulated industry that failed to coordinate with the U.S.-led coalition. The result has been a stream of friendly fire incidents as U.S. soldiers mistook private security guards for insurgents.
The incidents of friendly fire have continued despite the establishment of the Reconstruction Operations Center in October 2004. The center was designed to share intelligence and coordinate military-contractor interactions.
In 2004, the U.S. military, which has not trained troops in dealing with contractors that operate in Iraq, issued regulations that ban private security vehicles from passing military convoys and required that warning shots be aimed away from the vehicle. The private security vehicles were ordered to remain at least 200 meters from a military convoy.
Still, friendly fire continued in 2005, with 20 incidents reported. GAO said other incidents were not reported to the coalition.
"One [U.S.] Army official told us that his unit had barred some private security employees from using the unit's dining facilities because the employees insisted on carrying loaded weapons into the dining facility," the report said.
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Re: Security guards in Iraq make up to $33,000 a month
(Score: 1 )
by wildman22 on Friday, September 02, 2005 (22:29:06)
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I saw this today. What an absolute lie. Top pay pre 9/04 was $1000 a day for the guys that were pulling security for OGA guys. Ex Cag, Delta, Dev group. Top operators.. SAIC, MVM etc.
The pay is now around $575 USIS guys. Everyone else $500 or less and dropping fast. The companies may be billing $33k but the operators are not getting anything even close especially now.
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