Contractors a larger force in Iraq than U.S. military

WASHINGTON - The United States has assembled an imposing industrial army in Iraq larger than its uniformed fighting force and responsible for such a broad swath of responsibilities, the military might not be able to operate without its private-sector partners.

More than 180,000 Americans, Iraqis, and nationals from other countries work under a slew of federal contracts to provide security, gather intelligence, build roads, forge a financial system, and transport needed supplies in a country the size of California.

That figure contrasts with the 163,100 U.S. military personnel, according to U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Fla.

But the situation has its dangers. Employees for the private contractor Blackwater USA were involved in a weekend shooting that left 11 Iraqis dead.

The heavy reliance on contractors in a war zone is partly the result of a post-Cold War shrinking of the armed forces and the Bush administration's preference for contracting out government functions to the corporate world.

It's also due to the compressed nature of the war in Iraq. Combat operations are ongoing at the same time as reconstruction, pushing up the number of contractors.

While having contractors on and around the battlefield is not new, Iraq raises questions about whether U.S. troops have become so dependent on contract help that they could not function properly in their absence.

"If the contractors turn tail and run, we've still got to be able to fight," said Steve Schooner, codirector of the government procurement-law program at George Washington University.

The presence of thousands of private security guards adds another component to the debate. Employees for Blackwater and other companies are engaging the enemy in combat, a sharp departure from previous conflicts.

"It's pretty clear that line has been crossed in Iraq," Schooner said. "And it's been crossed because we don't have enough horses left, and we have all kinds of problems in terms of coordination."

As the military leans on the private sector, there is a push to hold contract employees to the same legal standards as military personnel. A measure proposed by Rep. David E. Price (D., N.C.) would require all government contractors to be covered by federal criminal codes.

Groups representing contractors rejected the idea that the war was being outsourced.

"Normally, this would be a sequential process," said Stan Soloway, president of the Professional Services Council in Washington. "You achieve a degree of security, and then you start reconstruction, and then you build the infrastructure. But it's all being done at the same time, which is one of the reasons the number [of contractors] is so high."

According to Central Command, there are 137,000 contractors working in Iraq under Defense Department contracts and almost half of those are Iraqis. More than 22,000 are U.S. citizens, and the remainder are from other countries. Close to 7,300 are security workers.

Under separate contracts, the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development employ thousands more workers, including security guards.

Angela Styles, director of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy at the Office of Management and Budget from 2001 to 2003, said the challenge was determining where to draw the line.

If it is strictly a combat operation, the military can sustain itself, she said. In Iraq, where several missions are jumbled together and call for skills the armed forces don't have, the answer is different.

"Could the military function without contractors on a sheer military mission? I think so," Styles said. "But could they in a reconstruction mission? No."

Leaders of a presidential commission - former

Sen. Bob Dole and Donna Shalala, former secretary of Health and Human Services - appealed yesterday for fast passage of legislation to provide lifetime treatment to Iraq war veterans with post- traumatic stress disorder.

A July report by the nine- member commission recommended changes that would increase benefits for family members caring for the wounded, create a Web site for medical records, and revamp the way disability pay is awarded.

Most recommendations require action by the White House, the Pentagon, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Congress must increase disability benefits, improve post-traumatic stress disorder care, and strengthen work-leave and insurance benefits for family members.

Senators passed a bill in July; it awaits action in

the House, which is considering adding other commission proposals.

- Associated Press

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