Published:December 18th, 2009 10:05 EST

Private Military Contractors Why?

As many are well aware Xe Services (formerly Blackwater) has a strong presence on the modern battlefield. Today it was announced that up to 56,000 private military contractors could be sent to Afghanistan, alongside the 30,000 troops ordered by President Obama. This estimation was generated by the Congressional Research Service. Due, to their overwhelming unpopularity caused by the Bush administration`s use and misuse of these contractors, this new surge of PMC`s might be alarming. This article will attempt to explain their necessity, while investigating further problems they may cause.

Blackwater agents during the Bush administration were responsible for not only reckless behavior involving the deaths of innocent civilians, they served as the operators of Government dirty work. Anything the Bush administration deemed not entirely legal, such as renditions, assassinations etc. was often carried out by Blackwater and other PMC forces. In addition, PMC`s are paid at least four to five times as much as our own armed forces personnel. With nearly double the PMC`s as actual American troops being planned for the ongoing turmoil in Afghanistan, it might be concluded that wanton violence and recklessness will also increase. However, this is not the real issue. The real issue is why are we sending in private contractors in the first place? I have spoken to two experts in the field about the subject, one PhD in Terrorism studies and another PhD in International Political Economics. They both came to the same conclusion: because of the unpopularity of the war, a draft is impossible and because of the nature of the war in Afghanistan the numbers needed to win far exceed even the 30,000 that Obama has ordered. Thus, from the military strategists prospective, the only way to approach these numbers without creating a terrible backlash against our president, and a very, very unpopular war, is through PMC`s.

With the need for PMC`s established, I have a grave prediction for this war and our country. Given the fact that PMC`s cost at least four to five times as much as our actual military, and given the fact that Obama`s compassionate plans for strengthening our health care and domestic resources are nearing fruition "these two combined could spell further disaster for our floundering economy.