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| Afghanistan |
| US Army’s Guard For Karzai To Go |
| 2002-11-25 |
| Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, has had his bodyguard of US Special Forces troops withdrawn and replaced by guards from an American "private military corporation". Hired guns. DynCorp Inc, a private contractor based in Virginia, is now being used by the diplomatic security service to provide personnel to protect perhaps the most vulnerable head of state after Saddam Hussein of Iraq. The move by Washington, which had detailed elite soldiers to replace a motley band of local bodyguards amid constant death threats, comes despite the extreme risk Mr Karzai faces. He remains a prime target for al-Qa'eda, remnants of the former Taliban regime and warlords who continue to fight for power in what remains a fragile and cut-throat country. He survived an assassination attempt in Kandahar in September when his Special Forces bodyguards shot the men trying to kill him. Replaced the soldiers with professional bodyguards. Different skill sets required, most likely a good idea. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #5 Beltway Bandits with attitude! |
| Posted by: Jack 2002-11-26 09:19:33 |
| #4 Not only different skills set, different rules of engagement and different weapons. No more Mr. Nice Green Beret. |
| Posted by: Chuck 2002-11-26 07:30:06 |
| #3 I was just thinking it was time for the Hessians to make a comeback... |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2002-11-25 23:34:43 |
| #2 I am sure a few of the Special Forces will be sprinkled into the mix. When they shoot a few Pashtuns trying to get funky on Karzai, now they don't have to blame the US. Hopefully we give them a special phone # in case they are surrounded a la Abdul Haq. |
| Posted by: PJ 2002-11-25 13:46:37 |
| #1 The private military contractors are a prime place for former soldiers to go to cash in on their skills. There are certain oversight issues, however... |
| Posted by: Tripartite 2002-11-25 13:36:19 |