KLAS-TV Channel 8 News Las VegasPatriotism or Profit: Private Military Contractors in Nevada - Part 2
Bill Buzenberg is the head of the Washington-based Center for Public Integrity. His non-profit group has been keeping tabs on these companies and says the war effort is quickly becoming a private enterprise.Secretive private contractors are accused of everything from waste of money to sexual abuse in the war in Iraq. Now, the world is learning more about military contractors like Halliburton, KBR, and Blackwater and the unbelievable truth behind the billions of dollars running this industry.
Eyewitness News' Jonathan Humbert first reported on one of those contractors in May. He traveled from their headquarters in Carson City to Washington, D.C. for Part 2 of the story.
Patriotism or Profit: What's Your Opinion?
The flying bullets and breakneck pace of fighting can create a fog of war. Behind the thick veneer, a number of powerful and private companies are wasting money and abusing power on a massive scale.
Bill Buzenberg said, "This is not like any other war or any other time in America's history."
Buzenberg is the head of the Washington-based Center for Public Integrity. His non-profit group has been keeping tabs on these companies and says the war effort is quickly becoming a private enterprise.
"Feeding people, clothing people, driving people, security issues, handling the paperwork, handling the contracts themselves has been contracted out," he said.
But maligned companies like Blackwater defend their actions in Iraq saying few companies have the manpower and resources to get the job done. CEO Erik Prince admits problems can happen.
Prince said, "And I think that there's been times when guys are using defensive force to protect themselves, to protect the package, they are trying to get away from danger."
A recent congressional report identified nearly $750 billion in wasteful contracts for many private military companies. Thirty million of those billions of dollars went to a Nevada company you probably haven't heard of: SOC-SMG.
Just south of Carson City, Special Operations Consulting-Security Management Group company is mostly known for securing Iraqi military bases like Al Asad, home of Camp Victory and frequent visits from American leaders.
But SOC-SMG has hired more than 2,000 Ugandan guards to secure the base and now those guards are accusing SOC-SMG of serious crimes.
When some guards tried to speak up about low pay and working conditions at Al Asad Airbase, they were allegedly sexually abused and women were passed around as, quote, "sex objects."
Ugandans hired by SOC-SMG were deported for participating in a drug ring.
SOC-SMG had no comment to repeated attempts at an interview. Company officers turned away after seeing our camera at their headquarters. But back in Washington, the search is on for oversight.
Bill Buzenberg said, "Well, they could dig into it deeper than they have, if they want to."
"They" is the United States Congress.
Six years, hundreds of billions of dollars of waste and the buck stops in Congress and in Washington, D.C. They can create oversight, they just choose not to.
Senator John Ensign said, "Well, at a time of war, we'd love to have more oversight before a check is given, but you're at a time of war and decisions have to be made."
Republican Senator Ensign has no problems with private military contractors in Iraq. He says the people on the ground know best. Ensign doesn't question SOC-SMG's practice of hiring Ugandan guards.
"As long as they are protecting the United States, protecting the United States assets, we should welcome them," Ensign continued.
Across the aisle, Senator Harry Reid has not been able to create serious reform. He avoids criticism, blaming it all on partisan politics.
"I'm saying this war is not good for the American people and I personally have done everything I can to change direction of that war," Reid said.
But so far, democrats have done little. And Bill Buzenberg's questions still don't have answers. "How is this money being spent, what is it going to, and what are we getting for that?"
And until they do, SOC-SMG will continue to fly under the radar and many more companies have carte blanche in Iraq. And for now, the prying eyes of Washington are so far away from the place where they are needed most.
Spending on private military contractors has doubled in the last five years alone. Companies like Blackwater have made internal changes to try to stop problems, but so far, SOC-SMG had not made any reforms public.
