Scandal: Military Contractor Abuse

Since the 1990s, the U.S. military has increasingly  turned to private contractors. As  the Los Angeles Times reported, as of July 2007 there were more contractors on the ground in Iraq than soldiers. Many of these firms -- such as Dick Cheney's former company, KBR, which has raked in more than $24 billion since the war began -- are politically well-connected. Meanwhile, contractors have been connected to questionable payments, bribery and outright theft.

There are also concerns that private security firms have effectively become shadow armies, operating with little oversight. In September 2007, security company Blackwater fired on civilians in Baghdad, leaving 17 people dead. While there is a federal investigation, no Blackwater contractor has yet been indicted. Congress has responded to concerns about private contractors with a number of hearings and could pass legislation to improve accountability.

The Center for Public Intergrity has compiled a list of the top 100 private contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan.

U.S. Tightens Rules for Security Contractors in Iraq
- Wall Street Journal ($), August 19

DoJ Nears Charges Against Contractors in Iraq Shooting
- Washington Post, August 18

Northrop CEO: Boeing Got What It Wanted on Tanker
- AP, August 15

Army Major Pleads Guilty to $5.8 Million Bribery Charges
- AP, August 14

Security Contractors Questioned After Canadian Soldier’s Death in Afghanistan
- Stars and Stripes, August 13

Gov’t Report: Use of Iraq Contractors Cost Billions
- New York Times, August 12

Boeing May Opt Out of Bidding for Air Force Tankers
- Wichita Eagle, August 12

Boeing Supporters Criticize Pentagon on New Tanker Bid
- McClatchy, August 7

Iraq General: 80,000 Buildings Under Review After Electrocutions
- AP, August 5

Lawmakers Buoy Boeing’s Aerial-Tanker Bid
- McClatchy, July 31

KBR Denies Blame in Troop Electrocutions
- Houston Chronicle, July 31

Rival Firms Aim at Gun Company’s Military Contract
- Politico, July 30

Lawmakers Probe Electrocutions of Soldiers in Iraq
- AP, July 30

Gov’t Report: Blackwater’s “Small Business” Contracts Faulted
- Raleigh News & Observer, July 29

Army Gave Contract to Blacklisted Russian Weapons Company
- Wired, July 29

Govt. Report: Iraq Prison a $40 Million Failure
- AP, July 28

Contractor Made Little Progress on Iraq Projects
- Washington Post, July 28

Senators Question Iraq Contracts Oversight
- AP, July 23

Defense Earmarks Would Steer Billions Toward Contractors
- Government Executive, July 23

GAO Report: Pentagon Pressured, Intimidated Auditors
- Washington Post, July 23

Defense Chief Questions Use of Contractors for Training
- The Virginian-Pilot, July 22

Blackwater Plans Shift from Security Business
- AP, July 21

Army Docs: Electrical Work in Iraq Causes More Deaths than Pentagon Said
- The New York Times, July 18

European Leaders Lobbied Bush on Tanker Contract
- McClatchy, July 17

Iraq Case Sheds Light on Secret Contractors
- The Wall Street Journal ($), July 17

Helicopter Co: Army’s Cost Estimates Too High
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram, July 15

Iraqis: KBR Blocks Refugee Applications
- NPR, July 15

Rep. Waxman’s Accusations Against Diplomat Complicate Arms Inquiry
- Los Angeles Times, July 14

Shoddy Standards Blamed for Electrocutions in Iraq
- CongressDaily, July 14

Ex-Air Force Sec: Boeing Withheld Tanker Info
- Military Times, July 11

Ex. Rep’s Firm Made Defective-Tank Deal with Iraq
- Wired, July 11

Whistleblower: Pentagon’s Oversight of KBR ‘Irregular’
- Houston Chronicle, July 10

Senator: General Misled Lawmakers on KBR Work
- The New York Times, July 10

Pentagon, Citing Errors, Reopens Tanker Deal
- Business Week, July 9

KBR Plans PR Offensive to Restore Image
- Politico, July 8

U.S. Agrees to Lift Immunity for Contractors in Iraq
- The New York Times, July 2

After Deaths, U.S. Inspects KBR’s Electric Work in Iraq
- The New York Times, July 1

GAO Pushes For More Coast Guard Contracting Oversight
- NextGov, July 1

Abu Ghraib Inmates Sue Contractors for Torture
- AP, July 1

State Department Auditing Blackwater
- McClatchy, June 27

State Dept. Signed Contracts With Arms Dealer Already on Watch List
- TPMmuckraker, June 26

Feds Raid Blackwater’s Armory in Firearms Probe
- AP, June 26

Army Officer Pleads Guilty in Iraq Bribe Scheme
- AP, June 25

The Pentagon’s Billion-Dollar Babies
- Mother Jones, June 25

Army Awarded Arms Dealer Contract After ‘Recommendation’ From Firm’s Financial Backer
- TPMmuckraker, June 25

Pentagon Contractor AEY Was Long Under Investigation
- Washington Post, June 25

Scandal-Ridden Defense Contractor May Still Have Gov’t Contracts
- TPMmuckraker, June 24

Military Had Prior Problems With Defense Contractor
- TPMmuckraker, June 24

House Dem: U.S. Diplomat Tampered with Criminal Evidence
- AP, June 23

Blackwater Skirts The Law To Use AK-47s in U.S.
- The News & Observer, June 23

Analysts: Flawed Tanker Contract Is Part of a Persistent Problem
- Washington Post, June 23

DoD Withdraws Nomination After Conflict of Interest Surfaces
- NextGov, June 23

McCain’s Boeing Battle Boomerangs
- Newsweek, June 23

White House Denies Army’s Pitch for Overhaul of Contracting System
- AP, June 23

KBR Tax Loophole Raises Questions
- AP, June 20

Dems: KBR Knowingly Exposed Workers, Troops to Deadly Chemical
- AP, June 20

Feds Arrest Munitions Dealer for Selling Chinese Weapons to U.S. Military
- Miami Herald, June 20

Sister Company of Blackwater Asks To Be Tried Under Islamic Law
- The News & Observer, June 20

Convicted War Profiteer Still Lives High Life
- ABC News, June 19

Blackwater CEO Responds to Critics
- The News & Observer, June 19

U.S.-Iraq Fuel Deal Sparks Lawsuit
- NBC News, June 19

Bush Closes Defense Contractor Tax Loophole
- AP, June 18

Rep to DoD IG: Investigate ‘Potentially Thousands’ Cases of Contractor Fraud
- Mother Jones, June 17

Iraqi Foreign Minister: U.S. Agrees To No Immunity for Defense Contractors
- Al Jazeera, June 17

Audit: KBR Overcharged the Navy After Katrina
- Bloomberg News, June 17

Ex-Army Official: I Was Ousted After Refusing to Pay $1 Billion in Questionable Charges to KBR
- The New York Times, June 17

Pentagon to Study Whether Foreign Gov’ts Could Influence DoD through Contracts
- Inside the Pentagon ($), June 13

Boeing: Air Force Miscalculated Tanker Costs
- AP, June 13

Immunity for Private Guards in Iraq a Sticking Point
- AFP, June 11

Bill Would Ban the Use of Private Contractors to Interrogate Detainees
- Congressional Quarterly, June 11

Gag Order Prevents Investigations into Iraq Corruption
- BBC, June 11

FBI Investigation of PA Pentagon Contracts Widens
- TPMMuckraker , June 11

Ex-Colonel Pleads Guilty to Helping Fix Iraq Contract
- AP, June 10

Kerry Probes Rice on Blackwater’s Future
- The Washington Independent, June 10

Gov’t Probes at Least 7 Defense Contracts for Charities
- Washington Post, June 9

General Gave False Testimony on KBR to Senate
- Mother Jones, June 6

Blackwater Looks to Expand Its Business
- The Nation, June 6

Indicted Saudi Gets $80 Million Pentagon Contract
- ABC News, June 6

DoD Contracts Out Contractor Oversight
- Truthout, June 5

Defense Supplier Guilty of Bribery
- Washington Times, June 4

Pentagon Report: Lockheed Mismanaged Massive Military Aircraft Programs
- Project on Government Oversight, June 3

Court Revives Suit Against Halliburton, KBR Over Iraq Ambush
- International Herald Tribune, May 29

New Bill Targets Security Contractors
- Politico, May 28

DoD IG: Auditors Cannot Keep Up With Skyrocketing Defense Budget
- Project on Government Oversight, May 28

Grand Jury Probes Blackwater Shootings
- Washington Post, May 28

Critics See Trouble in $150 Billion Military Contract for Iraq, Afghanistan
- The New York Times, May 27

IG Report: Pentagon Can’t Account for Billions in Iraq Contractor Spending
- Mother Jones, May 22

Senate to Public: No, You Can’t See the Contractor Misconduct Database
- Government Executive, May 22

DoD Investigates Substandard Helmet Contracts
- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, May 16

Congress: Contractors Gouge Taxpayers Millions For Workman’s Comp in War Zones
- The AP, May 15

State Dept. Renews Blackwater Contract
- The New York Times, May 12

U.S. Court-Martials Civilian Contractor in Iraq
- AP, May 11

U.S. Defense Contractor Ducking out of Taxes
- The AP, May 9

Despite Alert, Flawed Wiring Still Kills G.I.’s
- The New York Times, May 6