Privatizing the Military

Since the Cold War ended, a downsized U.S. military has increasingly turned to private contractors to fill positions once held by military personnel. In U.S.-occupied Iraq, most of the jobs involve logistical support, but several thousand contractors also work as armed security guards or help interrogate Iraqi prisoners. The privatization trend went largely unnoticed until April, when insurgents in Fallujah murdered four civilian security guards and burned and mutilated their bodies. Soon afterwards, at least two contract interrogators were implicated in prisoner abuses at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison. The incidents have renewed questions about the effectiveness and legal status of private contractors operating in war zones and the wisdom of the Pentagon's increasing reliance on private contractors. Supporters of privatization say the military's use of contractors saves taxpayers money and improves efficiency by freeing up soldiers for strictly combat operations.