.:: SAMAA - Govt takes notice of Inter-Risk hiring

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The government has taken notice of SAMAA's report on hiring in private security company Inter-Risk and the interior minister has asked IG Islamabad to submit report on the issue.

According to sources in the Interior Ministry, Pakistani partner of American private security agency DynCorp called Inter-Risk Security Company has restarted the hiring of retired commandos. The forms for the potential applicants are available at specific photo copy shops which are only issued to retired commandos of Special Services Group. These retired commandos have been offered jobs as security guards.

According to sources, SSG retired commandos will be trained under supervision of American trainers in private training institute near Rwat. SAMAA

BACKGROUND

There have been ravings about the presence of American military contractors like Xe World wide (formerly called BlackWater) and Dyncorp in the Pakistani community. People have been worried about their presence because of the imminent threat these companies pose. This very notion was confirmed when Larry Schwartz, a US Embassy spokesperson told SAMAA a week earlier that there are private military contractors (PMCs) working in Pakistan to provide security to the US citizens working here.

DynCorp International is a United States-based private military contractor (PMC) and aircraft maintenance company. DynCorp receives more than 96 percent of its $2 billion in annual revenues from the federal government.The company is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, but also has major operations in Fort Worth, Texas.

The company has provided teams for the U.S. military in major theaters, such as Bolivia, Bosnia, Somalia, Angola, Haiti, Colombia, Kosovo and Kuwait. DynCorp International also provided much of the security for Afghan interim president Hamid Karzai's presidential guard and trains much of Afghanistan's and Iraq's fledgling police force. DynCorp was also hired to assist recovery in Louisiana and neighboring areas after Hurricane Katrina. Recently, Dyncorp and the Department of State have been criticized for not properly accounting for $1.2 billion in contract task orders authorized by the State Department to be used to train Iraqi police.

A lot of conspiracies revolve around these companies in relation to the countries they have served in. They have been accused to have frequent combats and firefights in Columbia, misusing the host property in Iraq, involvement in trafficking of child sex slaves in Bosnia and many more.

Xe Services LLC, on the other hand, is currently the largest of the US State Department's three private security contractors. At least 90 percent of the company's revenue comes from government contracts. Xe provided security services in Iraq to the United States federal government, particularly the Central Intelligence Agency on a contractual basis. They no longer have a license to operate in Iraq.

Xe also has controversies revolving around it, like those of child abuse, corruption, having a ‘religious zealot’ ideology, unexplained killings in Fallujah, etc.

Larry Schwartz confirmed the presence of DynCorp in Pakistan, albeit, their presence, he said, is only for the security of the US diplomats here.

Larry said, “Yes, it may be true that some outsider organizations are here to guard our people.”

He said that the assignment of protecting the diplomats is the job of the host country. Pakistan takes it seriously, but we are in a situation where the government security forces are pressed and have many responsibilities. So we need to need protect ourselves. Every organisation that provides security to US citizens is registered, fully briefed and informed to the military and the government.

”It is understood by your government that it is for our security,” said Larry.

When asked about them having diplomatic immunity, he said no. When asked about their weapons being licensed and their presence being known to the government, Larry said that this question should be asked from the Interior Minister.

On November 14, the Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that the security company with name of “DynCorp” is providing assistance to US force in Afghanistan and its officials are being allowed to travel to Afghanistan via Karachi after they provide information to Pakistani security agencies, however, no foreigner would be allowed to display or carry illegal arms in Pakistan.

US private security company Blackwater is not operating in Pakistan.

The DynCorp whose basic work is to provide assistance to Afghanistan-based US forces is operating in Pakistan and its officials have been directed to inform Pakistani security agencies before travelling to Afghanistan via Karachi due to security reason, he said.

According to MoU signed by the previous government, the officials of DynCorp are free to travel in Pakistan, he said, adding that local laws would be imposed on DynCorp and action would be taken against them if anyone was found carrying illegal weapons. SAMAA