The "Stop Outsourcing Our Security" Act

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for becoming a citizen co-sponsor of my SOS, Stop Outsourcing Security, bill. Not a week goes by that we don't learn of serious misconduct by a private military contractor. We're talking here about murder, stealing weapons, jeopardizing missions, putting our soldiers at risk, ripping off taxpayers, alienating allies, sexual abuse and more.

SOS, which is sponsored in the Senate by Bernie Sanders (I-VT),would require the phasing out of armed mercenaries who engage in sensitive mission-related activities including guarding convoys, training troops and police, administering military prisons, performing military intelligence and repairing weapons. The bill numbers are H.R. 4650 in the House and S. 3023 in the Senate, and so far we have 18 co-sponsors in the House, Representatives Baldwin, Conyers, Ellison, Filner, Gonzalez, Grijalva, Gutierrez, Hall, Hinchey, Holt, Lee, Maloney, McGovern, Gwen Moore, Polis, Shea-Porter, Stark and Woolsey.

The latest episode to be revealed would be funny if it weren't so serious. An employee of Paravant (aka Blackwater) named Eric Cartman was issued weapons intended for the Afghan Army. Just a few problems with that. There is no such employee of Paravant, but there is a South Park cartoon character (pretty crude guy) with that name. Ha, ha. Mr. Cartman was pretty excited to get "sidearms for everyone" in his Paravant group even though employees weren't authorized to use weapons. Overall, more than 500 weapons ended up issued under this scam.

Most Americans aren't aware that up to 30% of our armed forces in Afghanistan are hired guns who are not subject to the same rules, oversight or accountability as our uniformed military. It is estimated that 40 cents of every dollar spent on the wars goes to all contractors. When the war dead are counted, contractors are left out. When Americans are told of troop increases, these mercenaries are not counted. The scope of our involvement and the size of the U.S. footprint in Iraq and Afghanistan are masked by the use of these taxpayer funded private contractors. It's clear that we have become reliant on them to conduct war.

What can you do? Plenty - and you have taken the first step. We need to build a constituency around this issue with the goal of passing the SOS bill. In addition to your name, I need your help to gather more citizen co-sponsors.

One more fact: It is reported that Blackwater is in line for a $1 BILLION contract to train the Afghan National Army. We need to stop it. Thanks for your help!

Jan Schakowsky