Signing-up for death

The US is outsourcing its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Philippines has become a key pool for such practices. According to Malaya News:

Despite the ban on travel to Iraq, there are some 300 Filipinos working as armed personnel of a private military company (PMC) that secures US State department and military personnel, offices and facilities in that war-torn Middle East country.

PMC is the current euphemism for a mercenary outfit.

Documents obtained by Malaya showed that the Filipinos in Iraq were recruited by Triple Canopy, which counts among its services “ensuring the safety and protection of vital US personnel and facilities in some of the world’s most dangerous environments.”

One of those of have just returned from Iraq, a retired Army bomb disposal expert, said the local representative of Triple Canopy is Mark Villacruzes, an American of Filipino descent.

The monthly salary is $1,000 a month, to be remitted to a designated beneficiary in the Philippines. The Filipino worker in Iraq gets $150 monthly allowance and free board and lodging.… 

It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the job of killing the “enemy” is so appealing. What’s more troubling is the lack of oversight or accountability for such activities. What happens when a mercenary kills an innocent Iraqi? History records absolutely nothing.

Text and images ©2024 Antony Loewenstein. All rights reserved.

Site by Common