Fairness, Accountability, Justice

Today, John released his plan to end the current system of outsourcing military and security missions to private contractors.

His comprehensive plan will reduce political cronyism in the hiring process, increase government oversight of contractor activities, and ensure that contractors who behave inappropriately are brought to justice.  

John:

The recent incidents of violence involving Blackwater contractors in Iraq, including the shooting of Iraqi civilians in Baghdad last month, have caused tremendous damage to America's battle for the hearts and minds of Iraqis. These incidents hurt America's moral standing, both in Iraq and around the world. And they serve as a tragic reminder of how the Bush Administration has outsourced our military responsibilities to corporate contractors and political cronies who operate outside of the rules of engagement and without any meaningful oversight.

John's plan comes in the wake of a recent Congressional report that details some troubling aspects of Blackwater's involvement in Iraq. According to the report, which was released on October 1st, Blackwater has been involved in nearly 200 shootings in Iraq over the past two years. In the majority of those instances, Blackwater contractors fired first, usually from moving vehicles, and usually without stopping to see whether those shots resulted in casualties (pg. 2). The report also recounts an incident from December 2006 in which a drunken Blackwater contractor shot and killed a security guard of Iraqi Vice President Adil Abd-al-Mahdi. According to the report, Blackwater transported the contractor out of the country shortly thereafter, and no charges have been filed (pg. 12). (Read more about Blackwater and other contractors operating in Iraq: from the NY Times, from Brookings.)  

To combat these sorts of injustices, John will drastically change the way we hire, deploy, and prosecute private military and security contractors. Here are some highlights of his plan (continue reading below-the-fold to see the plan in its entirety):

Restore Democracy to Our Military Decisions About the War

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• transfer most security missions currently performed by contractors back to military command
  
• narrowly limit the circumstances under which security contractors can be engaged
  
• bring all security contractors within the Pentagon's chain of command.

Expand Legal Oversight and Prosecutions

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• amend the Military Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) to cover contractors employed by any U.S. agency
  
• ensure criminal allegations involving contractors are always investigated and, when appropriate, prosecuted
  
• establish clear rules of engagement for contractors

Get Cronyism out of Security Contracts

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• ask Congress to pass legislation prohibiting campaign contributions by applicants for and recent recipients of security contracts, extending the ban on current contractors
  
• ask Congress to pass legislation to close the revolving door for government contractors by prohibiting former officials from working as contractors with business before their former offices for five years

Establish Strong Quality Control and Accountability Measures

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• establish a regular system of Quality Assurance Evaluations of contractors and will make sure that agencies exercise oversight

Implement a Formal Evaluation of the Role of Contractors

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• deliver a comprehensive accounting of all contractors performing security operations within the first six months of his administration
  
• creation of a new National Security Budget that will include all security activities by the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies