What’s a Notorious US Military Contractor Doing Inside the AFP’s Camp in Zamboanga?

In 2007, DynCorp was the subject of the Permanent People’s Tribunal (PPT) Session on Colombia. The indictment, prepared by the José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers’ Collective, cites DynCorp for its role in the commission of human-rights violations and crimes in Colombia, as well as other offenses in Nicaragua, Bosnia, Haiti, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Part of the indictment reads:

“Its presence in countries receiving US military assistance (either in low-intensity situations or in settings involving open US intervention) have produced important scandals, directly implicating the enterprise in the commission of crimes and human rights violations.

“For instance, in the 1980s the enterprise was implicated in the Iran-Contra scandal. In the 1990s, the enterprise became a fundamental component for the US intervention of Haiti. Lastly, DynCorp members in Bosnia were involved in the sexual trafficking of minors, but due to their immunity no one was ever tried before any court in the world.”

In Iraq, DynCorp has won several contracts amounting to $750 million for training police forces.

“Available information stresses that the Iraqi police, trained by private security enterprises like DynCorp, have become a key component in the current dirty war, rather than a foundation for democracy proclaimed by US authorities,” the indictment continues. “In fact, US federal investigators are examining reports of criminal fraud by DynCorp employees, including the sale of ammunition earmarked for the Iraqi police.”

In Afghanistan, aside from providing personal security for Karzai, it has trained police forces and has deployed 337 police advisers. In October 2004, one of Karzai’s security personnel from DynCorp aroused controversy after slapping the Afghan transport minister.

“How can you allow a corporation like that to exist here?” Colmenares said. “We should be worried, because it has a long list of charges against it.”

Tracing its roots to two companies founded in 1946, Land-Air and California Eastern Airways, DynCorp describes itself in its website as “a multifaceted, global enterprise that provides innovative solutions to the diverse technology and professional services needs of government and commercial industry worldwide.” The company claims to be “a highly successful provider of critical support to military and civilian government institutions” that also does business in aviation, infrastructure development, logistics, and security.

Robert McKeon chairs its board of directors, while William Ballhaus is its president and chief executive officer. The company’s board of directors and executive leadership include several retired military officers.

DynCorp is a member of the following associations: Afghan-American Chamber of Commerce, Airlift/Tanker Association, Association of the US Army, Business Council for International Understanding, Corporate Council on Africa, Council on Foreign Relations, Defense Industry Initiative, Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, International Peace Operations Association, Logistics Officers Association, National Defense Industry Association, National Defense Transportation Association, National Guard Association of the US, National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce, Professional Service Council, Society of American Military Engineers, and US-UAE Business Council. (Bulatlat.com)

Share This Post

7 Comments - Write a Comment

  1. Excellent goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you’re just too magnificent. I really like what you’ve acquired here, certainly like what you’re saying and the way in which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you still care for to keep it wise. I cant wait to read much more from you. This is actually a terrific site.

  2. OMG! William Palacio, with his obviously broken English, sounds like he knows so much about the Philippines…and he sounds like a misinformed Filipino expat who lives in another country, most likely the U.S. Mr. W. P. uses the 2nd person pronoun, “you/your”, as if he aint obviously a Pinoy. IDK what happened to you or your family in the Philippines, but you sound like you got a lot of frustrations…and btw, OFW remittances form only a small fraction of the GNP…you talk like you own the Philippines just because you are an OFW…from your statements, its quite obvious that you need to broaden your perspectives…there are countries in much worst situation than the Philippines

  3. First let me say what your citing about 1898 is exactly that. Forward to WWII when Japaneses invaded Philippines if it weren’t for the Americans you would have been flying the Japanese flag as we speak. Philippines history has always been a conquered country and it took another country after the Americans defeated the spanish. If the Philippines is suppose for Filipinos only what has the Philippine done for its country where poverty is always high. The rich only cares of themselves, Middle Class trys so hard to be rich and does not care how it gets there. Poor are always look done by the rest of the population. Philippines government corruption is rampant even down to its barangay level. You speak of Filipino political, communication, educational, defense and of its filipino systems. First, your filipino political system has been run by filipinos, filipinos constitution has been replaced by your voted filipinos presidents, your filipino communication (international communities in business language is english), educational if you stayed with filipino education you won’t be able to find jobs abroad. Doctor, lawyers, and other professional with education background with filipino will be hired in leadership position. Look at your political government Pnoy is a foreign graduate from another country, defense little to be said when filipino workers was captured in Iraq the insurgents said leave and what did the filipino government do bow down to the insurgents and have their military pack up and go home. Filipino military can’t even control its home grown militants. You said dependent to prostitution well because of your poor most not all resort to prostitution. Before you can start mouthing off about America watch your TV and see how much Americanize Philippines is. From your Government, Actor, Actress, kids, yourself. If the Chinese suddenly invades the Philippines can you depend yourself or will you be the ones that will collaborate with the enemy to satisfy your needs. Be part of the solution not against. Look at your call center still be managed by american firms and without them no jobs. Philippines commodity is OFW. Without the OFW government won’t be able to sustain it self. Gross National Product is measured by the Remittance that its OFW sent back..

  4. This is very interesting, You are an overly skilled blogger. I have joined your feed and look forward to in quest of extra of your great post. Also, I have shared your website in my social networks

  5. I was once a service provider for U.S. troops in Manila. For 5 years, I’ve been supporting them but last august, DynCorp took over. They win all the contracts. Without informing us makes me feel cheated and whoever makes the decision awarding it to DynCorp, maybe we deserve a word on why did they award it to DynCorp. What went wrong for 5 years of taking good care of our clients, ensuring their safety, driving for them, providing new vans for their comfort, now the only business I’ve got was gone, it was given to that big company. A foreign company getting the business, a small business for a filipino gone just like that. DynCorp in Camp Aguinaldo provides job for Pinoys, thats good. my point is that they’re killing small businesses owned by Filipinos.

  6. What can we expect from the Americans, respect us after they invaded our newly born nation of 1898? Do we expect them torespect us after 500,000 to 900,000 of us Filipinos died as we resisted the Americans having started their invasion of our nation in 1899?

    Do we expect Filipino soldiers among us to react to defend the Filipino dignity trampled by the Americans when after 500,000 to 900,000 of us Filipinos died during our resistance against the invaders, the Americans replaced our organic system including our constitution? Do we expect Filipino soldiers among us to demand self-respect from the Americans after they replaced our organic Filipino political, communication, educational, defense and all of our systems with an apparently Filipino facade but corrupted to turn us into worshipping and dependent prostitutes to our invaders?

    Do we expect us to respect ourselves after the Americans have raped our sovereignty and transmitted to us a Heredity Injuring Virus which injured our identity and national dignity as Filipinos and turned us into disintigrated individuals out to get ahead of each other in grabbing as much of the resources of this nation as we can for ourselves and family?

Comments are closed.