Kabul Whistleblowers Being Threatened, Reports POGO
State Department Puts Up a Poster - I Say 'Send in the Marines'
The State Department responds with posters saying that threats and intimidation won't be tolerated.
Is that it, the best they can do? Embassy guards and their families have been threatened - the very guards who are responsible for the safety of State Department personnel in Kabul - and the State Department puts up a piece of paper saying, in effect, play nice?
If that isn't enough, POGO also reports that two of the management personnel that were terminated at Secretary Clinton's direction were in fact still in charge in Kabul, still acting in their previous positions. Unbelievable. Why are we allowing this to happen? Who the heck is in charge?
I'm a retired Marine, and for a number of years worked in Plans and Ops. That said, it doesn't take someone with my background to know that we have units of Marines on standby at all times for any possible contingency in any part of the world. I say the current scenario at Camp Sullivan qualifies as such a contingency, albeit from within. Why isn't there an infantry company of Marines on the deck in Kabul right now, securing the Embassy and surrounding areas? This house of horrors needs to be cleaned out and cleaned out immediately, before more retaliatory events take place.
Don't wait for closed door meetings. Don't wait for results of further investigation. Get some rifle-toting, hard-charging devil dogs on the ground in Kabul and put the place in lock down, with orders to kick butt and take names. Can I get an ooooh-rah?
Several reports have surfaced attesting to the total ineptitude of ArmorGroup to accomplish the job they were contracted to do. Those reports go as far back as 2007, yet were not acted upon. ArmorGroup was able to convince the 'powers that be' that any deficiencies were corrected so not only did they get to keep their jobs, the latest contract was renewed this past July. These more recent reports of sex scandals and coercion of junior guard personnel have been around for a week or more. How much longer are we going to wait? What else needs to happen before someone in authority decides to institute measures commensurate with the severity of all this?
Will it take the sudden disappearance of a guard's family member? A whistleblower's child being approached while walking home from school? An apparent suicide?
Come on - Send in the Marines!
Source:
Personal opinion
Pogo.com
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A Top 1000 Content Producer for the last three years, Marie Anne is a retired U.S. Marine MSgt whose weapons of choice are now crochet hook and pen. When not writing for Yahoo! sites such as YCN! Voice... View profile
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19 Comments
Post a CommentApology willingly accepted, Sheryl. Yes, you and I have bantered before and I enjoy it as much as you do and hope it can continue. Your mention of the Armed Forces in your comment to an article that had nothing to do with the military threw me way off and hit a nerve, leading me to believe you hadn't read the article or understood the problem at all. That portion of the comment is what raised the hair on my neck, not so much the POTUS inference. Again, apology accepted. Let the fun continue!
Marie Anne - I'm afraid I may have overused my sense of political sarcasm...I was trying to say that, if the whistleblowers have indeed received threats from someone in the administration, it will show people that there are things wrong during every President's administration...since some people think this new administration walks on water while the last ones did nothing right. My remark was not against you, or our Armed Forces...in fact I thought I was being funny. I'm sorry I didn't realize it wouldn't seem funny to you... you've left me a couple political comments that made me laugh and I thought because you've read my political stuff you would understand where I was coming from. I certainly apologize. I will "play it straight" from now on. You did a good job on the piece.
Sheryl, thank was uncalled for. I didn't call out the current POTUS in this article. And if you read the article (and this isn't the first time you've not paid attention), this is NOT about our military. The guards are civilian contractors. My point is to put the security of the embassy back into military control.
Clinton Administration people still in charge under current administration? Gee, I thought only Republicans like Bush tolerated ill-behaved members of the Armed Forces.
Soldier? Where'd that come from, Jeff?
Great article soldier!
ooooooooorrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Good job Marine!
If the Marines are sent in, they will only be allowed to shoot at the sky.
ROE
Good reporting on this situation. Again, great closing!
Amazing what goes on... Yeah, the Marines will get 'em back on track!