Slogger is getting reports that the new round of RFP's for major security and training contracts in Iraq have a new wrinkle: Complete handover to Iraqis at end of contract.
One of the major bids that have contracting companies locked away working on bids is the largest single security contract currently run by Aegis.
The Aegis contract is the overall coordination of reconstruction security and maintainance of Regional Operational Centers or "ROC"'s. The Aegis contract is a cost plus contract worth around $100 million a year. The awarding of the contract causes quite a stir when it was awarded to the tiny UK based Aegis Defence run by former mercenary Tim Spicer. Many of Aegis' staff were former South African mercenaries, themselves under fire due to legislation in South Africa banning them from working overseas. Many Iraqis refer to all foriegn security contractors as mercenaries and there has been a slow move to hiring lower priced Iraqis. Now it appears that the U.S. is looking to transition to mostly Iraqi presence in reconstruction and training contracts.
The other major contract is the three year Counterinsurgency Center for Excellence run out of at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, which is devoted to joint U.S.-Iraqi training. Both contracts are not only carefully worded according to Slogger sources but ask how the winner intends to have a fully Iraqi system in place at close of contract.
Currently there is no clear estimate of how many security contractors are in Iraq. The numbers range from 70,000 from the PSCAI to the IPOA's conservative estimate of 5,000 maximum. Non security contractors hover around 100,000 to 60,000 depending on the source of the estimate. Currently Aegis estimates they have 1000 contractors in country of which two thirds are expats, the rest are Iraqi's.
The contract specs could herald the beginning of the end for the golden years of Americans and foriegn security contractors in Iraq.
