Iraqis Tell L-3 Communications to Pay Up

Iraqis Tell Defense Contractor to Pay Up
Courthouse News Service
July 1, 2009

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (CN) - Iraq contractor L3 Communications refused to pay 33 native civilians who helped the U.S. military fight terrorism, the Iraqis claim in Federal Court.

L3 was contracted to supply the military with Iraqi-born civilians who would help U.S. soldiers and Marines combat insurgents in Iraq and Kuwait, the lawsuit claims.

The Iraqis say they worked around the clock "for upwards of a year or more, at times continuously."

"[P]laintiffs were confined to their living areas, could not wander off post or off base at will, and were literally 'on the job' 24 hours every day, 7 days a week," the lawsuit states. "Virtually every minute of every day while plaintiffs were in Iraq, their lives were controlled by the defendants."

The Iraqis admit to having signed papers stating that they were exempt from overtime pay, but said the contract was "a fraud and a sham and oppressive." They argue that the uniqueness and sensitivity of their jobs entitle them to labor protections. They demand actual and punitive damages for L3's alleged failure to pay regular and overtime wages, conversion and fraud.

The complaint was filed by Michael Green with Margolis Pritzker of Towson, Md.

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Friday, July 24 Protest Targets Military Trade Delegation to Iraq

WHO: PEACE ACTION FOR DIPLOMACY AND PARTNERS

WHAT: PROTEST AGAINST MILITARY CONTRACTORS
"INFORMATIONAL PICKET"

WHEN: FRIDAY, JULY 24TH

WHERE: 12:00-12:45PM
AT L-3 COMMUNICATIONS
600 3RD AVE, NEW YORK, NY

1:00-1:45PM
AT VERITAS CAPITAL
590 MADISON AVE, NEW YORK, NY

WHY:DURING THE WEEK OF JULY 25TH TO JULY 31ST A U.S. DEFENSE INDUSTRY DELEGATION, WHICH WILL INCLUDE MEMBERS OF L-3 COMMUNICATIONS AND DYNCORP INTERNATIONAL, WILL BE HEADED TO IRAQ.

COME AND DEMAND THAT THESE WAR-PROFITEERS WITHDRAW FROM THE DELEGATION.

America's Secret Army Is Here in New York City.

In New York City alone there are 892 Defense Contractors which have received more than $4 Billion in defense contracts. Two of these contractors who reside in Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney's District are L-3 Communications and Veritas Capital.

Located at 600 Third Ave., L-3 Communications, is the sixth largest defense company in the United States and receives 86% of its revenue from defense contracts. L-3 owns MPRI and other subsidiaries that provide private military forces to train foreign armies and police, and fight in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries. L-3 Communications has been allocated more than $3.6 million in tax dollars for fiscal year 2009.

Just a few blocks away at 590 Madison Ave., Veritas Capital, parent company to DynCorp International, receives more than 96% of its $2 Billion in annual revenue from defense contracts. DynCorp International was recently awarded $7.5 Billion in contracts to provide logistical services in Afghanistan.

In addition to the more than 5,000 American soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, there have been more than 1,000 additional military contractors killed.

What Can You Do?

During the week of July 25th-31st a U.S. Defense Industry Delegation, which will include members of L-3 Communications and DynCorp International, will be headed to Iraq.

DEMAND that these war-profiteers withdraw from the Delegation!

Government Stimulus?

Like any government spending, military spending does createsome employment. But it actually generates far fewer jobs for the dollar than equivalent civilian expenditures. Military spending uses relatively less labor than spending on domestic programs such as school lunches, health, child and elder care, housing,urban transportation and education. High levels of military spending divert resources that are needed for the civilian economy, and create local and regional dependence on futuremilitary contracts.

CALL NOW!!!

L-3 Communications
Manhattan Office
600 3rd Ave. Fl 35
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 697-1111

PEACE DEMANDS ACTION

For more information contact:
Peace Action for Diplomacy
630 Ninth Ave., Suite 216
New York, NY 10036

Suzanne Hayes Kelly, Chair
Tel: (646) 723-1749 or E-mail:

suzanneatpanys [at] yahoo.com
http://www.nycontractwatch.org/

New York City-Based Military Contractors

L-3 Communications -- L-3 Communications is a New York City-based military contractor that makes specialized electronic systems for satellites, air, ground and marine based weapons systems. Over the last several years L-3 has grown dramatically to become one of the ten largest military contractors in the U.S. by purchasing other military companies. The U.S. government, primarily the Department of Defense accounts for 80% of L-3’s business. L-3 is now a big player in the development of space-based weapons systems for the Department of Defense and the Missile Defense Agency.

L-3 Communications is also deeply involved in the U.S. occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. L-3 makes specialized Rover III laptops that are used by US troops to call in air strikes in Iraq and Afghanistan, where thousands of people have been killed by US bombing and missile attacks.

L-3 has also owns MPRI, a global “private military training company” with at least 500 employees working in Iraq and Afghanistan on many different contracts. MPRI claims to have over 12,000 contract military personnel who are available to go overseas on contract assignments for the Department of Defense and other federal agencies. MPRI's President, retired General Carl E. Vuono, served as Army chief of staff during the Gulf War and the U.S. invasion of Panama. The Vice President of the firm, General Ronald H. Griffith is a former Army vice chief of staff.

In March 2005, MPRI was awarded a $400 million contract to train police in Iraq and elsewhere. Two months later, MPRI set up a company in Bermuda to which it then subcontracted much of the work for the contract in order to avoid US social security and Medicare taxes.

Veritas Capital -- Veritas Capital owns 57% of DynCorp, a Virginia-based military contractor that provides paramilitary forces for global conflicts. Dyncorp describes itself as a "highly successful provider of critical support to military and civilian government institutions," with "commercial business in aviation, infrastructure development, security, and logistics, including international projects to build and manage regional air facilities.”

Dyncorp fields a paramilitary workforce of over 5,000 employees in Iraq and Afghanistan, and is heavily involved in police training and private security work, with over $2.8 billion in military contracts in 2005 alone.

“You could fight without us, but it would be difficult," says Paul Lombardi, former CEO of DynCorp. "Because we're so involved, it's difficult to extricate us from the process." Veritas Capital also invests in many other military companies to make money for investors, such as Aeroflex Incorporated, CRGT and McNeil Technologies, which develop electronic warfare systems and military information technologies for a wide range of military and federal agencies.

Veritas Takeover of Dyncorp Earns $350 million for Company Boss

Wall Street Goes to War
Forbes, 8/3/09

HIGHLIGHT:

The battle for wartime profits is waged in the boardroom. Inside the most lucrative--and the ugliest--deal of the Iraq and Afghan wars.

For 19 years Robert McKeon and Thomas Campbell were inseparable. They raised money and struck deals together, buying and selling dozens of companies, often in the defense sector--smallish outfits such as Athena Innovative Solutions, Integrated Defense Technologies and Vertex Aerospace. Working 12-hour days out of next-door offices in midtown Manhattan, they could hear each other's phone conversations and knew the most personal details about each other. They golfed together, went skeet and trap shooting, traveled together for meetings and once shared a hotel room in Mexico. On Fridays they would dine, just the two of them, at Harry Cipriani, the ritzy Manhattan restaurant. 'I believe we were pretty close to best friends,' says Campbell.

They also hatched the most lucrative deal of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their 2005 purchase of DynCorp International, the Falls Church, Va. provider of services to the U.S. military, landed McKeon and Campbell at the center of a booming and controversial business. The leveraged buyout also helped rip apart their relationship. McKeon ended up very rich, personally earning $350 million, or seven times his investment, and in control of a company that has emerged as the biggest winner in the war game. Campbell, forced out of DynCorp, came away with very little and has started over. Today the two former friends are locked in mortal combat--trading accusations of greed and betrayal in protracted litigation and competing for $25 billion a year in battleground services contracts for the U.S. government.

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Military Trade Delegation Claims To Provide Clients Easy Access in Iraq

Unlicensed “New- Fields Exhibitions” Claims To Provide Clients Easy Access in Iraq
by Adam Lichtenheld, July 1, 2009, http://www.storiesthatmatter.org/

"Since the fall of 2003, New-Fields Exhibitions, a Dubai-based marketing company with a corporate office in Washington, has organized over a dozen conferences promoting opportunities in Iraq’s reconstruction, security and oil sectors."

"The names adorning the delegate lists of New-Fields’ events are among the Who’s Who of Iraq war profiteers: Halliburton/KBR, Bechtel, Titan, General Dynamics, Blackwater, Fluor, Perini, URS Corporation. But while the rebuilding effort in Iraq has become characterized by pervasive waste and fraud—turning funds once touted as a new Marshall Plan into what critics classify as corporate blood money—New-Fields, the self-arrogated hookup for Iraqi business deals, has avoided the scrutiny faced by some of its more dubious clientele..."

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L-3 and other Top U.S. Defense Companies Join an Industry Delegation to Iraq

Army Guide - Boeing, L-3 and other Top U.S. Defense Companies Join an Industry Delegation to Iraq:

"Ten leading US defense companies including Boeing and L-3 have joined the US Defense Industry Delegation to Iraq July 25-31, New Fields Officials announced today."

'The ten companies participating in this delegation represent the cutting edge of US aviation security, sea, land and air defense products and technologies, which can Strengthen Iraq's Sovereignty & Security' said Maher Giundi, Government Programs Director of New Fields.

'The participating delegates will be meeting senior Iraqi Military Commanders and defense Specialists' Giundi added.

Since a major focus of delegation will be a series of one-on-one meetings between leading US defense executives and their Iraqi counterparts, New-Fields knowledgeable staff will be on the ground matching participating US companies with potential buyers including meetings with government officials and Military Commanders."

The delegation has the full support of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense and Iraqi Military Commanders who are looking for products and technologies that will strengthen Iraq's sovereignty and security.

About US Defense Industry Delegation to Iraq

The USDID/Iraq delegation's goal is to provide market entry or increased sales in Iraq for US Security, Sea, Land and Air Defense products and technologies. In addition, first hand market information and access to potential business partners. Delegates will be holding a series of meetings with defense and security agencies, officials, and procurements specialists. "

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Dyncorp lures police with six-figure jobs overseas

Firm lures police with six-figure jobs overseas - Inside Bay Area:
By Kristin Bender Oakland Tribune
07/03/2009

"OAKLAND — A company that recruits police officers and former military personnel to be international police trainers and border enforcement advisers in Iraq and Afghanistan was in Oakland last week recruiting for roughly 400 spots in the war-torn countries.

DynCorp International, which is based in Falls Church, Va., provides services to civilian and military government agencies worldwide.

It operates programs in law enforcement training and support, security services, base operations, aviation services and logistics support in the Middle East, Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia and other places that have experienced conflict, violence and war.

The recruiting came as Oakland faces an $83 million deficit and could decide in the coming weeks or months whether to layoff police officers. The city has applied for $67 million in federal funding to pay for 140 police officers over a three-year period and expects to hear back on its grant application as soon as July. Depending on how much the city receives from the grant, Oakland may have to cut the ranks of its Police Department..."

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DynCorp, Fluor Win Afghan Work Worth $7.5 Billion (Update1) - Bloomberg.com

DynCorp, Fluor Win Afghan Work Worth $7.5 Billion (Update1) - Bloomberg.com:

DynCorp International Inc. and Fluor Corp. have been selected over KBR Inc. for five-year contracts worth as much as $7.5 billion for each company to support the U.S. troop build-up in Afghanistan, an Army official said. Falls Church, Virginia-based DynCorp International Inc. and Irving, Texas-based Fluor Corp. each won basic one-year contracts worth as much as $1.5 billion that include four one- year options for the same annual amount, Jim Loehrl, executive director of the Army’s Rock Island, Illinois, Contracting Center, said yesterday in a telephone interview.

The awards are the sixth and seventh -- and the largest -- since the program was revamped in April 2008 into a competition that now pits Houston, Texas-based KBR, the incumbent contractor that won the original logistics contract in 2001, against DynCorp and Fluor for individual tasks...

...DynCorp will take over services KBR provided for tasks such as laundry, food services and maintenance for existing base camps in southern Afghanistan. It also will build new bases as needed to accommodate an increase to about 68,000 troops from about 57,000 today. Fluor will take over similar services in northern Afghanistan.

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