Outsourcing of Armed Contractors Highest Ever in Afghan War

The number of security contractors working in Afghanistan has tripled since 2009 and is now at its highest level since the U.S. began its military involvement there after 9/11, according to a new report by the Congressional Research Service.

"In Afghanistan, as of December 2010, there were 18,919 private security contractor personnel working for [the Department of Defense], the highest number since DOD started tracking the data in September 2007," the report says.

Private security personnel search hotel guests as they arrive at the bunker in the basement of the Serena Hotel after two explosions in the reception area in Kabul in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009.

Private security personnel search hotel guests on Oct. 28, 2009, as they arrive at the bunker in the basement of the Serena Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, after two explosions in the reception area.

U.S. troop numbers are expected to decrease starting this summer, but there is no such stated goal for private security contractors, which increasingly take on armed roles once reserved for uniformed personnel.

"While DOD has previously contracted for security in Bosnia and elsewhere, it appears that in Afghanistan and Iraq DOD is for the first time relying so heavily on armed contractors to provide security during combat or stability operations," the report says.

Afghan employees make up 95 percent of the security contractor personnel.

High-profile incidents in Iraq first brought attention to the issue of private security contractors, but since late 2009, the number of armed contractors in Afghanistan has outnumbered those in Iraq.

Sponsored Links

While 18,919 is the official number of contractors, estimates of the total number of security contractor personnel in Afghanistan could be as high as 70,000, according to estimates cited by the Congressional Research Service. The exact number of contractors is difficult to quantify, since some firms operate without licenses.

By comparison, the U.S. has about 97,000 troops in Afghanistan.

The report was released by the Federation of American Scientists. The Congressional Research Service does not release its reports to the public.