FRONTLINE - Private Warriors - Tuesday, Jun. 21 at 9pm on PBS

[Guest guest]

M

Sun, 19 Jun 2005 15:44:48 -0400

FRONTLINE - Private Warriors - Tuesday, Jun. 21 at 9pm on PBS

(check local listings

 

 

FRONTLINE Bulletin wrote:

 

>FRONTLINE

>http://www.pbs.org/frontline/

>

>- This Week: " Private Warriors " (60min.),

> Tuesday, Jun. 21 at 9pm on PBS (check local listings)

>- Inside FRONTLINE: A first encounter with the private side of the

> Iraq war

>- Live Discussion: Chat with producer/correspondent Martin Smith this

> Wed. at 11 am ET

>

>-------------------------------

>

>+ This week

>

>There is a story in Iraq that I'd call 'the elephant in the room' - the

>huge role of private contractors in the war effort. There are as many as

>100,000 civilian contractors and approximately 20,000 private security

>forces in the country. In " Private Warriors, " our report this Tuesday,

>you will get an eye-opening look behind the scenes at the Halliburton

>subsidiary, KBR, the largest company running U.S. military supply lines

>and operating U.S. military bases. You'll also enter the world of the

>private security firms that are performing many military functions. The

>tension between these security teams and the military is just one

>simmering and largely unreported problem in the private side of this

>war. The problem is reflected in an incident that didn't make it into

>the film, but which producer/correspondent Martin Smith shared with me:

>

> " It didn't take long for our story to slap us in the face. We had just

>arrived in Kuwait and were driving to Camp Arijan, southwest of Kuwait

>City. It's a major staging area for the Iraq war. Captain David Tippett

>would be greeting us somewhere outside the first checkpoint to clear us

>in. Tippett's a guy a lot of journalists know well as he has helped

>hundreds move through Kuwait and over the border into Iraq ever since

>the early days of the war. He's a savvy public affairs officer, and I

>knew we were in good hands.

>

>But, just outside the main base gates we hit a long line of trucks.

>Tippett is on the phone telling us to skip the line and meet him at the

>gate. We pull out of the line-up and move down the left lane. But, out

>of nowhere, two black Suburbans with tinted windows bear down on us

>forcing us onto the left shoulder. Armed guards jump out.

>

>The guards work for a Fort Worth, Texas private security company CSA

>(Combat Support Associates), which, I learn, has the contract to protect

>the base. We get Tippett on the phone to get these guys off our backs.

>But the fun and games were just beginning. By the time we get to the

>gate and shake hands with the captain, we're already late and our first

>appointment on the base is threatening to cancel. We get out of our car

>and march over deep gravel up to a small trailer park of offices to get

>our ID's.

>

>Next, I hear Tippett begin to raise his voice at one of the CSA guards,

> " They are my guests, they are approved. " Our names are not on the list

>of visitors. Tippett wants the guard to call an army officer on base but

>the guard refuses. It's an army base; Tippett is a captain.

>

>By now, Tippett is yelling, " This is an army base! These are my guests!

>Call the base commander! "

>

> " We don't do that, " says the CSA guard.

>

> " Well, goddamn it, what if a bomb went off out here? You wouldn't call

>the base commander? " asks Tippett.

>

> " We don't talk with the army. We call our office, " replies the guard.

>

>There's always a silver lining. Because I'm thinking it could be part

>of our story. We can't even get onto an army base with an army escort.

>Then, in the middle of Tippett's argument, sirens go off. We're told,

> " You gotta go, the dog sat down. " We're herded, along with hundreds of

>imported laborers also waiting to get onto the base, out into the desert

>.. a few hundred yards away from the gate. We stand for an hour or two

>under a rising desert sun. One of the K-9's sniffed explosives and, as

>trained, sat down. We never did get on the base that day. "

>

>-----

>

>We hope you'll join us Tuesday night for " Private Warriors " and after,

>explore our web site for more on the consequences of outsourcing the

>war, a closer look at the contractors who've been hired, and " Baghdad

>>From A Bullet Proof Window " -- a vivid report from producers Martin

>Smith and Marcela Gaviria describing the dramatic changes they saw on

>this most recent reporting trip to Iraq. Plus, watch their report again

>online and, take the opportunity to express your opinion about it at

>http://www.pbs.org/frontline/shows/warriors/

>

>Finally, a note: " Private Warriors " concludes FRONTLINE's 23rd

>broadcast season. We'll be back in September with a new line-up of

>reports. Meanwhile, check your local tv listings over the summer for

>rebroadcasts and go to our Web site where 50 video streamed programs

>can be viewed online.

>

>Louis Wiley Jr.

>Executive Editor

>

>

>

>--------------------------

>+ Live Online Discussion on Washingtonpost.com ...

>

>Producer Martin Smith will be online this Wednesday, May 22, at 11am ET,

>to discuss " Private Warriors "

>

>For details, see:

>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2005/06/16/DI2005061601\

172.html

>

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