by Frida Berrigan June 30, 2009 The phrase “Obama has a lot on his plate” is the understatement of the year. The president has a to-do list a mile long, and every day a new crisis (like the coup in Honduras) gets added to the list. Can we really fault him if he sneaks the occasional smoke?

Police death squads are out of control in The Philippines say human rights campaigners, murdering slum children, the poor and political enemies with impunity.

As US troops and private contractors surge in Afghanistan, a new report reveals a system rife with abuse. Also, why is an executive of a major war contractor on the commission investigating contractors?

Half of the personnel the US has working on its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are private contractors. A new report reveals how much of a rip-off this system has been to US taxpayers.

The Iraqi authorities are holding five American contractors on suspicion of “murder,” but the US is spinning a different story. This could be a major test for Obama on contractor accountability. By Jeremy Scahill June 9, 2009 Over the past few days, there has been quite a buzz on listserves frequented by private security contractors and industry representatives [...]

Newly released Pentagon statistics show that in both Iraq and Afghanistan the number of armed contractors is rising. The DoD says it sees “similar dependence on contractors in future.” By Jeremy Scahill June 1, 2009 A couple of years ago, Blackwater executive Joseph Schmitz seemed to see a silver lining for mercenary companies with the prospect of US [...]