Kabul mercenaries relax with orgies at US Embassy

[TonyGosling]

The guard, a U.S. military veteran, said top supervisors at Armor Group were not only aware of the "deviant sexual acts" but helped to organize them. "It was mostly the young guys fresh from the military who were told they had to participate," said the guard, who talked on a phone hook-up arranged by POGO. "They were not gay but they knew what it took to get promoted."

Naked Pool Parties, Alleged Sex Acts at Kabul U.S. Embassy Force Out 10 Guards
ABC News
Eight Fired, Two Resign After "Frat Party Gone Bad" Exposed
By MEGAN CHUCHMACH and NICK SCHIFRIN - Sept. 4, 2009—

Following the release of shocking photos showing barely clothed and naked private security guards at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul engaging in lewd hazing, eight guards have been fired and two others resigned, the Embassy said today.

An investigation by the Office of the Inspector General has begun and senior management of ArmorGroup, which has a contract with the State Department to provide security at the Kabul embassy, is "being replaced immediately," the Embassy also said.

Click here to see the photos.

The Project on Government Oversight (POGO), the nonprofit that exposed the photos this week, voiced concern over the firings.

"We have been told people are being fired for simply being in the photographs," said POGO Executive Director Danielle Brian. "We do know a number of those were unwilling participants." Brian said they are also calling for the "supervisors who were responsible for this debacle" to be "held fully accountable and not simply allowed to resign and go to another contractor."

The circumstances surrounding the dismissal of those involved came under scrutiny yesterday when POGO reported that one of the whistleblowers who helped bring the scandal to light was allegedly forced to resign to avoid being fired. POGO said it was told by ArmorGroup that the whistleblower resigned voluntarily.

A spokesperson for the company wouldn't confirm the resignation and referred questions to the State Department.

State Department spokesman PJ Crowley refused to comment on POGO's allegations that the contractor forced out the suspected whistleblower, but said 60 individuals have been interviewed so far as part of the investigation. He described what occurred as "awful," "disgusting" and a "frat party gone bad."

A guard who spoke with ABC News this week on the condition of anonymity said the drunken parties had been held regularly for at least a year and a half and that guards were pressured to participate, as well as perform sex acts, in order to gain promotions or assignment to preferable shifts.

The guard, a U.S. military veteran, said top supervisors at Armor Group were not only aware of the "deviant sexual acts" but helped to organize them.

"It was mostly the young guys fresh from the military who were told they had to participate," said the guard, who talked on a phone hook-up arranged by POGO. "They were not gay but they knew what it took to get promoted."

Performance of ArmorGroup Questionned

The State Department renewed its contract with ArmorGroup to provide security at the Kabul embassy last month, even though there have been a series of complaints about its performance.

In June 2007, the State Department warned "the security of the US embassy in Kabul is in jeopardy" because of deficiencies" on the part of ArmorGroup.

Similar complaints were raised at a Senate hearing in June by Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO).

Sam Brinkley, vice-president of the ArmorGroup's corporate parent Wackenhut Services, defended the company's performance in Kabul.

"We are a guard company that prides itself in doing missions well," Brinkley testified.

Wackenhut did not return requests for comment.

Kirit Radia contributed to this report.

[TonyGosling]

As for ArmorGroup and its corporate parent, Wackenhut, they did not respond to our repeated requests for comment.

Former guard speaks

MARGARET WARNER: That's not what this former ArmorGroup guard, a Marine veteran, said he observed as recently as August in Afghanistan.

We agreed to conceal his identity and voice.

He said the language barrier with the Nepalese is as bad as ever.

FORMER ARMORGROUP GUARD: You can't communicate with them. They are -- it's completely -- hand and arm signals don't really work, because, if they were actual military, universal hand and arm signal signs would work.

MARGARET WARNER: So, what would happen in the case of some sort of a terrorist incident? How would you make use of them?

FORMER ARMORGROUP GUARD: You -- you couldn't use them. They would be a liability.

MARGARET WARNER: Now, another one of the allegations concerned what this watchdog group called a kind of "Lord of the Flies" atmosphere out at Camp Sullivan, the place where you and the other guards lived, drunken parties, lewd hazing. Did you experience any of that?

FORMER ARMORGROUP GUARD: Yes. I -- I did not experience personally. But I have seen it out there. And they was just -- it was -- it was mind-blowing, to be honest with you. I mean, you can't believe the conduct of some of these individuals in the presence of leadership.

MARGARET WARNER: So, why does this kind of behavior, this -- this hazing and so on -- how does it actually affect the effectiveness of the force?

FORMER ARMORGROUP GUARD: Well, it affects the effectiveness of the force, I believe, in the main way is because of the turnover rate. I mean, as you can see from some of the records there, I mean, we have had over 40 guards walk off the job at one time.

MARGARET WARNER: So, finally, let me ask you, did you take -- have you taken these complaints -- before talking to the watchdog group, did you take them to the supervisors of ArmorGroup or Wackenhut, or to the State Department security officer who is supposed to be overseeing all of this?

FORMER ARMORGROUP GUARD: First, you're not allowed to speak to the State Department people. If you're speaking to a State Department RSO, and it could be anything demeaning to ArmorGroup North America, then you're fired.

MARGARET WARNER: Late today, Senator McCaskill released a letter she wrote to the State Department urging a thorough review of the allegations and demanding all documents related to ArmorGroup's performance in Afghanistan.

As for ArmorGroup and its corporate parent, Wackenhut, they did not respond to our repeated requests for comment.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/july-dec09/embassy_09-01.html