US embassy contractors in Kabul accused of abuse

Thursday, September 03, 2009
KABUL: Guards hired by the US state department to protect diplomats and staff at the country’s embassy in Afghanistan live and work in a “Lord of the Flies” environment in which they are subjected to hazing and other inappropriate behaviour by supervisors, a government oversight group said yesterday.

In a 10-page letter to the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, the independent Project on Government Oversight said the situation had led to a breakdown in morale and leadership that compromises security at the embassy in Kabul, where nearly 1,000 US diplomats, staff and Afghan nationals work.

Senator Claire McCaskill called on the state department to open an investigation into the performance and management of the contract with Armor Group North America. McCaskill, who chairs a Senate subcommittee on contracting oversight, said the new evidence called into question the company’s ability to provide adequate security at a key facility.

She also demanded access to documents related to the contract, including any department reviews of alleged misconduct by Armor Group employees. Link...