Defense Dept.’s Meddling Around the World costs US Taxpayers Billions to Enrich Defense Contractors while Americans Sleep in the Streets

As Congress Poses and Postures over raising the Debt Ceiling, Look at Where the Defense Budget is being spent at Taxpayer’s Expense

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By Nathan A. Bauer

The Obama administration said today if Congress refuses to raise the U.S. Debt Ceiling in time, then bond investors will flee U.S. debt and create a larger meltdown than the last one. I have no doubt that a complicit and compliant Congress will bow to Obama’s demands and raise the Debt Ceiling; no matter that Bond Investors have warned that to raise the debt ceiling would cause their profits to rise obscenely, and deliver unto them an American- crushing National Debt that would enslave future generations in perpetuity. That is apparently just what this President loves to hear.

“Congressional Republicans say bond investors will set off a Greek-style financial crisis in the U.S. if the national debt grows. They've promised not to raise the limit without deep spending cuts.” reports Matthew Craft at Forbes.com.

With a budget proposal of 3.8 Trillion Dollars for FY 2011 about to be presented by Obama to Congress February 1^st and $928.5 Billion dollars allocated for Defense, then maybe we should take a look there first to find a paltry 1 Trillion to stave off raising the Debt Ceiling.

Additionally, it has always been this reporter’s experience that you can discern the government’s true intent by observing its Defense contracts. So this will be a multi-task in that many revelations may be made other than the main topic.

While many understand the need for DoD contracts for logistical support, repairs, and equipment for the two wars that few of the tolerant public ever wanted or supported, at least it is in support of our troops and American lives. However I am certain that hardly anyone would support a $29,020,000.00 million contract to construct a 42-meter coastal security craft and provide associated equipment, material, training and technical services. Especially given this contract involves Foreign Military Sales to the Government of Lebanon. Lebanon is suspected of State sponsored terrorism.

I wonder how many starving U.S. citizens would react to the knowledge that US Foods International, Inc. is being awarded a $42,100,000.00 contract, for food distribution in the Republic of Korea. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and other federal civilian agencies. This begs the question as to why any military or civilian agency is in Korea needing 8 million or so meals?

If that could be forgiven, then try on the Lockheed-Martin contracts of $40,600,000.00 combat systems engineering and installation and test aboard KDX-III Ship 3 to support the Republic of Korea Foreign Military. Requirements include the necessary combat systems engineering, computer program development, and ship integration and test support to deliver a variant of the U.S. Navy Aegis weapon system baseline seven, phase one computer program and equipment to support the construction of the third Korean ship in the KDX-III class. In addition, this contract funds an integrated test team to assist the Korean shipyard in performing installation and testing of the Aegis Combat System. So, it seems the U.S. military is not quite as neutral in South Korea as we have been led to believe, and since when was the Aegis Combat System declassified, or any variant?

If that is still not enough to raise your ire; then look to today’s headlines concerning Egypt’s very unstable situation and ongoing protests to oust Mubarrak and Son from the country. Just a month ago DRS C3 & Aviation Co., was awarded a $46,187,024.00 contract to provide for hardware, services, and vehicles for Egypt’s border guard surveillance program. U.S. Citizens may wonder why it is so important to protect Egypt’s borders, while our own are left completely open and vulnerable.

If the protestors in Egypt are successful, the destination for Mubarrak would most likely be the House of Saud, a brutal, oppressive regime. Of course, as the next contract so deftly demonstrates, Saudi Arabia is a preferred U.S. Military customer.

General Dynamics Land Systems was awarded a $37,134,491.00 Dec. 29, 2010 and another $6,924,376.00 in January. The award will provide for materials and labor to convert forty two (42) M1A2 tanks to a M1A2S configuration for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Add to that Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. is being awarded a $6,582,920.00 modification to a delivery order placed against a previously issued basic ordering agreement to exercise an option for engineering, technical and sustaining services in support of the Taiwan Air Force E-2C aircraft and Pacific Propeller International, LLC, being awarded a $10,062,000.00 contract for the depot level overhaul, repair, and refurbishment of 56 P-3C HS54H60-77 propeller assemblies for the Taiwan Navy.

These contracts were awarded in stark contradiction to the speech given by Secretary Robert Gates during Joint Press Conference with General Liang Guanglie from Beijing, China, on January 10, 2011, wherein he states;

“I also want to thank Gen. Liang for his hospitality. He and I had a great deal to discuss in our meetings earlier today. Both President Obama and President Hu have stressed that building a sustained and reliable relationship between our two militaries is an indispensable part of strengthening our two nations’ broader relationship -- a relationship that consists of deepening economic and cultural ties that touch the lives of virtually all our citizens.

“Among these are:

• Improving maritime security;
• Addressing the challenges posed by the spread of nuclear-, space-, cyber-, and missile technology;
• Maintaining peace and security on the Korean Peninsula by facilitating engagement between the two Koreas and towards the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula;
• Preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon by continuing to work through the dual-track approach; and finally
• Continuing to cooperate generally to diffuse global conflicts and tensions. “

Only one month prior, Lockheed Martin Corp., was awarded on Dec. 20^th a $916,165,020.00 contract. This award will provide 226 tactical missiles; 24 launcher mod kits; ground support equipment; contractor field support; and initial spares in Foreign Military Sales to United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan.

It is this reporter’s humble opinion that Mr. Gates is playing a two handed game that has ominous implications for the continued safety of the United States, especially since these contracts are readily available on the internet and scanned by the Chinese daily. Although most Americans seem ignorant of this fact.

For those of you not concerned yet, then maybe the next set of contracts will awaken you to the perils of trusting your lives and privacy to a government run by military-industrial interests that run counter-intuitive to your own.

Science Applications International Corporation of San Diego, Calif. was awarded a $12,723,772.00 contract modification which will provide maintenance support of the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operations Center at Cannon AFB in New Mexico and the RPA Operations Center at Nellis AFB, Nevada to support the AFSCO Large RPA Enterprise and associated Air Force Reserve units and co-located at the ACC unit at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

And,

Science Applications International Corporation was awarded a $10,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract Dec. 29, 2010. The award will provide for airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District, Vicksburg, Miss., is the contracting activity just so you know that this isn’t for foreign operations.

Dear Reader, I have only taken a small cross section from December and January’s DoD contracts to make my points here, so I have barely scratched the surface. Billions every month are spent on forging your own chains of slavery at the expense of every man, woman, and child in America. Every single taxpayer should demand their Congressmen and women, and their Senators to explain such contracts at a time when our economy is in shambles and our infra-structure is crumbling down around our ears. Explain and justify these awards at a time when millions of Americans are being forced from their homes to a dark and desolate future of uncertainty, or, of even where their next meal is coming from, or shelter to protect their children from the harsh cold conditions prevalent in most of the country. It is outrageous that there is no shortage of food for the military and civilian contractors in Korea, yet USA Today estimates 1.3 million Americans are homeless and starving on the mean streets of this country.

Ask yourself this one question. Is it proper for DynCorp being awarded a $1,043,726,525.00, (yes, 1 Billion), contract for specialized training and mentoring services for the government of Afghanistan, and to provide for fourteen (14) training facilities in Afghanistan, while our own fellow countrymen starve, shiver, and die in the streets of the once most prosperous nation on the planet? Where is your outrage and indignity? If you are not so jaded and burned out a people that you can raise your voices en mass to your supposed representatives and make this an over riding issue of the utmost import, then I implore you to do so. Take this information and use it as a weapon to affect some form of real change and ignore smarmy politicians promising you change. Demand it! Get angry, get mad, and DEMAND IT! Don't let Egyptians, Tunisians, and Icelander's make you look like cattle being led to the slaughter willingly. Arise and be counted!

Sources for this original article is:

http://www.defense.gov/contracts/archive.aspx

http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=14192

Usa Today News Service