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The Conversation USA

Who are the private contractors fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan? An inside look at this invisible military force

  • Written by Ori Swed, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, Texas Tech University

The debate on privatizing the war in Afghanistan is heating up yet again, with Democratic lawmakers pledging to end so-called “forever wars.” The public is slowly recognizing the war’s hidden costs and global scale.

In 2016, 1 in 4 U.S. armed personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan was a private contractor. This means that the war is...

Read more: Who are the private contractors fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan? An inside look at this invisible...

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