American Morning
U.S. Embassy probes 'deviant' guards' conduct
KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) - The U.S. Embassy in Kabul said it is joining the inquiry into claims that some of its private security guards practiced hazing rituals, sexual activity and intimidation.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/03/afghanistan.embassy.contractors/art.pogo.cnn.jpg caption="A spokeswoman for watchdog group POGO said hazing at a camp for security guards went 'well beyond partying.'"]
"A full review of local guard force policies and procedures is under way and a full investigation is ongoing," said an embassy statement released Thursday.
"Embassy officials continue to interview guard force personnel as a part of the investigation, to assess the need for possible suspensions and terminations."
Along with the investigation, the embassy has also banned alcohol at Camp Sullivan, the facility at which the guards live.
The allegations about the guards' behavior were reported by the watchdog group Project On Government Oversight.
The group sent a letter Tuesday to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and briefed reporters on its findings, which it said were based on e-mails and interviews with more than a dozen guards who had worked at the U.S. compound in the Afghan capital.
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To ataylor-I never said that hiring these people was right. We, as citizens are only now finding out the extent of these hirings of private security guards. However, how long are we going to keep blaming bush/chaney? obummer has had enough time to learn about these things and it wasn't until they were published in the media that he chose to take action. obummer's pledges of transparency have been hollow pledges.He is only now opening the logs of whitehouse visitors. After 10 months. He passed the porkalus budget against statements he had made when getting elected. If you check under the obameter website you will see that obummer has made good on a few of his hundreds of promises but has defaulted on several and compromised away the original intent of many others. Get used to it ataylor. obummer is as corrupt as all of the rest of the politicians in washington. Considering the communists and socialists that he has appointed to his administration, maybe moreso. See van jones for starters!!
@jim vicalvi how dare you have the audacity to drop this in Obama administrations lap when Cheney and the Bush administration insisted on not using military personnel to guard u.s. embassies any further, but instead opted to hire private security firms in order to save money and when their term ends they get to walk away from the problem and drop it in the next administrations lap . How dare you people. You have no honor, whatsoever. And since there doesn't seem to be any kind of oversight or regulation in place governing the activity of these private security companies, this is what we get - more blackwater.
I guess the lesson is, if you don't want your face shown all over national TV then show your genitals!! Because I find it very discriminatory to block out these faces and then show the faces of the Washington Bridge Guards accused of sleeping on the job. So, if the Washington Bridge guards had been naked on the job, they would have had their faces blocked? Seems there is more shame for sleeping than partying naked on the job!!
What does Obama has to do with a bunch of naked drunk idiots. Somebody was in charge, plus they are supposed to be and act like adults.
How are the left wing wingnuts going to blame Bush for this? obummer has been in power for long enough to have corrected this. This is now on HIS watch. Just like many other screwups that have occured. But the liberal media will put enough spin on this to shift the blame. With obummer's dropping ratings it would be nice if the American people could vote on impeachment and not just his political cronies.
The photos speak for themselves. Enough said! I would love the opportunity to be a Washington bureaucrat for 24 hrs and see how much money I could save the American people.
Somehow, someway, all this stuff needs to be stopped. Whenever it happens it is just another slap in the face of America. Call it what you want, but these companies are nothing more than mercs. being paid by the U. S. taxpayers.