Noah Coburn

Under Contract

The Invisible Workers of America's Global War

• Gebundenes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

War is one of the most lucrative job markets for an increasingly global workforce. Most of the work on American bases, everything from manning guard towers to cleaning the latrines to more technical engineering and accounting jobs, has been outsourced to private firms that then contract out individual jobs, often to the lowest bidder. An "American" base in Afghanistan or Iraq will be staffed with workers from places like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Turkey, Bosnia, and Nepal: so-called "third-country nationals." Tens of thousands of these workers are now fixtures on American bases. Yet, in the plethora of records kept by the U.S. government, they are unseen and uncounted-their stories untold. Noah Coburn traces this unseen workforce across seven countries, following the workers' often zigzagging journey to war. He confronts the varied conditions third-country nationals encounter, ranging from near slavery to more mundane forms of exploitation. Visiting a British Imperial training camp in Nepal, U.S. bases in Afghanistan, a café in Tbilisi, offices in Ankara, and human traffickers in Delhi, Coburn seeks out a better understanding of the people who make up this unseen workforce, sharing powerful stories of hope and struggle. Part memoir, part travelogue, and part retelling of the war in Afghanistan through the eyes of workers, Under Contract unspools a complex global web of how modern wars are fought and supported, narrating war stories unlike any other. Coburn's experience forces readers to reckon with the moral questions of a hidden global war-force and the costs being shouldered by foreign nationals in our name.

---

Hinweis: Dieser Artikel kann nur an eine deutsche Lieferadresse ausgeliefert werden.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Stanford University Press
• Seitenzahl: 408
• Erscheinungstermin: 4. September 2018
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 236mm x 163mm x 35mm
• Gewicht: 794g
• ISBN-13: 9781503605367
• ISBN-10: 1503605361
• Artikelnr.: 50910148

Autorenporträt

Noah Coburn is Professor of Anthropology at Bennington College. He is one of the few contemporary anthropologists with years of on-the-ground field research experience in Afghanistan. He is the author of three previous books, most recently Losing Afghanistan: An Obituary for the Intervention (Stanford, 2016). His writing has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, and The Financial Times.

Inhaltsangabe

Contents and Abstracts
Prologue: No Small War
chapter abstract
This book begins with the political and economic changes brought to the
area around Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan by the American invasion,
comparing the author's experiences with those of a Nepali security guard
who was imprisoned in Afghanistan for three years. It presents some of the
less predictable consequences of the war, particularly for civilians
working for the U.S. war effort. It looks at the wide range of actors who
were part of the conflict in Afghanistan, from members of the NATO
coalition to individual businessmen who were pulled in by the war economy,
suggesting that far from a "small war," as most insurgencies are
considered, the war in Afghanistan was truly a global affair. It concludes
that understanding the consequences of the war in Afghanistan requires an
anthropological approach and lays out the methods of the study that led to
this book.
1Mercenaries, Contractors, and Other Hired Guns
chapter abstract
This chapter recounts the experience of one Nepali security contractor in
Afghanistan and the ways in which his experience, the money that he made,
and the connections that he developed have reshaped his life. It looks at
how this case is indicative of a wider trend by Western countries to
outsource various aspects of war and international intervention. These
practices, due largely to the secretive nature of private security firms,
remain understudied and, as this chapter demonstrates, even attempting to
do a census of such workers is nearly impossible. It also debunks the
common myth that private security contractors are not put at the same risk
that more typical military personnel are, suggesting that the wider nature
of war has changed in ways that are not accounted for in most popular
narratives.
2Nepalis at War
chapter abstract
This chapter looks at the practice of recruitment of Nepalis into foreign
militaries. The practice, which began under the East India Trade Company,
eventually led hundreds of thousands of Nepalis to enlist in the British
Imperial Army and, later, the Indian Army, the Singapore Police Force, and
a range of other foreign bodies. This practice of relying on so-called
Gurkha soldiers has shifted in recent years toward private security firms
largely funded by the U.S. government. This neoliberal variation of earlier
practices of labor migration has led to the commodification of the term
Gurkha as these men and the symbols attached to them have been used to
encourage orientalist appeals to the supposed martial nature of certain
Nepali ethnic groups.
3One Blast, Many Lives
chapter abstract
This chapter is the account of the 2013 suicide attack on a private
security compound in Kabul through the experience of four Nepali guards who
worked there. It looks at the difficulty of sorting out the details on an
attack like this one, which was large enough to lead to several deaths, but
since those killed were from non-Western countries, it garnered little
media attention. Furthermore, the layers of contracting and subcontracting
meant that the firm guarding and residing in the compound was not the same
as the one that owned the compound, making liability and moral obligations
difficult for those involved to sort out. The chapter explores how
differently the attack affected the individuals we interviewed, with one
being disabled for life with no future prospects, and another, with less
severe injuries who used the compensation paid by his firm to start a new
business.
4Costs and Compensation
chapter abstract
This chapter looks at the various ways in which firms compensate those
injured in attacks or other on-the-job injuries in conflict zones. In
particular, it focuses on the U.S. Defense Base Act, which was set up to
provide injured workers with compensation. While the wording of the law is
expansive, many contractors from Nepal and other poor countries have
struggled to take advantage of it, since they have limited legal knowledge
and contracting companies often isolate them from the lawyers who could
potentially help them file a claim. The chapter concludes by speculating
about why attacks involving private security firms, particularly where
there are non-Westerners killed, have been so easy to ignore and what this
says about the current relationship between the media and the U.S.
military.
5Manpower
chapter abstract
This chapter looks at the process that Nepalis workers use to secure
employment abroad. Usually they rely on a series of local brokers and,
later, brokers in Kathmandu, who work with a labor firm to secure a
contract and work permit abroad. The process has long been derided as
corrupt, and most measures aimed at increasing transparency have, according
to those going through the process, allowed officials and brokers to
extract more bribes from potential migrants. It looks at the case of
workers migrating to Afghanistan and how this practice, which was
relatively limited following the initial U.S.-led invasion, rapidly
expanded, attracting less reputable firms and leading to more bureaucracy.
6Two Hundred Years of Gurkhas
chapter abstract
This chapter looks at the increase in employment of retired Gurkhas by
international and American private security firms in the early years of the
wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It looks particularly at the experience of
two retired Gurkhas who worked at the U.S. embassy for a firm that was
later charged with gross negligence. It traces how companies expanded the
definition of what a "genuine" Gurkha was, first hiring from those who
served in the British Army, then hiring those who had been in the Indian or
Nepali armies, and eventually hiring those with no military training at all
in order to save costs. It also looks at the experiences of these various
groups upon returning to Nepal and the changes (or lack thereof) in their
socioeconomic status.
7"Who Will Be a Gurkha?"
chapter abstract
This chapter focuses on the ongoing practice of recruiting young Nepalis
into the British army. It describes the selection process that choses 236
recruits from more than 6,000 applicants, and the rigorous physical tests
and interviews that it includes. It looks at how the modern variation and
the increased supply of young, unemployed Nepalis has given rise to an
industry of training centers that charge for a variety of services. These
centers rely on colonial myths about the promise of opportunities abroad,
while misleading young Nepalis about the statistical improbability of
success, leading many deep into debt and into the hands of manipulative
brokers.
8Through the Colonial Looking Glass
chapter abstract
This chapter looks at the ongoing practice of British military recruitment
in Nepal and explores who this means for Britain's postcolonial relations
with Nepal. It looks in particular at the Gurkha Welfare Scheme, which acts
like a development organization, but instead of targeting the neediest
communities, it focuses on those that tend to produce recruits for the
British military. It explores the political campaign to award British
citizenship to those serving in the British Army and asks what this means
for young Nepalis who are successful in the selection process and those who
fail, and the ways in which British practices continue to concentrate
economic and political power in the hands of the Nepali elite.
9The Labor of War
chapter abstract
This chapter compares and contrasts the experience of working at different
companies in conflict zones, arguing that more than nationality, companies
shaped the experience of war for various contractors. It looks at case
studies from two of the largest contracting firms receiving U.S. funds in
Afghanistan, DynCorp and Supreme, both of which hired private security
contractors, but also Nepalis in a range of lesser positions, like
mechanics and cooks. It tracks the hiring process of these companies and
conditions that the workers experienced while in Afghanistan. Nepali
workers at these companies judged them often not by using the language of
Western human rights, but using more normative language that focused on
day-to-day emotions, such as the perceived fairness of supervisors.
10A Protective Government?
chapter abstract
Was working in Afghanistan legal for Nepalis? This chapter looks at the
deeply complex answer to this seemingly simple question. It examines the
bureaucratic processes of securing work permits and the corruption
associated with the process in both Kathmandu and Kabul. It looks at the
ways in which the system was made purposely opaque, a process that helped
brokers who facilitated the application for government documents and the
officials who could slow down or speed up the process greatly. It explores
the various ways countries supplying labor to Western countries at war have
failed to protect their citizens and how donor countries have encouraged
these practices.
11Of Roses and Revolutions
chapter abstract
This chapter looks at the involvement of the Georgian military and Georgian
civilian contractors in the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It describes
the experiences of several Georgian contractors in Afghanistan. It argues
that the distinction between the experience of Georgia and Nepal in the war
in Afghanistan and Iraq was that the Georgian government used involvement
in these conflicts primarily to strengthen their alliances with the United
States and EU countries. After the disastrous war in South Ossetia, it
became clear that Georgia's allies were more concerned about relations with
Russia than ties with the fledgling democracy, but officials interviewed
still felt that participation in the wars had strengthened more informal
ties between the militaries and ultimately contributed to the increase in
foreign assistance to the country.
12Economic Ottomans
chapter abstract
Turkey's experience of the war in Afghanistan was deeply shaped by the
shared religion, cultural, and linguistic similarities. Based on
interviewees with Turkish military personnel, this chapter looks at how
Turkish strategy and objectives differed from those of its NATO allies. It
argues that the long-term goal of the Erdöan government to reassert
influence in the region was part of Turkey's attempts to cultivate new
allies and distance itself from the decreasing likelihood of EU membership.
In Afghanistan, this meant that the Turkish military and diplomats had a
longer time horizon for their involvement in the country. The chapter
explores the resulting military cooperation and economic investment, while
arguing that the close personnel ties of Turkish officers to their NATO
counterparts continues to ensure strong relations.
13Turkish Engineers and Other Heroes of the Intervention
chapter abstract
Turkey's relatively high education standards and low cost of living meant
that contracting companies in Afghanistan often looked to Turkey to provide
engineers and other blue-collar workers. This chapter looks at the various
contractors and Turkish businesspeople who took advantage of Turkey's
position in the global economy, taking business deals that Europeans and
Americans were likely to turn down. The chapter explores a case study of a
Turkish designer and his life history from his early adventures abroad to
his eventual extensive contracting for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in
Afghanistan.
14Building an Empire?
chapter abstract
Despite the presence of numerous Turks working in Afghanistan, the Turkish
government made little effort to regulate or even promote Turkish business
there. The Turkish companies that succeeded in securing contracts from the
U.S. military ranged from handling tens of millions of dollars a year to
small family businesses. This chapter argues that it was often the largest
of these that were able to undercut their competitors, establish contacts
with Afghan companies, and dominate certain industries, such as the
construction of U.S. bases. It also looks at some of the lesser-studied
industries that support the war in Afghanistan and link together various
companies and countries across the region, such as the network of freight
forwarding companies that move cargo from Europe to Afghanistan.
15Detained
chapter abstract
This chapter looks at the experiences of contractors who were detained by
the Afghan authorities. It argues that in contrast to the importance of
company of employment in other aspects of the contracting process,
nationality most clearly shaped how contractors were treated by the Afghan
government. The chapter studies the case of a Nepali laborer who was
imprisoned for three years on false charges and was released only after
being aided by a journalist. It contrasts this man's experience with the
experience of an American and Turk who were also detained.
16Kidnapped
chapter abstract
This chapter focuses on the experience of one Turkish contractor who was
kidnapped by the Haqqani network with a group of other contractors while
working in Afghanistan and taken into Pakistan, where he was held for a
month before his release. It explores his background and how he came to be
working on an isolated base near the Afghan-Pakistani border. The chapter
looks how his treatment compared with a Russian contractor, kidnapped at
the same moment, and how his religious identity as a fellow Muslim led to
better treatment. The chapter examines the confusing attempts by the
Turkish and Afghan governments to secure his release and the importance of
good luck and self-preservation instincts during such incidents.
17Hom Bahadur
chapter abstract
For workers in Afghanistan, visas and other forms of documentation were
often the difference between liberty and confinement. This chapter is an
in-depth case study of a Nepali contractor who, upon arriving in
Afghanistan, was kidnapped and essentially held hostage for several months
by an Afghan broker, with the aid of both a Nepali broker and the Afghan
police. It was only through the kindness of other laborers, connected
through social media, that the worker was eventually able to secure his
release. The chapter looks at how brokers are able to take particular
advantage of those workers who are poorest with few political and social
connections.
18The Boredom of Being Trafficked
chapter abstract
This chapter looks at the importance of New Delhi as a transit point for
young Nepalis and other South Asians looking for work abroad. It explores
the conditions that these young people endure while waiting for brokers to
arrange visas, contracts, and other documentation for them. In particular,
it studies how brokers promote certain narratives about the potential
economic wealth of work abroad in order to keep these young people in limbo
and encourage them not to speak with other laborers. Ambiguity becomes an
effective economic strategy for these brokers. The chapter asks how
assumptions about the involuntary nature of trafficking shape our views and
policy on the concept.
19Accountants at Wars
chapter abstract
The experiences of white-collar Indians contracting in conflict zones
differed greatly from the experiences of poor laborers. This chapter
expands the notion of labor migration and explores the importance of Indian
administrators, particularly in the human resources and accounting offices
of various contracting firms. These individuals often had better educations
and connections than their other South Asian counterparts, and this gave
them an agency that other contractors did not have. Through a series of
case studies, this chapter explores the different experiences and security
threats that these individuals faced, particularly in the form of targeting
by Pakistani groups.
20Classes and Genders at War
chapter abstract
Labor migration is largely built on the narrative of economic promise
abroad, but what happens when this promise does not materialize? This
chapter looks at a series of case studies of Indian and Nepali contractors
in Afghanistan to argue that while employment held the promise of upward
mobility, instead it tended to solidify gender norms and economic divides.
The hypermasculinized world of contracting allowed women to participate,
but only in specific ways that further diminished their agency. The chapter
also looks at how social media and other new technologies have allowed
brokers to target and exploit poor workers. While the capitalist free
market language of labor migration promises upward mobility, ultimately it
enriched only the ruling class that controlled the mechanisms of migration.
21Returning Abroad
chapter abstract
In the 2000s, the United Kingdom began granting citizenship to Nepalis who
had served in the British army. This led to a growing population of Nepalis
who settled in garrison towns in England, such as Aldershot. This chapter
explores these communities, the effect of the war in Afghanistan, and the
increasing pull of private security contracting that led many to leave the
military. At the same time, this growing population has led to questions
about Britain's place in a globalizing world and the legacy of colonialism.
The chapter explores the contrast between the promise of a more globalized
version of Britain that citizenship for Gurkhas provides, with the
discrimination and nativist rhetoric that many Nepalis in the United
Kingdom face.
22When You Can't Go Home
chapter abstract
Following the targeting of Iraqi and Afghan contractors who had worked as
interpreters for the U.S. military, the U.S. government designed the
Special Immigrant Visa program aimed at providing former contractors in
danger with visas to settle in the United States. This chapter looks at the
challenges that this program has faced and the bureaucracy it has created.
It also looks at the lives of several Afghan interpreters who settled in
the United States. These former contractors often face challenges far
different from what they expected, living in poor, segregated neighborhoods
in large American cities that they are ill equipped to navigate.
23Where the War Went
chapter abstract
As the United States has increasingly subcontracted aspects of its wars in
Afghanistan and Iraq, these practices have spread globally, with countries
in the Persian Gulf, for example, increasingly relying on mercenaries to
staff their militaries. This chapter looks at the potential repercussions
of these aspects of the war in Afghanistan. As contracts end, the result is
a demobilized army of former contractors willing to fight for anyone
willing to give them a paycheck. The chapter case study is of a group of
young Nepalis who ended up working as bodyguards in western Russia for a
mafia boss. Particularly as new technology and the Internet marketplace
make such transactions easier, this chapter asks what the future of warfare
might be.