Vodka soaked-gummy bears and militias: Report details how a U.S. contractor might have broken the law in Iraq

An American contracting company that was paid millions by the U.S. government to secure an Iraqi air base ignored reports of theft, sex trafficking, alcohol smuggling and repeated security breaches before firing the internal investigators that were looking into the violations, according to a report by the Associated Press on Wednesday.

The AP’s story is based on more than 100 documents, interviews with multiple company employees and the two fired investigators, Robert Cole and Kristie King. The violations, if proved, would likely amount to a serious breach of contract and — because Pentagon auditors were kept in the dark — could open up the company and its employees to possible legal action.

In 2014, Sallyport Global’s parent company was paid more than $700 million to protect Balad Air Base in Iraq after the start of the U.S.-led campaign against the Islamic State there. The sprawling installation was nearly overrun by Islamic State fighters. After it was secured by Iraqi and local militia forces, the Virginia based-company was sent in to ensure that the facility could house the Iraqi Air Force’s new U.S.-purchased F-16 fighter jets and the hundreds of support staff needed to run the base.

 

Read the whole story from The Washington Post.

Featured image courtesy of AP