Us contractor risks lives, profits, in iraq drone attack
A Kenyan national employed by V2X, a US defense contractor supporting Iraq’s F-16 program, perished in a drone attack on Erbil airbase last week, igniting a firestorm of accusations against the company for prioritizing profits over employee safety. The incident, which also injured five other workers, has exposed a chilling culture of fear and alleged coercion among V2X personnel stationed in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Evacuation warnings ignored, contracts prioritized
While Lockheed Martin and Amentum, other US defense contractors present at Erbil’s military base, quietly evacuated their staff weeks ago, V2X appears to have doubled down, instructing employees to remain despite escalating security risks. Sources claim the company’s primary concern isn’t the well-being of its workforce, but rather the potential loss of a lucrative $252 million LOGCAP contract – a deal vital for maintaining support for Iraq’s fighter jet program.
The atmosphere within V2X is reportedly one of palpable dread. Employees, many staying in a city hotel due to ongoing instability, allege that attempts to raise safety concerns are met with hostility and veiled threats of job termination. “Nobody is speaking up to leadership because we are afraid,” stated one anonymous employee. “They said they have no legal responsibilities to us if we decide to leave. We are on our own.” The chilling reality is that those contemplating departure are reportedly told they’ll be considered “voluntary evacuees,” effectively resigning from their positions and facing a future blacklist from V2X hiring practices.
A hotel without security, a target in plain sight
Adding to the peril, the hotel where the majority of V2X employees are sheltering lacks basic security measures, offering no checkpoint and allowing unrestricted public access. This vulnerability makes the group, particularly the American citizens among them, a prime target for Iran-backed militants – a threat amplified by repeated US embassy warnings urging caution and, where possible, departure from the region. The situation is stark: “There’s no safety plan, no security, no evacuation plan,” lamented one source. “We are one of the biggest targets just sitting here. Everybody in Erbil knows we’re here.”
The company’s insistence that the security situation isn’t severe enough to warrant evacuation rings hollow, especially given the recent surge in drone attacks and the US Embassy in Baghdad’s warning of potential attacks targeting American interests within the next 48 hours. The irony is compounded by reports that senior V2X management, including the task order manager and site manager, quietly evacuated on March 24th, leaving their teams behind – an action one employee described as “a cowardly move.”
The death of the Kenyan worker, and the precarious circumstances faced by dozens of others, raise serious questions about the ethical obligations of defense contractors operating in volatile regions. V2X’s refusal to prioritize the safety of its employees, seemingly driven by the fear of financial repercussions, is a stark reminder of the human cost often obscured by the complexities of international politics and military contracts.