Contract workers, risk, and the war in Iraq : Sierra Leonean labor migrants at US military bases / Kevin J.A. Thomas.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Thomas, Kevin J. A., author.

Series:

Human dimensions in foreign policy, military studies, and security studies ; 5.

Human dimensions in foreign policy, military studies, and security studies ; 5

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Foreign workers, African--Iraq.

Foreign workers, African.

Sierra Leoneans--Employment--Iraq.

Sierra Leoneans.

Iraq War, 2003-2011.

Military bases, American--Government policy--Iraq.

Military bases, American.

Foreign workers--Government policy--United States.

Foreign workers.

Foreign workers--Government policy.

Economic conditions.

Social conditions.

Military bases, American--Government policy.

United States.

Sierra Leoneans--Social conditions.

Sierra Leoneans--Economic conditions.

Iraq.

Physical Description:

viii, 243 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Montreal ; Kingston ; London ; Chicago : McGill-Queen's University Press, [2017]

Summary:

"In 2003, just before the start of the US invasion of Iraq, military planners predicted that the mission's success would depend on using diverse sources for their workforce. While thousands of US troops were needed to secure victory in the field, large numbers of civilian contractors--many from poor countries in Africa and Asia--were recruited to provide a range of services for the occupying forces. In Contract Workers, Risk, and the War in Iraq Kevin Thomas provides a compelling account of the recruitment of Sierra Leonean workers and their reasons for embracing the risks of migration. In recent years US military bases have outsourced contracts for services to private military corporations who recruit and capitalize on cheaper low-skilled workers. Thomas argues that for people from post-conflict countries such as Sierra Leone, where there are high levels of poverty and acute unemployment, the opportunity to improve their situation outweighs the risk of migration to war-torn Iraq. Examining migrants' experiences in their native country, their time spent at US bases, and after their return to Sierra Leone, Thomas deftly explores the intricate dynamics of risk, sets up a theoretical framework for future researchers, and offers policy recommendations for decision-makers and practitioners in the field. Incorporating the voices of Sierra Leonean contractors who were manipulated and exploited, Contract Workers, Risk, and the War in Iraq turns the spotlight on a subject that has remained on the periphery of history, and reveals an unexpected consequence of the War on Terror."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Risk and the determinants of labor migration

Social transitions, jobs, and migration in Sierra Leone

Recruiting workers and preparing for migration

Supporting the US mission in Iraq

The downsides of contract work

Return migration, reintegration, and "blood dollars"

Making migration work.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Thomas, Kevin J. A, author. Contract workers, risk, and the war in Iraq.

ISBN:

9780773551237

0773551239

9780773551220

0773551220

OCLC:

986160805