Worker for US defense contractor killed in Iraq as colleagues say they are pressured to stay

A man employed by the US defense contractor V2X has been killed in a drone attack on Erbil airbase, amid concerns from colleagues that they are being placed in harm’s way and pressured to remain in Iraq despite security risks, five sources said.The worker, from Kenya, died in a night attack in his sleeping quarters on the base on 24 March. Another five workers were injured. They are from Kenya and India, and are among a group of about 45 workers employed by V2X who have remained on the base. One of the workers is in a critical condition with severe burns, sources said.“The company has messed up here bad,” said a source speaking on the condition of anonymity. “He didn’t have to die. The company thought it was more important to keep the mission going rather than get people to safety.”V2X has almost 300 employees in Erbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan, who are mainly American, Indian and Kenyan. Other US defense contractors active on Erbil’s military base, including Lockheed Martin and Amentum, evacuated their staff several weeks ago, according to V2X workers interviewed, who question why efforts have not been made to repatriate them. Lockheed Martin and Amentum did not respond to requests for comment.The interviewees, who have asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation by the company, describe an ongoing culture of fear among employees and perceived hostility from management.The majority of V2X employees in Erbil have been staying in a hotel in the city since the outbreak of the conflict. Workers interviewed said that when they ask company management about safety or evacuation plans, they become hostile, four workers said.“People are scared. Rather calming people, leadership threaten our jobs,” said one source.V2X has told its employees in Erbil that the security situation is not severe enough for the company to arrange an evacuation. They have been told that should they want to leave, it will be regarded as a “voluntary evacuation” and that they have resigned from their jobs. Employees were told by one senior manager that they would be blacklisted from being rehired by the company in the future if they were to leave.“Nobody is speaking up to leadership because we are afraid. They said they have no legal responsibilities to us if we decide to leave. We are on our own,” said a second source.V2X workers raised concerns that the hotel they are staying in is not secure, as it lacks a security checkpoint and members of the public can freely walk in and around it. The majority of those staying at the hotel are American and they fear they could be targeted by local Iran-allied militants, sources said.“There’s no safety plan, no security, no evacuation plan,” said the first source. “We are one of the biggest targets just sitting here. Everybody in Erbil knows we’re here.”Since the conflict between the United States and Israel and Iran began at the end of February, US embassies in the region have repeatedly urged American citizens in the Middle East to exercise increased caution, reconsider travel, and, where possible, depart the region using available commercial means due to security risks, periodic airspace closures, and threats to US citizens and interests.On 2 April, the US Embassy in Baghdad issued an alert stating Iraqi militia may intend to conduct attacks in Iraq in the next 48 hours: “They may intend to target U.S. citizens, businesses, universities, diplomatic facilities, energy infrastructure, hotels, airports, and other locations perceived to be associated with the United States, as well as Iraqi institutions and civilian targets. Terrorist militias have targeted Americans for kidnapping. U.S. citizens should leave Iraq now”.The workers interviewed allege V2X could risk losing its contract to support Iraq’s F-16 fighter jet program across several bases in the country should its employees evacuate. The company has a LOGCAP (Logistics Civil Augmentation Program) contract to provide base operating support and security services in Iraq in a $252 million deal signed in November.“They don’t want to push the button, they are in fear of losing the contract. It would cost them money to get us out of here. I feel like they should be doing something,” said the second source. “We have been in this hotel for a month — it means we’re not essential. They’re stringing us along.”Despite the messaging to employees, several members of V2X management have departed Erbil, including the task order manager and site manager, who evacuated on March 24.“Both left the hotel after the attack on the base saying that they are more of a target because of their positions in leadership,” said the third source. “I was furious and I felt like it was a coward[ly] move. How do you leave your team behind – especially the US citizens – we are in just as much danger as they are.”In March, the Guardian reported about the security dangers faced by V2X employees at US military bases in Kuwait, and at Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih air base near Baghdad. Employees described having inadequate protections, receiving limited communications from the company about evacuation plans and being targets of Iran-allied attacks.Since those reports were published, V2X managers have attempted to find out which of their employees had spoken to the Guardian.“They won’t put anything in writing but they are questioning people and demanding they ‘find out who did this’, and they make vague threats of what they’d do to those people,” said a fourth source. “The pressure has been intense.”The Guardian has approached V2X for comment. The company did not respond by the time of publication, and it has not offered statements in response to the previous two articles.Like what’s happening in Erbil, at Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih, formerly known as Balad Air Base, V2X workers have also been told that the security situation is not severe enough to mandate an evacuation, and that anybody who decides to leave will be designated a voluntary evacuee and will be terminated from their jobs, two sources said.V2X employees interviewed allege the company is playing down threats to their safety to avoid having to evacuate them. Since last week, V2X workers at Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih have been ordered to wear Personal Protective Equipment helmets and have vests to protect against debris and shrapnel as they move around the base. They hear drone alerts most nights, and several waves of drones and projectiles have been intercepted over the base.“We had an alert last night to stay in our rooms because there was a drone over the base. On March 20 we were sent to the bunker because the air force found a rocket launcher outside the base,” said a fifth source, speaking on 26 March. “It’s been almost daily drones and gunshots.”However, late February, days before the conflict began, V2X decided to evacuate a group of its non-essential staff from Martyr Brigadier General Ali Flaih. During their journey out of the country, the Iraqi government threatened to terminate V2X’s contract if the personnel left. Because of this, V2X aborted the evacuation and decided to return them back to Balad, four sources said. Some of the group of these evacuees are now stranded in Erbil because Iraqi airspace is closed and they could not take a flight back to Balad, four sources said.“That initial evacuation was a legitimate evacuation. The Iraqi government told V2X that if they evacuated they will lose the contract so they ordered the people they had sent out to come back. The company booked their flights back but then airspace closed and they got stuck in Erbil,” said the fifth source. “Literally everyone is angry and frustrated.”