By REBECCA SANTANA | AP

Published: Jul 28, 2010 21:59 Updated: Jul 28, 2010 21:59

BAGHDAD: The US military said Wednesday it is clamping down on contracting firms on American military bases using employees whose home countries ban travel to Iraq, raising questions about why the contractors were allowed to work in the country for so long despite the ban.

Philippines citizens have been banned since 2004 from traveling to Iraq after insurgents threatened to behead a Filipino truck driver, and officials in the Philippines say they have repeatedly asked the US and other countries to respect their ban. Nepal banned workers from going to Iraq after 12 Nepalese were executed by militants in 2004.

Despite the ban, many citizens from Nepal and the Philippines still make the journey to Iraq, joining the tens of thousands of contractors working in jobs ranging from security to kitchen staff on bases.

US Col. Richard E. Nolan, of the military’s contracting office in Iraq, said the military is investigating the firms’ work forces. Approximately 6,000 people from Nepal and the Philippines working for the Department of Defense in Iraq could potentially be affected, he said.

Nolan says companies would have 20 days to outline a plan for ensuring their work force conforms with regulations.

There is no immediate timeline for when the workers would have to leave the country.

“We want to make sure that we give contractors enough time to do that so that it doesn’t impact our mission out here,” said Nolan, who arrived in Iraq about two weeks ago.

Nepalese media, including the Himalayan Times, reported the Nepalese government decided Wednesday to lift the travel ban to allow its citizens currently working in Iraq to remain. It had not, however, decided whether to allow travel to Iraq in the future.

Nolan said the issue came to light when he received information that at least eight contractors had been left behind by their employers. When the military began trying to repatriate the eight contractors, they discovered that four were from countries that banned travel to Iraq.

News of the clampdown was first made public by the Ms.

Sparky website, which bills itself as being run by an American former contractor in Iraq and often covers issues related to contractors working with the US military. The website posted a memo written by Nolan outlining concerns about the contractors that had been left behind and setting a 20-day timeline for compliance. Nolan authenticated the contents of the memo to The Associated Press.

When asked why there were contractors in the country whose home countries have banned travel to Iraq, the US military press desk said in a statement: “Many Third Country Nationals (TCNS) were employed as contractors to support the war effort in Iraq before travel bans were put in place ... The US government continuously inspects our contractor work force to ensure they are in compliance with contract terms and conditions.” According to the press desk, no disciplinary actions have been taken against the contracting companies.

Nolan said the US military does monthly inspections of the contractors but the focus has generally been on prevention of human trafficking. Contractors working with the American military have in the past been sharply criticized for taking passports from workers they bring to Iraq.

Philippine officials say there is no reliable data on the number of Filipinos in Iraq, where there is no embassy, with estimates ranging from 4,000 to 10,000 workers.

“We’ve always asked the US and other countries to respect our ban,” said Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos. “We have always asked them to please help us because it’s dangerous in Iraq. They’ve never been heeded until now, when they’re winding down their operations.” Carmelita Dimzon, head of the Overseas Workers Welfare Organization — a government agency tasked with protection and promotion of welfare of Filipino workers abroad — said the Department of Foreign Affairs was coordinating with the contractors who were expected to repatriate the Filipinos from Iraq.

“We’ll be there to meet them and find out what they wish to do, if they still want to apply for overseas employment or local employment or they will opt to stay and engage in livelihood activities, then we will offer them some assistance to start up a business,” she said.

Emmanuel Geslani, a consultant of labor recruitment agencies, called on the government to lift the ban on workers in Iraq, at least partially, to allow Filipinos to keep their jobs legally.

Under a plan by President Barack Obama, the US military will reduce the number of troops in Iraq to 50,000 by the end of August; 75,000 contractors will also remain. All American forces are scheduled to leave by the end of 2011.

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