Third Country National

Third Country National (TCN) describes individuals of other nationalities hired by a government or government sanctioned contractor who represent neither the contracting government nor the host country or area of operations. This is most often those performing on government contracts in the role of a private military contractor.

Generally speaking, governments classify contract personnel under one of three headings:
*Ex-pat - those personnel who are of the same nationality as the contracting government. (In Iraq Bosnians and other foreign nationals working as a member of a US contractor are regarded as Ex-pats)
*TCN or Third Country Nationals – those personnel of a separate nationality to both the contracting government and the AO or "Area of operations".
*HCN's (Host country nationals), LN's (Local Nationals), Indigs (Indigenous Personnel) – those personnel who are indigenous to the area of operations.Examples of this hierarchy are as follows:

Contract personnel being used by the US government to fight the global war on terror in Iraq consist of Expats, namely those personnel of US citizenship that represent a private military contractor being contracted by the US Government, Indigenous Iraqi and Kurdish personnel and TCNs such as the Chilean and Nepalese personnel currently being employed by many of the Private Military Contracting Firms currently under contract.

TCNs have been employed by the United States military (through contractors) for operations in the Middle East for many years. The accommodations, security, and treatment of TCNs can vary greatly from the way that U.S. and multinational coalition personnel are treated. Their contracts often require them to work for one year continuously without a break to return to their home country. Many TCN contractors have also been lured by preemployment deals that have guaranteed them the job as long as they give a percentage of their pay to an 'employment agent' or 'representative'. TCN housing compounds are generally in less secure areas outside of the main base. As a result many TCNs in such high-risk areas have been injured or killed, however most military installations will provide life-saving medical care as required.

Since April 2006, the Pentagon now demands that contractors fight labor trafficking and low quality working conditions in Iraq endured by tens of thousands of low-paid south Asians working under US-funded contracts in Iraq.

In an April 19 memorandum (http://www.davidphinney.com/pages/TCN%20Memo%2004-19-20061.pdf) to all Pentagon contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Joint Contracting Command demands that the widespread practice of taking away workers passports come to end. Contractors engaging in the practice, states the memo, must immediately "cease and deist."

"All passports will be returned to employees by 1 May 06. This requirement will be flowed down to each of your subcontractors performing work in this theater."

Despite the Pentagon crack down, civilian contractors still report problems of poor working conditions and paltry working conditions. http://www.alternet.org/story/57974/

Related Links:

Blood, Sweat & Tears: Asia’s Poor Build U.S. Bases in Iraq, by David Phinney, CorpWatch October 3rd, 2005http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12675

Pentagon Attacks Labor Trafficking by US Contractors, by David Phinney, CorpWatch, April 24th, 2006http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=13514

US Fortress Rises in Baghdad, by David Phinney, CorpWatch, October 17th, 2006 http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14173

Probe into Iraq Trafficking Claims, CNN.com, May 5, 2004 http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14174

Indian Contract Workers in Iraq Complain of Exploitation, New York Times, May 7th, 2004 http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14175

Underclass of Workers Created in Iraq, Washington Post, July 1, 2004 http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A19228-2004Jun30?language=printer