Shootings put security contractors under scrutiny in Iraq

[Judi Lynn]

Shootings put security contractors under scrutiny in Iraq
Foreign workers firing on civilians, US officials say
By Jonathan Finer, Washington Post | September 18, 2005

ERBIL, Iraq -- The pop of a single rifle shot broke the relative calm of Ali Ismael's morning commute here in one of Iraq's safest cities.

Ismael, his older brother Bayez, and their driver had just pulled into traffic behind a convoy of four Chevrolet Suburbans, which police think belonged to an American security contractor stationed nearby. The backdoor of the last vehicle swung open, the brothers said in interviews, and a man wearing sunglasses and a tan flak jacket leaned out and leveled his rifle.

''I thought he was just trying to scare us, like they usually do, to keep us back. But then he fired," said Ismael, 20. His scalp is marked by a bald patch and a 4-inch purple scar from a bullet that grazed his head and left him bleeding in the back seat of his Toyota Land Cruiser.

''Everything is cloudy after that," he said.
(snip/...)

http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2005/09/18/shootings_put_security_contractors_under_scrutiny_in_iraq/

[mirandapriestly]

1. "Employees of private security firms are immune from prosecution in Iraq"

This is just outrageous. "An Investigation by the U.S" - yeah, kind of like OJ saying he is going to find the real killer.

[Melodybe]

2. Yep, that's right, Bushco is paying for mercenaries.

Halliburton makes another pretty penny.

[izzie]

3. Just think of what it is going to be when they get back to USA

More boys with guns who think guns mean they are men, and a govt. that thinks the same. Scary stuff.

[leesa]

8. They are already here in New Orleans.

[ninkasi]

9. Yes, they are

They are out in impressive numbers in NOLA, too. Large areas of the city are under lockdown, and there are checkpoints set up to keep everyone but "approved" people in and out. Not a good situation.

[teryang]

4. "We had nothing to do with it"

That's an interesting perspective. Uniformed soldiers and their chain of command divorcing themselves from the actions of American contractors who wouldn't even be there without the invasion and occupation by uniformed American forces.

Mercenaries, not subject to a chain of command or the UCMJ and protected from prosecution by laws of extraterritoriality, a vestige of colonialism from the 19th Century, long ago discredited.

[gratuitous]

7. Not just an interesting perspective

But a deadly wrong one, as well. I don't suppose the people like Mr. Ismael are going to worry overmuch about payroll niceties when they take revenge against the people who are terrorizing them. If they're Americans running around with a gun, they're going to be a target.

You'd think the military would be just a smidgen, I dunno, smarter than that. Irresponsible idiots running around with guns engendering blind hatred isn't a formula for a good night's sleep.

[rfkrfk]

5. mercenaries will be taking over from the US military,

if-when the US military leaves,
does not mean the US influence is over.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. Then they will be killed instead of our troops

frankly any American left after the troops leave will be suspected of being intel, or private military even if they aren't