Contractors in Iraq accused of opening fire on civilians, soldiers

[Barrett808]

Source: Associated Press

Contractors in Iraq accused of opening fire on civilians, soldiers
By DEBORAH HASTINGS, AP National Writer

There are now nearly as many private contractors in Iraq as there are U.S. soldiers - and a large percentage of them are private security guards equipped with automatic weapons, body armor, helicopters and bullet-proof trucks.

They operate with little or no supervision, accountable only to the firms employing them.

And as the country has plummeted toward anarchy and civil war, this private army has been accused of indiscriminately firing at American and Iraqi troops, and of shooting to death an unknown number of Iraqi citizens who got too close to their heavily armed convoys.

Not one has faced charges or prosecution.

There is great confusion among legal experts and military officials about what laws - if any - apply to Americans in this force of at least 48,000.

Read more: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18723824&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=213511&rfi=6

[Homer Wells]

1. Kicked and Recommended n/t

[djp2]

2. Private Contractors in War Zone?

Have private contractors for security ever been used before in a War Zone?

[seemslikeadream]

7. The Dogs of War

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=125&topic_id=9558

[smoogatz]

11. Sure. But not by the U.S.

Not officially, anyway.

[annabanana]

14. Welcome to DU.

Poke around while and you may find out all manner of amazing things that the media hasn't bothered to broadcst.

[uppityperson]

16. Are you asking if there is such a thing as Mercenaries?

Is this what you are asking, if such a thing has ever existed before?

[saigon68]

3. The local Iraqi citizens even arrange "Rose Petal Parades" for them

[TahitiNut]

12. On TahitiNut's totem pole of compassion ....

... they're not at the top. :shrug:

[Swamp Rat]

4. Contractors shot and killed people in New Orleans n/t

[HCE SuiGeneris]

5. Contractors. Assets. Mercenaries

The lines are getting fuzzy...

[seemslikeadream]

6. Bush can't answer an important question

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD7BDP3XMG0&mode=related&search=

[Disturbed]

8. Mercs will take up the slack in Iraq when the US Troop levels

are drawn down. This is the Busholini Regime plan to reduce troops casualties to boost Rethugs chances to get elected & re-elected for '08.

[EFerrari]

9. How many of these reports have we gotten?

:(

[barbtries]

10. another outrage.

people getting paid top dollar to commit murder. what happens to their souls?

[peacebaby3]

13. Most of the soldiers HATE the private security contractors!

They make 3 times what the soldiers make and barely have any rules and regulations. The funny thing is that some of them are former soldiers, usually the arrogant assholes they used to have to deal with when they were still in. They are very dangerous.

[saigon68]

15. They are Killers and War Criminals

A Pox on them