Iraq revokes security contractors' immunity

[ProSense]

Iraq revokes security contractors' immunity

by Ammar Karim
31 minutes ago

BAGHDAD (AFP) - The Iraqi government announced on Wednesday that it has decided to formally revoke the immunity from prosecution granted to private security companies operating in the war-ravaged country.

"The cabinet held a meeting yesterday and decided to scrap the article pertaining to security companies operating in Iraq that was issued by the CPA (Coalition Provision Authority) in 2004," government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement.

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Article 1 of Section 2 of CPA order 17 issued by then US administrator for Iraq, Paul Bremer, stipulates that the "multinational force, foreign liaison missions, their personnel, property, funds and assets and all international consultants shall be immune from Iraqi legal process."

The immunity granted to private contractors has become controversial since a series of shootings involving foreign security guards, the most infamous of them a September 16 shooting in which employees of the Blackwater firm killed 17 Iraqis in Baghdad.

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[ellenfl]

1. i hope they made the revocation retroactive. eom

[LiberalFighter]

2. I hope they make it retroactive LMAO

[Lasher]

3. Give them 4 or 5 days.

The Iraqis will apologize for having even thought such a thing, and will retreat from this position. Wait and see.

[billyoc]

4. I'm not so sure. Iraqi parliament members have one thing going for them

that American lawmakers don't. Their constituents are more than happy to cut their fucking heads of if they try to fuck them over.

Something to think about.

[Horse with no Name]

7. Not a bad idea

she says wistfully...

[Lasher]

8. Hahahahaha, good one!

And besides, that is a good point.

[TwilightGardener]

5. Bwahhhh...they're trying to find their nutsacks and act like a real government.

Good luck with that.

[Horse with no Name]

6. So when will Cheney make a personal visit to iraq

to convince them otherwise?

[ProSense]

9. Iraq presses US to expel Blackwater

Iraq presses US to expel Blackwater

By SINAN SALAHEDDIN, Associated Press Writer
17 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - The government has upheld the findings of an official investigation of the alleged shooting death of 17 Iraqis by employees of Blackwater USA and is pressing the U.S. Embassy to expel the private security company from Iraq, officials said Wednesday.

Speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media, they said a Cabinet meeting Tuesday also decided to set up a committee to look into the legal aspects of repealing a 2004 directive issued by L. Paul Bremer, chief of the Coalition Provisional Authority, the former U.S. occupation government in Iraq, that placed private security companies outside Iraqi law. The Bremer directive is known as "Decree 17."

The Iraqi probe into the Sept. 16 shooting at Baghdad's Nisoor Square has established that Blackwater personnel guarding a State Department convoy opened fire at Iraqis without provocation. Blackwater denies this, arguing that they had come under attack.

The officials said Tuesday's Cabinet meeting also demanded that the U.S. Embassy, Blackwater's biggest client in Iraq, expel the company. The government has made similar demands before. U.S. officials have said any action must wait until an American investigations is complete.

What about Iraq's so-called sovereignty?