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In March 2007, a US Congressional Research Service report titled "Private Security Contractors in Iraq: Background, Legal Status, and Other Issues," stated: "Iraq appears to be the first case where the US government has used private contractors extensively for protecting persons and property in potentially hostile or hostile situations where host country security forces are absent or deficient."
Testimony at a congressional hearing one month later gave the figure of 127,000 as the number working in Iraq under Defence Department contracts. It is reasonable to assume this figure has increased dramatically due in part to the much- publicised "surge" and the need for greater security and protection for non-combatants.
These private security staff get up to $1,000 a day, which is between 2.5 and 4 times that of an enlisted soldier. Reason enough, therefore, for professional soldiers to leave the army and become mercenaries, especially if they have Iraq experience.
Of the various mercenary organisations operating in Iraq, none has received greater publicity than the security firm Blackwater. Their aggressive approach to their duties has left many people, including professional soldiers, querying the methods used.
In September last year, Blackwater was involved in an incident in which 17 Iraqi civilians were killed. The company claims they were acting in self-defence, but a subsequent Iraqi inquiry stated the shootings were unprovoked.
Subsequently, it was decided by the Pentagon that there should be an FBI investigation, which was started in November. Later that month, the New York Times reported that the bureau had found that 14 of the deaths were unjustified.
Yet, so far, no further action has been taken by anyone, especially Blackwater. On the contrary, the Blackwater contract which was due to expire at the end of May has been renewed and extended for another year. Hopefully, Iraqis will be alert to who is supposed to be guarding their interests.
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