We know about the reporting of atrocities committed by the puppet gov't troops in Iraqi, and the accusations against some of our troops.
What of the contractors? Blackwater, Zapata, CACI, Custer Battles ..
There is a whole series of questions one has to ask about people operating outside the UCMJ, and in an environment where civil law does not exist.
We think the reports we are getting, the 'tip of the iceberg', is bad; they most certainly are. On the reco list now, Lodinlepp has a great diary http://www.dailykos.com/... which explores Robert Fisk's tip of that iceberg.
But, what of the 'underside', information held within the confines of 'for profit' organizations which operate under questionable terms of law?
This barely surfaces in the news, at all. When it does, it gets pushed down and buried, these are stories that don't seem to get traction. Shadowy implications of contractor involvement at Abu Ghraib persist, but investigations never seem to get very far, do they? Have there been any prosecutions of private contractors for murder, assault, rape or Iraqi civilians?
Here's one case where Marines arrested contractors for shooting at a Marine guard tower!.
http://www.corpwatch.org/...
.. the captain then ordered the 16 American security guards and three Iraqi maintenance workers that were being transported to be taken into custody on suspicion of shooting at the Marine tower. Hours later, the convoy was jailed without charges on the evening of May 28.
Earlier that day, Marines had reported "receiving small arms fire from gunman in several late-model trucks and sport utility vehicles" at approximately 2 P.M. "Marines also say witnessed passengers in the vehicles firing at and near civilian cars on the street," according to a June 1 statement by Marine spokesman Lt. Col. David Lapan.
One has to wonder, if these retards had not taken pot shots at our own troops, would there have been any concern on the part of the military?
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Over a year old, this report seems to blend into the background.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...
By Lisa Myers & the NBC investigative unit
Updated: 4:15 p.m. ET Feb 17, 2005
There are new allegations that heavily armed private security contractors in Iraq are brutalizing Iraqi civilians. In an exclusive interview, four former security contractors told NBC News that they watched as innocent Iraqi civilians were fired upon, and one crushed by a truck. The contractors worked for an American company paid by U.S. taxpayers. The Army is looking into the allegations.
US contractor accused of shooting civilians
Private military contractors may escape punishment in the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal
PBS Frontline overview of contractors in Iraq
I submit that serious atrocities are being committed by contractors, and we are getting only a little tiny picture on some really awful events.
The lack of oversight on the part of Republican Congress is an adbomination upon the reputation of our country.
We may or may not ever hear about this in the news, but the Iraqi people know the truth.