US diplomatic convoys curtailed in Iraq
Updated: 2007-09-19 11:56
A 2004 regulation issued by the US occupation authority granted security contractors full immunity from prosecution under Iraqi law. Unlike American military personnel, the civilian contractors are also not subject to US military law either.
Hassan al-Rubaie, a member of the parliament's Security and Defense Committee, said an investigative committee has been formed to consider lifting the contractors' immunity.
Some private security officials have blamed much of the confusion surrounding the work of the contractors on inefficiency and corruption within the Iraqi government - especially the Ministry of the Interior.
Many security companies have tried to obtain weapons permits from the ministry, only to find the rules constantly changing. That forces security guards to choose between venturing into the streets without protection or running the risk that their weapons might be confiscated at a checkpoint.
US officials arranged an extension of the deadline for weapons permits until the end of the year, although procedures for obtaining them remain unclear.
Blackwater and other foreign contractors accused of killing Iraqi citizens have gone without facing charges or prosecution in the past. But the latest incident drew a much stronger reaction by the Iraqi government.
Unlike many deaths blamed on foreign contractors, Sunday's shootings took place in a crowded area in downtown Baghdad with dozens of witnesses.
Yassin Majid, an adviser to al-Maliki, said the killings had deeply embarrassed the Iraqi government and forced it to act against Blackwater - even before a full investigation had been completed.
"They were not subjected to the kind of attack or shooting ... that required a response of this intensity that led to the death of civilians," Majid said. "This incident embarrassed the government and also embarrassed the American government."
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