This is what happens when you give private corporations a license to kill–and make an idiot President of theUnited States.Iraq Cabinet Approves Bill To Revoke Security Firms’ ImmunityBy Cliff Montgomery – Oct. 30th, 2007The Iraqi cabinet today approved a new draft law which revokes prosecution immunity for security companies contracted to operate in the country.”The cabinet today approved a new draft law which puts all private security companies under the Iraqi law,” Ali al-Dabbagh, an Iraqi government spokesman, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).”These companies will not get immunity and will be subject to Iraqi law,” he added.Contractor immunity from prosecution is becoming an increasingly heated question between the Bush Administration and Iraq’s government after a Sept. 16th shooting by Blackwater USA guards killed 17 Iraqi civilians.The Blackwater guards say the individuals were a threat to those they were hired to protect; Iraqi citizens–and their government’s investigations–say those killed were innocent citizens.What has brought the Iraqi government to this decision? As you may already suspect, something stupid from the administration of George W. Bush.Iraq’s cabinet only chose this path after hearing word that the U.S. State Department had promised Blackwater security guards complete immunity from prosecution for last month’s shooting.State Department spokespeople won’t discuss the question of whether this administration has been dumb enough to perhaps let Blackwater guards get away with murder.Interestingly, Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell is similarly silent on a possible granting of immunity by the Bush Administration, and refuses to answer reporters’ questions on the matter. Al-Dabbagh told reporters that Tuesday’s legislation would void Decree 17, a Bush Administration immunity order issued by Paul Bremer, who headed the U.S.-occupied nation until June 2004.”It will be sent to the parliament within the coming days to be ratified,” a confident al-Dabbagh informed The Associated Press (AP).”According to this law, all security companies will be subjected to the Iraqi criminal law and must obey all the country’s legal regulations such as: registration, customs, visas, et cetera,” he said.American Embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo told AP that she had not reviewed the cabinet measure, and would not offer immediate comment–which is a politician’s polite way of telling a reporter to go to Hell.But Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had no problem offering a comment. He’s promised enraged Iraqi citizens that his cabinet will push the legislation to a successful passage.The Iraqi people apparently have every moral right to be outraged at this. Not only have they had to deal with the Blackwater killings in Baghdad, but they’ve reportedly also experienced a number of other murders perpetrated by foreign–you can almost certainly substitute, ‘American’– contractors.This is what happens when you give private corporations a license to kill–and make an idiot President of the United States.Like what you’re reading so far? Then why not order a full year (52 issues) of thee-newsletter for only $15? A major article covering an story not being told in the Corporate Press will be delivered to your email every Monday morning for a full year, for less than 30 cents an issue. Order Now!
How Necessary Laws Are Killed These Days
Lawmakers generally only fight to protect the things they care about – and all too often, that just doesn’t include the lives of most of their constituents.
