At last sunday at least 8 bystanders, civilians and a policeman were killed in an armed fight. US sources are saying they shot for selfdefence, Iraqian sources said that they randomly shot towards civilians. Now Iraqian authorities have ordered Blackwater to pull out their men and leave the country while US is arguing against it.

 

 

 

Blackwater is one of the few private security companies working in Iraq and their men aren't labeled to be either soldiers nor civilians. They also got a full immunity which means none of their men will be charged for this accidents where almost 10 bystanders lost their lives, nor did the other Blackwater man who was drunk and shot an Iraqian bodyguard to death last Christmas.

 

 

 

One principle of democracy is everyone's equal when it comes to law. However this kind of immunity contracts don't give too good sign of democracy to a nation where it is being brought with guns. Same kinda happened in Russia after the collapse of USSR: with democracy they got poverty, thus Putin's authoritarian way to rule is widely accepted as it brings back wealth.

 

 

 

I personally see this as a disgrace to western world and reminds of the policies in fascist&socialist countries. These private security companies aren't at least directly working for US goverment, but to be there they need a permission from them and for locals they aren't just another company, they are the same stuff as normal soldiers

 

 

 

We've already had too many posts about the war in Iraq itself, so let's leave it out in this discussion. I'd be more interested to hear do you accept the way how private security companies are allowed to work in foreign countries, can they be justified and are they even good for the "public goals" in Iraq?

I have no particular opinion on the topic, without going broader and bringing in the entire war into the topic.

 

 

 

But I did hear an interesting story a year or two ago about one of the "commanders" of the Blackwater mercs. Apparently this commander never shot someone with a pistol before, so he had someone drive him around some Iraqi town and he randomly was shooting people out the passenger window. Nothing was ever done to him, as far as I know he is still a commander.

 

 

 

Also the validity of that story is in question, still it is interesting if it is true.