I have friends who work over there both with Security Companies, and as UN security.

All of them agree that by and large, the private security companies (read mercenaries) have a reputation as cowboys with very little regard of non-American lives. Yes, I know that sounds very racist, but that is how it is.

Apparently, if you do your job and protect American lives, that somehow justifies shooting Iraqi civilians... even if all you have is a vague 'suspicion' that they are armed.

It is unacceptable and needs to stop. If they were fighting for their own country, on their own soil fine. But they're on foreign soil, ostensibly helping 'liberate' Iraq and shooting the people in the name of your own security just isn't on! If its that bad, that you need to kill civilian in order to stay alive and do your job, maybe your in the wrong place, trying to do a job that you shouldn't be doing.

Angela is right. I know I couldn't do half what the Blackwater thugs do, such as bully Iraqi women, shoot unarmed civilians, and the like. Did you ever wonder why the Fallujans desecrated the Blackwater bodies but not American soldiers' bodies? Pure rage, we must suppose.

An issue that should be addressed is that fact that supposedly it's safe for an American (albeit with 100's of troops protecting them) to walk around Baghdad. If that is so, why do State convoys need Mercenaries for protection? If Baghdad is so safe, why do those mercenaries fire on any vehicle that approaches their convoy? If Baghdad is so dangerous that security guards fire on any vehicle approaching their convoy, then the surge has failed to improve security in any way. Let's get out now! Innocent people will still be getting killed in Iraq but we're not preventing that now and at least we won't be doing it!

It seems very few people in this country are even able to put themselves in another person's place. If we reversed places with the Iraqis how many of you would be saying the ridiculous things I have read here. Prejudiced, small minded, halfwits seem to be the majority in the US.

Maliki better watch his back. Erik Prince and Blackwater are George W. Bush and Dick Cheney's Christian boys in charge of the Rapture. First they are bringing the Rapture to Iraq, then Blackwater will bring it here.

These Blackwater guys are clowns, everyone thinks they are high speed ex-SF operators....or used to be in Delta..the truth is most of them are untrained, couldnt cut it in real units, E-4's and E-5's that got out, or got kicked out....look at the guys that died from Blackwater previously, former nevada nasty guard mp....hmmm bet he was a high speed guy that read soldier of fortune magazine every month. They are not Soldiers, the give a bad name for everyone over here who has done there job...find them guilty and get them out of this country....we dont need them here and the iraqi's dont want them.......

A) VOTE FOR RON PAUL A REAL AMERICAN
Eliminate The IRS
B) DEPLETED URANIUM ALERT.
C) HOW TO IMPEACH A PRESIDENT
D) Veteran''s and Family Members exposed to DU
E) Here is who controls America Learn What you never were supposed too about the bankers: Secrets of The Federal Reserve: It is a Corporation! Like Greenspan said awhile ago "He who controls the Gold is he who makes the rules! See who owns the gold ;)
F) EVERYTHING including the truth about 9/11

Of course Blackwater is never investigated. Just as Halliburton continues to rip off the taxpayers. This entire war is to benefit the cronies of the Cheney/Bush administration. These private people get paid better and have better equipment than our own troops. So much for supporting the troops. Yet America is still stupid as to the lies of the government

Well, it won't be long before the insurgents start taking out these "contract insurgents"

Another case of lost American values,,. Paid mercenaries with total immunity against the law and prosecution protecting American diplomates of the Bush adminastation. Hundreds of civilians killed and the people pulling the trigger disappear into the night with the blessing of George W Bush. And people wonder why the rest of the world has a dim view of Americans?

In Iraq, civilians and insurgents look identical. Not only do they look identical, but in many cases, they are identical.

If Blackwater is fired upon, they should return fire, under those conditions, and whoever gets hurt, gets hurt.

It is up to the Iraquis to restore order, and to round up the insurgents, if they want to protect civilians. Until then, if fired upon, all US personnel, military or private, should be authorized to return fire, against any and all comers, military, or "civilian", as there are no uniforms being worn by insurgents.

If Blackwater, as alleged, also supplied weapons to Iraqi insurgency groups, guess what? That means US tax dollars are supporting TREASON against US soldiers.
THAT is the main thing that needs investigated!

KRB subsidiery of Halliburton gets it's contacting firm 6.3 Billion of the 180,000 "contractors" there. Blackwater only gets 1.3 Was it million or billion I forgot anyway they are paid less than Halliburton's contractors considerably.
War Profiteering. Simple enough a ten year old gets it.

Some of these comments leave the impression that Blackwater is the only security company over there. Last I heard there were a few hundred independent companies in play consisting of people from many nationalities. Erinys, Triple Canopy, Aegis, CACI, Custer Battles,etc. I read recently that the base I was stationed at now has Ugandans now guarding base facilities that Marines oversaw when I was deployed. Instead of paying inflated salaries why not pay for more military recruits or more advanced training?

At least Marines and soldiers are accountable for their actions under the UCMJ. These contractors dodge legal repercussions on the loophole that Paul Bremer wrote into law stating that contractors weren't subject to Iraqi law, upon handing over sovereignty in June 2004. Does anyone remember what happened to those Erinys employees who were shooting at cars in that video on YouTube? Do you think they're serving time for that alongside those Marines who are in trouble for the shootings in Haditha where those Marines killed civilians in revenge for members of their squad being killed by insurgents?

The fact that the State Department is so secretive on this and other issues begs the question as to what they're hiding. Given the politically sensitive nature of this you would think they would try to get the facts out and put this issue to rest. But their dodgy response telling Blackwater not to cooperate with Congress.

I hope to see the Iraqis take the initiative on this and stand up for themselves. Maybe al Maliki will get some credibility and this political reconciliation can begin.

If you cannot tell the differnce between civilians and insurgents that implies the insurgents are no longer carrying (or at least using) their weapons. If that is the case why are the "returing fire" surely there is no reason to?

Frankly I think that a lot of the American mostly right wing population need to learn a bit of respect for human life. Even those who are of a different race. Xenophobia is not a good trait for a country with such a vast army.

I think part of the argument for contracting people from other countries is also to do with the question of how many more willing volounteers to sign up are there left in the USA?