Iraq Moves Forward to Revoke Contractor Immunity

[truthpusher]

Source: TPM/CBS

Via Joseph Neff, the Raleigh News & Observer's Blackwater blogger, CBS reported on Friday that the Iraqi government has drafted a piece of legislation removing legal immunity for U.S. security contractors. (One of the final decrees of U.S. proconsul Jerry Bremer in 2004 was to exempt contractors from prosecution in Iraqi courts, something with which the Iraqis have to date complied.)

You can read the draft here. http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/draft_legislation.pdf It's short, and the operative language is simple: "All immunities granted to in accordance with any valid legislation shall be canceled."

The significance, if passed? CBS:

That law still must be ratified by the Iraqi parliament, and if and when it is, private security firms would almost certainly pull out of Iraq.

“There’s no question it’s a disaster if this got passed,” said Carter Andress, one of an estimated 8,500 private security contractors guarding diplomats, convoys and reconstruction sites for the U.S. He is not willing to let his employees be subject to arrest by an Iraqi police force he believes is riddled with corruption and infiltrated by enemy fighters.



Read more: http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004690.php

[DCKit]

1. 8,500 contractors, >150,000 personell....

Good thing they won't have to pay severance, unemployment compensation or health care for them, eh?

[Zhade]

2. Disaster? It would be a huge step forward to remove murderous mercenaries from Iraq.

Next step: remove murderous invading troops as well.

Win/win.

[rodeodance]

3. well, seems they are long last united about something.