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“LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR IRAQ CONTRACTORS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E2000 on Sept. 27, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR IRAQ CONTRACTORS
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HON. JAMES P. MORAN
of virginia
in the house of representatives
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, over the past four years, our troops in Iraq have been supplanted by another army of equal size--the contracting force. There are as many private contractors in Iraq as U.S. soldiers on the ground.
Outsourcing our military is cause for concern in and of itself. But the recent uncovering of indiscriminate hostility toward Iraqi civilians and unprovoked killings by security contractors in Iraq is a sirens warning that demands immediate attention.
Blackwater--a company that has reaped over $110 million since January 2006 in U.S. contracts--offers the most egregious example of what is wrong with our occupation of Iraq.
Last week, Blackwater security protecting State Department officials, opened fire in a Baghdad neighborhood. In what appears to be an unprovoked incident, Blackwater guards killed at least 11 innocent Iraqi civilians and wounded 12 others.
But because of a decree delivered in 2004 by former Ambassador Paul Bremer--on his last day on the job--these contractors are granted immunity from Iraqi law and will likely face no charges at home.
The lack of accountability is anathema to our fundamental principle of justice and exemplifies why the occupation of Iraq is a failure.
Congress must not be silent less we become complicit in these acts. The longer we stay in Iraq under the terms of the current occupation the more these incidents which undermine our international credibility will occur.
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