Flexing Muscle, Baghdad Detains U.S. Contractors

[pampango]

Iraqi authorities have detained a few hundred foreign contractors in recent weeks, industry officials say, including many Americans who work for the United States Embassy, in one of the first major signs of the Iraqi government’s asserting its sovereignty as a result of the American troop withdrawal last month.

The crackdown comes amid other moves by the Iraqi government to take over functions that had been performed by the United States military and to claim areas of the country it had controlled. In the final weeks of the military withdrawal, the son of Iraq’s prime minister began evicting Western companies and contractors from the heavily fortified Green Zone, which had been the heart of the United States military operation for much of the war.

Just after the last American troops left in December, the Iraqis stopped issuing and renewing many badges, weapons licenses and other authorizations. The restrictions created a curious sequence of events in which contractors were being detained for having expired documents that the government would not renew.

Earlier this month, Iraqi authorities kept scores of contractors penned up at Baghdad’s international airport for nearly a week until their visa disputes were resolved. Industry officials said more than 100 foreigners were detained; American officials acknowledged the detainments but would not put a number on them.

Latif Rashid, a senior adviser to the Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani, and a former minister of water, said in an interview that the Iraqis’ deep mistrust of security contractors had led the government to strictly monitor them. “We have to apply our own rules now,” he said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/16/world/middleeast/asserting-its-sovereignty-iraq-detains-american-contractors.html?_r=1

As it should be.

[brewens]

1. "Deep distrust of security contractors". No shiite Sherlock! I just wish

our government was that smart.

[Solly Mack]

2. K&R

[MMJjestic]

3. I like to see some of those Mercs face Iraqi justice!

They never represented me. They committed atrocities, let them pay the price!

[jwirr]

9. Which leads to a question. Do they still have immunity or is that gone. Maybe if it is gone they

will not be so happy over there at our expense.

[joshcryer]

10. No immunity currently for non-State Dept. mercs.

That's why I'm not too worried about the merc's because the Iraqi's will handle them assuming the US upholds FCPA and won't allow companies to bribe (yes, shocker, Obama has been enforcing FCPA like no other President before him, none). And I don't see them allowing immunity despite that Obama's administration is still seeking it for them.

Look at how Blackwater has renamed itself and is trying to get back in: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/12/blackwater-rebrand-academi/

I highly doubt the Iraqi's will allow it.

In any event, State Dept. people do still get immunity, the word evades me currently- ahh, yes, "diplomatic immunity." That's it.

[Politicalboi]

4. Can't The Dick bail them out?

Or maybe we can trade GW and The Dick for the contractors. Hell we'll even throw in Condi for extra shipping fees.

[tabatha]

5. Yes !!

[Charlemagne]

6. The right wingers

will scream that we should bomb then or whatever to free our contractors. The conservatives really dont believe (or want) Iraq to be a sovereign country. They expect Iraq to be our puppet state that will do everything it can to repay us for the freedom we gave them.

One guy on Hannity was saying how terrible it was that the leading political party in Iraq was an "anti-american" party. Well no shit, son. If china invaded the us for a decade, pretty sure we wouldnt like them either.

[RC]

7. And still some do not believe we were told to leave.

More proof they do not want us there.

[Cali_Democrat]

8. The Iraqis despise US contractors for good reason

Last edited Mon Jan 16, 2012, 02:41 AM - Edit history (1)

The contractors have massacred so many civilians it's insane. That being said, who's paying for these contractors? The US of course. We're still wasting billions in Iraq while people struggle at home.

Utter madness.