Iraq: "A very private war"

[Andre II]

"There are 48,000 'security contractors' in Iraq, working for private companies growing rich on the back of US policy. But can it be a good thing to have so many mercenaries operating without any democratic control? (...)
There are now 630 companies working in Iraq on contract for the US government, with personnel from more than 100 countries offering services ranging from cooking and driving to the protection of high-ranking army officers. Their 180,000 employees now outnumber America's 160,000 official troops. The precise number of mercenaries is unclear, but last year, a US government report identified 48,000 employees of private military/security firms."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2138917,00.html

[TomClash]

1. But . . .

. . . it's one of the two principal reasons the Empire is there: oil and defense profits.