More on Mercenaries; Finally a law to Control Them?

I have mentioned the private mercenary armies employed in Afghanistan and Iraq (as well as in other nations, including the US after Katrina, ostensibly called "security contractors". They have been accused by some military members as being the guilty parties who committed atrocities and for which our military was blamed. Most people, especially Iraqis, cannot tell the difference between mercenaries and legitimate troops; all they know is that the wrong-doers were "Americans" (even if they were British). These mercenaries have been accused of many crimes which they committed with impunity.

Rumor was that disguised mercenaries were the ones who bombed the historic holy mosque at Samarra, which evil deed ignited an uprising and kicked off in earnest the Shiite-Sunni "war". A mercenary, "private security" contractor, was caught with weapons and explosives in his car. Other crimes were alleged by the Iraqis to have been committed by men who appeared European or American. These news tidbits sank from view like stones in a pond.

Even here in the US, in New Orleans after Katrina, our government employed these private armies to patrol an American city with orders to shoot to kill if they deemed it necessary - necessary being at their own discretion. They did not answer to the New Orleans police force, the state police, or anyone else; they were empowered by the Bush administration and were seemingly above the law. Tyrants and despots have historically employed private armies to protect themselves, a palace guard, so to speak. If Bush thinks he needs them in country, the system is set up for him to use them against the citizens, paid by the taxes of the citizens themselves. Would he? Could he? In a New York minute! He's already proven that.

See 1/10/07 post below, "Bush's Surge / Alternet: 100,000 mercenaries, the forgotten surge" for more information.
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Military.Com
Law Catches up to Private Militaries; Since the start of the Iraq war, tens of thousands of heavily armed military contractors have been roaming the country, without any law, or any court to control them. That may be about to change. Five words -- slipped into a Pentagon budget bill -- could make all the difference....
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For the complete article, click on to:
http://imperial-sacrifices.blogspot.com/2007/01/now-lets-see-if-law-has-teeth.html

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The Future Was Yesterday said...
I've noticed that for a while now. You don't read a lot about it in the MSM, do you?It's definitely Bush's private army, answerable to no one....and that is beyond frightening.
Saturday, January 13, 2007 12:12:48 AM

Worried said...
I find it terrifying. The history of other despots who have employed such private armies and their record of actions against citizens should give pause to every American and urge them to ceaselessly petition Congress to rein in the White House, restore the Constitution and our rights and kick the neocons OUT! All Bush has to do is declare martial law for a real or manufactured emergency and citizens would be completely at the mercy of any action BushCo ordered. If he can employ a private army to patrol and control an American city and citizens, answerable to no one and no laws, he can do it again on a larger scale. The Katrina/New Orleans event may have been a test run; there was little citizen notice nationwide and only a few members of the media or writers noted it. He got away with it as he has gotten away with so many illegal actions.