As troops leave, U.S. to double contractors in Iraq [View All]

[JonLP24]

Source: Reuters India

(Reuters) - With the United States drawing down troops in Iraq, the State Department plans to double the number of private security contractors it uses to ensure the safety of the huge civilian development effort, officials said on Thursday.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the plan would bring to some 7,000 the total security contractors employed by the government in Iraq, where since the 2003 U.S. invasion private security firms have often been accused of acting above the law.

Crowley said the U.S. military's plan to cut troop numbers to 50,000 by the end of August -- down from 176,000 at the peak of the deployment -- left a security gap contractors would have to fill.

"We will still have our own security needs to make sure that our diplomats and development experts are well protected," Crowley told a news briefing.



Read more: http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-50953120100819