Lawsuit over 4 slain in Fallujah is crucial

[question everything]

Lawsuit over 4 slain in Fallujah is crucial

Civilian contractors in Iraq watch closely

By Bernd Debusmann
REUTERS

December 27, 2005

WASHINGTON – An unprecedented lawsuit stemming from the gruesome killing of four American civilians in Iraq is slowly making its way through the U.S. legal system, closely watched by companies estimated to field up to 100,000 contractors alongside the U.S. military.

Lawyers and military experts say the case highlights legal gray zones, a lack of regulation and little oversight of a booming global industry believed to bring in more than $150 billion annually. Civilian military contractors now perform scores of functions once restricted to regular troops, and a trend toward "privatizing war" has been accelerating steadily.

The suit was brought by the families of four civilian contractors shot last year by Iraqi insurgents, who burned their bodies and hung the charred remains of several from a bridge across the Euphrates river in the city of Fallujah. One of the four was Oceanside resident Scott Helvenston. Helvenston and the other three – Mike Teague, Jerko Zovko and Wesley Batalona – worked for Blackwater Security Consulting LLC, one of the companies fielding armed civilians in Iraq under contract with the Pentagon.

(snip)

The lawsuit against Blackwater says the company broke explicit terms of its contract with the men by sending them to escort a food convoy in unarmored cars, without heavy machine guns, proper briefings, advance notice or pre-mission reconnaissance, in teams that were understaffed and lacked even a map.

(snip)


Staff writer David Washburn contributed to this report.


Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20051227/news_1b27contract.html

[GrumpyGreg]

1. Now THIS should be very interesting. I never even knew that

civilian military contractors existed until this incident.

[question everything]

2. Oh yes. There are not enough military personnel

to do all the jobs... without a draft.

[killbotfactory]

3. Maybe if we paid them...

Oh wait, it's much more efficient to funnel the money through corporations who hire the personnel than it would be just to hire the personnel directly. The more people skimming off the top, the better. Just ask Dick Cheney!

[saigon68]

4. Welcome to the Barbecue (DANGER GRAPHIC PHOTO)

This is the ACTUAL PHOTO from the Taipai Times