Sen. Barack Obama is among a small group of lawmakers who have been trying to get a handle on a controversial new feature of warfare: private security contractors.
For Obama's opponent, Sen. John McCain, these private warriors have not been a legislative priority.
Obama was the chief Senate sponsor of legislation to clarify the language of a 2000 law, the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, to ensure that it applies to all contractors on the battlefield. The bill, which has passed the House but not the Senate, also would establish FBI units in war zones to investigate allegations of criminal misconduct by contract personnel.
The Iraq war is the most heavily outsourced military conflict in American history. There are now as many private contract personnel on the ground in Iraq as there are uniformed military forces.
A significant number of them are armed security contractors working for companies such as Moyock, N.C.-based Blackwater Worldwide. Their presence on the battlefield has spawned a variety of thorny issues - many still unresolved - of transparency, accountability, coordination and control, pay disparities, and legal status.
Blackwater alone has won more than $1 billion in federal contracts, most of it to protect American diplomatic personnel in Iraq.
Concern about security contractors reached a crescendo in September 2007 when a Blackwater convoy was involved in a shooting incident in a Baghdad intersection in which 17 Iraqi civilians died.
More than a year later, none of the Blackwater contractors has faced criminal prosecution, at least in part because they operate in a kind of legal limbo. They are exempt from Iraqi law, and it is unclear whether they are covered by U.S. law.
Bill Sizemore, (757) 446-2276, bill.sizemore@pilotonline.com
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joe the fake plumber, that is....
As for gun control, Bush is the only Prez in modern times who has confiscated legally owned guns from gun owners (after Katrina).
What Job?
The posting suggested that Iraq hire Blackwater to finish the job...just what is the job?!? It seems that what the war supports is the NEED for contractors...all 100,000+/-.
When you figure a profit of about 100% on all of the goods and service...WAR IS GREAT!!
A Record
Barack Hussein Obama has a record? The only record I'm aware of is the fact he has surrounded himself with Americas less desirable so-called business men and crooked politicians. As far as accomplishments in the Senate....please!
Maybe we should just
Maybe we should just withdraw all the troops and allow the Free and Independent Iraqi government to hire Blackwater to do the job that our troops are doing at taxpayer expense. Blackwater can probably do it quicker, better and more efficiently. The Free Market can solve this. Bring all the troops home now and let the Iraqi's pay for contractors with their own money.
Obama has a record????
Obama has a record????
MCsame is dimwitted. .
. . Old, out of ideas, out of touch, and makes poor and rash decisions like picking Palin (hopefully to be impeached in Alaska) as a running mate. He's an empty suit and nothing more. Bottom of his class at 894 out of 900 at the Military Academy his daddy the Admiral got him into. Obama is intelligent, articulate, well educated, and always stays with his same message on going forward. Building our country from the bottom up. MCSame can only spew lies and innuendo, as he has nothing of substance to discuss. As far as gun related issues, all that NRA garbage is lies as it always is with those halfwits. Check Factcheck.com to get a better understanding. Defense in your home is a State's issue; Not Federal. And I'm a CCW pemit holder with multiple pistol ownership. I've always voted Republican, however, the party has been hijacked and is not what is used to be.
Obama/Biden '08
Who would he choose?
35 year old professional ex spec ops warriors or 19 year old kids 8 month's out of high school? It seems we know who all the other dignitaries chose.
As for the theft the other contractors have gotten away with (food, laundry) that needs to be reigned in.
In love with Obama
We know you are in love with Obama, but why not talk about the rest of his voting histoy in Illinois? Talk about his anti-gun bills, his anti-self defense bills, his "present" vote on issues he won't take a stand on. How about an article on his refusal to provide documents regarding his history such as school records and real birth certificate. No, I don't expect to see these items discussed in the Pilot. We know more about Joe the Plumber than we do about Obama.