New Law May Spell End To Iraq Contractors

(CBS)  The government of Iraq has notified private security firms their immunity from Iraqi law is about to end, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports.

The title of a letter sent by the interior ministry - and obtained exclusively CBS News - says it all: "Removing the legal immunity." Until now, security firms like Blackwater have operated under a grant of immunity issued in 2004 by the then-top American in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer.

But the draft of a new law says "all immunities … shall be cancelled."

That law still must be ratified by the Iraqi parliament, and if and when it is, private security firms would almost certainly pull out of Iraq.

"There's no question it's a disaster if this got passed," said Carter Andress, one of an estimated 8,500 private security contractors guarding diplomats, convoys and reconstruction sites for the U.S. He is not willing to let his employees be subject to arrest by an Iraqi police force he believes is riddled with corruption and infiltrated by enemy fighters.

"How do we determine in that situation whether or not it's legitimate use of the rule of law or whether or not this is someone trying to kidnap one of us and take advantage of the situation," he said.

Despite troubles caused by out-of-control contractors American officials say they are indispensible to U.S. operations in Iraq. They're counting on the Iraqi parliament not to ratify the law.

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Read the Nov. 1 letter sent by the Iraqi Interior Ministry informing private security companies.
A draft copy of new legislation being prepared for the Iraqi parliament formalizing the order to remove legal immunity.

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But Andress, who knows first hand the public anger triggered by last September's infamous Blackwater shooting, is not so sure.

"This may be the first law that parliament gets passed," he said. "Here's one they can all agree upon."

If the parliament strikes back, the shooting, which left 17 Iraqis dead could end up killing off the entire network of private contractors on which the U.S. depends.

[polysci49]

BUSH-CHENEY AND THE NEO-NAZI''S IN OUR GOVERNMENT, PLUS Aipac, WILL NEVER ALLOW THIS WHETHER THE AMERICAN CONTROLLED IRAQI GOVERNMENT PASSES A LAW AGAINST ALLOWING CORPORATE KILLERS OR NOT! THESE CORPORATE KILLERS, LIKE THE EINSATZGRUPPEN OF THE NAZI ARMY IS THERE FOR THE U.S. USE OF TORTURE AND GENOCIDE ON THE IRAQI PEOPLE. THEY ARE NOT UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW AND ARE MAKING BILLIONS FOR CHENEY BUSH AND THE REST OF THE AMERICAN HACKS.
FORTUNATELY, THIS WILL ENKINDLE THE HATE FOR AMERICAN OCCUPIERS, AND LEAD TO MORE VIOLENCE AGAINST THEM! JUST LIKE THE NATIONS THAT WERE OCCUPYED BY THE NAZI''S FOUGHT BACK WITH VIOLENCE. AND THIS WILL ALSO WEAKEN THE PRO AMERICAN GOVERNMENT IN BAGDHAD FURTHER. LEADING TO A MORE UNSUPRESSED VIOLENCE THAT THE MEDIA CANNOT HIDE FROM THE WORLD, AS THE U.S. IS DOING NOW WITH ITS "NEWS BLACKOUT!"
IT''S JUST A MATTER OF TIME!

[logicanada]

clgl_fubar. . . .What Bush has done in the middle east since ''03 is the same as what the Arab League did. Only thing is, the Arab League had a good reason for it''s actions.If Bush suddenly declared a new Jewish State in Idaho and expropriated half of the land for them, do you thing the people of Idaho would fight back? Would Montana and Washington State help them?
Seems to me the middle east was policing itself pretty good until the Untied States stuck their nose in.... greed for oil and pipelines and nothing else.
Liberty Valence aptly describes Bush. Swaggering cowboy. Too bad he doesn''t shoot his own guns though. Has to rely on his ''coalition of the willing. Bush is like a little dog. Big bark, S**ting and yapping everywhere.

[pensacola88]

The Iraqis want to cleanse corruption from their new government. I believe it''s a good thing and encourage them to proceed forward with wisdom and apply a criteria that cleanses corruption in all forms. I am most fearful of fundamentalism, which is tolerated in clerical forums. Those are equally destructive and harmful as the "loose canon cowboys" seen in that Blackwater video. Muslim Boni Sadr, Christian Pat Robertson both come from the same mold...fundamentalist thugs in a cleric''s disguise. If you can''t purge them, at least discredit them with zeal and fervor. Corruption is oppresive, and fundamentalism thrives in oppressive environments.

[jetranger7]

Well that letter sounds good, but sure as hell, money talks and there will be some Secret Document somewhere in very fine print that gives immunity to someone somewhere for something. Sure sounds good tho, just more Rhetoric, from the nin kum poops !! This would of been a whole lot easier done my way back in 2003, like I wanted, I said just drop about 5 Nukes on that country and get it over with, but ohh no, George Boy and Uncle ***, and Dumbsfield had to go in and strut their Redneck ways and were gonna have a ground war, we''ll show''em how its done, and they''ll welcome us with Flowers and Lemonade, and Cheese and Crackers, it''ll be a Joyous Day, and bring them Democracy too, Yip, thats are Plan, thats how we upper class college idiots think here at the White House, why were just so smart ! Kinda like everything else we tried too, by the way I kinda Forgotton already, but was does "OBL" stand for, Gee I can''t remember, I''ve been so side tracked by Katrina, the Fires, the FEMA Fiasco, and other War issues, I can''t remember ! Sincerely GWB !

[frounds]

Iraq is currently an outlet for American mercenaries. Otherwise, these same individuals would ravage the streets fo America. Therefore, we must have immunity for Blackwater.

[prinzowhales]

The rump Baghdad Regime at least has a Parliament more independent of it than that of the Regime in Washington where the ''opposition'' party--the arse-licking dogs of the Democratic Party--just helped the Repubicans confirm Mukasey.

It also overwhelmingly passed a binding resolution making it legally impossible for the Maliki to ask for a continuation of the Occupation from the Security Council.

Note, in the article at the site address that follows, how the War Pigs tried to nullify this...

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18694.htm

Iraqis wanted us gone years ago...Bush is spreading manure, not democracy...The real enemy of America is in Washington...Troops Home Now!!...Down with the Regime!

[zootallures2]

Then we''ll be fighting the private security firms over here instead of over there... LOL!

Sad but true!