Accountability for contractors
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- October
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U.S. Rep. John Hall, D-Dover Plains, today called the “unprecedented use of unaccountable private security contractors one of the most dangerous and destabilizing aspects of our military involvement in Iraq.”
Hall is a co-sponsor of legislation that would hold private security contractors in war zones overseas accountable for criminal behavior.
There are currently more than 1,000 private security contractors working for the State Department in Iraq, including 861 Blackwater employees.
In 2000, Congress passed the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act which gave U.S. courts jurisdiction over contractors in war zones overseas, but only if they are on contract with the Department of Defense.
Contractors working for the State Department or other agencies are not subject to U.S. court jurisdiction, meaning potentially none of them could be held legally accountable for any wrongdoing.
House bill H.R. 2740, would close the loophole by giving U.S. federal courts jurisdiction over the actions of contractors working for any U.S. government agency in areas of foreign countries where U.S. military forces are conducting combat operations.
“We need to stop sending contractors to Iraq and bring those there under control,� Hall said.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007 at 5:48 pm by Susan Elan.
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John Hall has no idea what he is talking about…again.
This John Hall character is so stupid he is dangerous.
Let me be sure I understand you both…..you think it is a good, all-American policy to allow private company mercenaries to kill foreign civilian nationals, secure in the knowledge that our President has already issued a directive that these mercenaries are not subject to American civilian law, our military code of justice, International law or Iraqi law?
Are you ok knowing that the same mercenaries were sent to New Orleans to shoot at American citizens?
and who exactly is stupid and dangerous?
Keep up with the hard-hitting coverage on John Hall, Journal News! No mention anywhere on this blog looking at his seemingly hypocritical vote on Move-On?
Anonymous,
Based on your comments, I would say it
is YOU who is stupid and dangerous,
figuratively speaking, of course.
“No mention anywhere on this blog looking at his seemingly hypocritical vote on Move-On?”
OK, how’s this? The so-called vote to spank MoveOn was an amendment to an appropriations resolution. If he had voted against the resolution, then the stuff that is slated to be funded via the resolution wouldn’t have happened. Hall was just taking care of the stuff that was really important in that bill. MoveOn will get over it, I’m sure.
Ahhh, but will John Hall ever get over MoveOn?
No. He is as screwy as they are.
Why did they sing “Dance With Me” to a guy? :)
Ethan, maybe you could actually tell us if you are contesting the TRUTH of anything I said about these contractors? On facts, in that pesky reality-based world, you can’t.
The presidential directive does exist, trying to protect Blackwater et al from any laws (bravo to Congress for ending that), and Blackwater employees did shoot at, wound and kill, residents of New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina (you remember, that’s when Brownie was “doing a heckuva job”?)
The truth is, throughout history, that private mercenary armies have been both stupid and dangerous. also profitable, which is undoubtedly a major goal.
As for the rest of you, the place our country is falling into really is more important then an old Orleans song! It’s time to take your heads out of the sand and start paying attention, before it really is too late.