It was reported in the media last week that security contractors in Iraq recently shot and killed nearly a dozen innocent Iraqis in an incident occurring in downtown Baghdad. The private security firm handling protection for a U.S. Embassy convoy — Blackwater USA — has come under fire for their actions. Yet, because of a decree delivered by former Ambassador to Iraq Paul Bremer — on his last day on the job — these contractors cannot be prosecuted under Iraqi law and have not faced any charges upon returning to the U.S. because of confusion over who has the authority to investigate their actions.
