Democracy Arsenal

« Details of the SOFA Emerge | Main | The Home of Habeas and Exposing America's Torture Regime »

August 22, 2008

About Those SOFA Negotiations
Posted by Michael Cohen

Apparently the one area of agreement in the SOFA negotiations is revoking legal immunity for private security contractors from Iraqi law. It's not a good idea. In today's WSJ I try to explain why:

Nearly a year after the tragic shooting of 17 Iraqis by Blackwater security contractors, the Department of Justice is close to indicting six of the guards involved in the horrific events. This is a long overdue step toward holding contractors legally responsible for their actions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But this positive move risks being overshadowed by a more destabilizing development: the apparent agreement, as part of U.S.-Iraqi Status of Forces Agreement negotiations, to revoke the immunity from Iraqi law that private security contractors have enjoyed since 2003. This decision could place diplomats, Iraqi civilians and PSCs at greater risk, and undermine the U.S. mission in Iraq. More must be done to hold security contractors accountable for their actions -- but this is not the way to do it.

Read the whole piece here:

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451c04d69e200e55419811d8833

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference About Those SOFA Negotiations:

Comments

Do you mean to say that the Iraqis insist on holding employees of foreign corporations who slaughter Iraqi citizens,on the streets of their own country accountable. What nerve! what gall! Where do they get off pulling that sort of crap!

Of course the Justice Department has been pulled kicking and screaming for almost a year to reach this point and it would not have been allowed to go this far if Blackwater's corporate responsibility had not been taken off the table. I predict if, and it's a big if, indictments come down there will be at best a halfhearted attempt to gain convictions.

As for the SOFA, the U.S. couldn't care less what the Iraqis do to the Peruvian, Chilean or Fijian former commando personnel employed by the Blackwaters, Triple Canopy's and Dyncorps of the world. The money will always assure a steady supply of these cut rate hired guns. The U.S. will of course always spirit out any of the much smaller number of U.S. nationals accused of serious wrong doing keeping them out of the reach of Iraqi justice.

I don't mean this to be a put down of the foreign nationals who work for PSCs, many seem to be generally appalled by the actions of their western counterparts. It's just a comment on their complete expendability and the disposable nature of all TCN's employed by the U.S. in Iraq.

Lingerie Wholesale
Sexy Lingerie Wholesale
Leather/PVC Lingerie
Christmas Lingerie

Welcome to our game world, my friend asks me to buy some 12sky gold . I do not know how to use the twelvesky Gold ; my friend tells me how to use. I will thank for my friends bringing me in this world. I am not regret to buy 12Sky Silver Coins . We all love game, if you want to play it, please buy 12 sky gold and join us. Please do not hesitate to have game.

When you have Tibia Gold, you will become strong. With Tibia coins, you can upgrade and admire by others. You can use Tibia money to start the journey of the world. So, do not hesitate, let us move to buy tibia gp

I hope i can get FFXI Gil in low price,
Yesterday i bought FFXI gold for my friend.

My friends and I like to buy Anarchy credits. They understand me so well, Anarchy online gold is my favorite.

I am so with you,rolex watch
luxury watch Of course the Justice Department has been pulled kicking and screaming for almost a year to reach this point and it would not have been allowed to go this far if Blackwater's corporate responsibility had not been taken off the table. I predict if, and it's a big if, indictments come down there will be at best a halfhearted attempt to gain convictions.

Thank you for your sharing! I like i very much!

This is a very good site..

sonra bedava chat
burasıda var bedava sohbet

be tantchanelamount to grasp the numerous reproduced the contents of your site. In that case, she must be approved by the Changlaikanguccikan your station. The fastest yohermesu that she is from helouis vuittonre you get the fastest, so her customers can also receive up-to-date search results. So,designer note to Mars will not do. The result is you confuse the site in a large site on Mars, found the girl simpldesigner handbagsy can not tell to you

The comments to this entry are closed.

Subscribe
Sign-up to receive a weekly digest of the latest posts from Democracy Arsenal.
Email: 
Powered by TypePad

Disclaimer

The opinions voiced on Democracy Arsenal are those of the individual authors and do not represent the views of any other organization or institution with which any author may be affiliated.
Read Terms of Use