For U.S. contractors working in Iraq, the writing was on the wall back in July when word got around that the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), the long-term security pact being negotiated to keep U.S. forces in Iraq after this year, would strip immunity for contractors. This week, the Associated Press reports that the Pentagon and State Department officially delivered the bad news to the contracting community that they will no longer “enjoy the wide range of immunity from Iraqi law that has been in effect since 2003.” The SOFA will take effect pending Iraqi parliamentary approval.
No more “Get Out of Jail Free” card for the likes of Blackwater, DynCorp, and Triple Canopy. From now on, if they step out of line, they will be subject to prosecution under Iraqi law.
Meanwhile, Blackwater is currently on the hot seat for its involvement in a firefight in Baghdad in September 2007 that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead. Federal prosecutors are reportedly close to seeking indictments for the Blackwater guards involved in the incident.
-- Neil Gordon
Comments