GreyWolf

OK.. hear ya! Does it really matter that they are accountable to a non-accountable regime?? I know you have this desire to defend and play the role of a "patriot" , but you are talking about people who cannot even account to their own electorate without lying - a rogue regime.

Let's assume for a moment "contractors" are what you say they are - ie engaged as bodyguards by the State Department. In other words - just employees engaged in work in another country.

That places them in an area outside US jurisdiction and subject to the laws in the country of their engagement. Bodyguards are nothing special - wherever they are present, they are subject to local law (and obviously the Iraqi government is acting to seek justice, tho they may already have enough questions over their justice system).

Re accountability. Even the DOJ has expressed problems when questions when asked - and members of the admin had a blank look and feigned no knowledge (nothing new there), so not sure where you are getting your information.

The reality is, irrespective of who these people are - they are operating in a country and are subject to the laws of that country. It is irrelevant what the US claims - they are not operating in US territory.

On a slightly related topic - there is clearly a problem with actual military forces and the application of what you describe as UCMJ. This has been demonstrated more than clearly in several trials. In effect, the UCMJ appears to have become a name only and something to be used as an excuse for accountability. Anyone can combine four letters and say the have a justice system applicable and apply this in any form they wish.

The fact is that a number of US personnel have committed crimes ranging from rape to murder and torture blah. Are *any* of these people in a jail cell after they have been convicted??? Maybe one. That sounds like a wonderful justice system and a demonstration on how this is simply a mouthpiece - walking the walk is different to talking about it and the track record says more than just words expressing accountability.

When even the military become involved in coverups it just gets worse. Example, personnel being granted immunity from prosecution if they dumped photographic evidence of human rights violations into a "suggestion box" and promised not to tell - gimme a break from the farce.

Of course they will very rarely be found guilty of crimes - they operate under the same unaccountable justice system which lets them off jail time for raping kids and murdering people. If the exact same incidents happened within the US - all hell would break out, and justifiably.

We are talking about accountability here - and this is not exactly something foremost in the minds of the current regime. They do a nice non-accountabilty exercise already, so what hope?

BTW.. think you suggested earlier that I said Blackwater and similar were committing torture? Na, they may do, - time will tell, but not suggesting that. Other "contractors" perform that fairly well already and it would be very naive to think there was not involvement. The earlier torture references were associated with the activities of SOA/WHINSEC (already well-documented along with witness testimony from survivors).

Bottom line - No member of the armed forces asked to be conned and stuffed into Iraq and there are always problem people in any group who could screw up a candystore - that's not the issue. It stems more from accountability and this comes from the top downwards - and has failed miserbly and reflecting a piss-poor impression of the US internationally.

There is no excuse ever for lack of judicial accountability for serious crime, irrespective of the jurisdiction and whatever country is involved - it's beneath gutter level.