What is happening to the civillian soldiers dead or dying in Iraq
Some years back, Fredrick Forsyth, the Dan Brown, of the 70's, wrote a book called Dogs of War. In this novel a group of mercennaries trasined by an American Company attempt to overthrow the Government of an African country by sending highly trained and armed gun slingers for hire from South Africa. How closely life imitates art can be gleaned by the fact that Sir Mark Tatcher, son of Dame Margret Tatcher, was convicted of just this crime:using mercenaries against the lawful government . The US government responed by cancelling the visa granted to Mark. The point however, is that the USA is doing just this in Iraq.
The Pentagon has virtually privatised the War in Iraq. More than 175 privsate firms are operating in Iraq and many of them are providing firesupport, logistical support and even are involved in armed combat in Iraq in total violation of Geneva Convention which grants protection only to legitimate armed forces of a nation. About 60 firms have been shortlisted by the Pentagon for outsourcing the War. As American and coalition casualities rise, the Pentagon has hit upon the strategy of outsourcing the War by hiring Private Security Firms whose men atre now actively involved in combat. Every soldier who is killed in the line of fire is entitled to 100,000 US $. More than 398 private security personnel have been killed in Iraq since the war began, thir families are getting nothing, though they have been contracted out by the Pentagon. This amounts to a double illegality: First, violationmof the Law Governong Warfare and secondly, citizens dying in Iraq have been erased from the official record. It is time Veterans took steps to draw the attention of the Us public to the plight of such individuals and their families.
Some of the fims involved in outsourcing the Iraq War are, Vinnell, Kellog, Brown and Root {YES a subsidary of Halliburton},and ERINY International of South Africa. Since these firms are private firms, they profit from the death and mayhem in Iraq. A highly questionable moral issue. The Abu Garaib Prison Abuse Scandal has drawn attention to the fact that with the chain of command ineffective while dealing with private firms, the US Government and the Pentagon will have to bear accountability for the conduct of such firms.
All in all, the situation with regard to this remanis grim.