Iraq's brutal and reckless foreign mercenaries

azzaman: For long Iraqis have been complaining of the behavior of the trigger-happy private guards or contractors, but to no avail.

Local newspapers frequently publish horrifying stories of innocent Iraqis killed or maimed by this gang of reckless mercenaries but the power they exercise and the rights they enjoy makes them accountable to no authority in the country.

At least 20,000 of these heavily armed guards roam the streets of Baghdad and other major cities. They race in their SUVs, totting their guns, firing at suspected vehicles or individuals and anyone failing to understand their threatening body language.

The hapless families of these mercenaries' victims, contracted by the U.S. to protect its officials and construction schemes none of which has borne fruit yet, file complaints with Iraqi police or send petitions to local newspapers.

But like the occupation troops, these mercenaries have immunity from prosecution inside Iraq and are only accountable under their countries' laws which they always circumvent.

The oppression these mercenaries inflict on the Iraqi people is only matched by that the U.S. troops, the insurgents and terrorists exercise in Iraq.

Unfortunately the world only rose to this new tragedy when early this month a British newspaper made public a so-called trophy video showing these mercenaries - or private contractors in the language of international media - firing at Iraqi civilians as an Elvis song played in the background.

There is not meaning for sovereignty or national government or general elections when foreign mercenaries disdain Iraq's legislation, kill, maim and insult its citizens as they ply the streets under the pretext of protecting important people.

Iraq was never in need of 'foreign contractors' for protection. This is yet another stigma of the country's humiliation at the hands of U.S. occupiers. Link