Contractor Immunity a Divisive Issue
Interim Government Resists U.S. Proposal to Exempt Foreigners From Iraqi Law
By Edward Cody
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, June 14, 2004; Page A01
BAGHDAD, June 13 -- In an early test of its imminent sovereignty, Iraq's new government has been resisting a U.S. demand that thousands of foreign contractors here be granted immunity from Iraqi law, in the same way as U.S. military forces are now immune, according to Iraqi sources.
The U.S. proposal, although not widely known, has touched a nerve with some nationalist-minded Iraqis already chafing under the 14-month-old U.S.-led occupation. If accepted by Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, it would put the highly visible U.S. foreign contractors into a special legal category, not subject to military justice and beyond the reach of Iraq's justice system.
Just once I would like some hack to ask McClellan or Bush, "If nobody is above the law, then what law governs contractors that are not covered by either military or civilian law?"
Posted by Pat at June 14, 2004 11:49 AMI expect all troops to be reclassified as contractors if this goes through.