U.S. Charges Contractor At Iraq Post In Stabbing

New York Times:

The American military has charged a contractor with assault in a case that may emerge as a major test of the military's legal jurisdiction over civilians who accompany the armed forces into the field, military officials and legal experts said Friday.

The charge was made under expanded authority that the United States Congress provided the military to crack down on contractor abuses. It is the first time since 1968 that a contractor has been charged under military law.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[Not Blind]

In 2006, Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, sponsored an amendment to a military spending bill in an effort to stem contractor abuses. It expanded the provisions of the Uniform Code of Military Justice to give the military the right to charge civilians who not only serve with or accompany the armed forces if war is declared, but also during a “contingency operation.”
So why is this amendment being selectively enforced? Why weren't Blackwater mercenaries (who murdered Iraqi civilians last September) charged, but given immediate, clandestine immunity? Why isn't KBR-Halliburton being charged for their faulty wiring that electrocuted 12 soldiers in their barracks or for the unfiltered water that has caused many ailments amongst our service personnel?
One translator's actions are being aptly investigated and contract under scrutiny, but what about the others, including the new revelations that armor and equipment being used by our soldiers was sent without being tested? I guess the amendment only applies to non-Republican-party-loyalist no-bid contractors. Those with connections to the administration, favored friends, relatives, or strict party loyalists are sacrosant.

[charlietuna11]

don't get your hopes up. first of all the person being charged is an iraqi, not an american..if he were an american,,they would have filed charges, and higher ups would conclude his actions were justified..this story is not worthy of the huff..its going no where unless some one decides this guy is expendable..

[charlietuna11]

one more notation, the state dept just re newed blackwaters contract..to distract from this pathetic gesture, were supposed to believe were on to a new policy.. they know what their doing. most people including the msm will buy into this sham.

[research]

Technically, Blackwater type contractors working on the Iraq War Crime are illegal enemy combatants, since they don't wear government uniforms.

[daingel]

Yeah but Chimpy wrote an executive order that says they can't be tried under the Rule of Law both in the US and Iraq and Afghanistan. So it's all good for neo-con brownshirt bootlickers.

[Obamamo]

Yes this guy will pay as it should be! But remember he is an Iraqi. Why don't they arrest those scum bags from the States? they wrecking havoc on the iraqi population.

[donnajane]

He stabbed and killed another contractor and he gets charged? what about the iraqi citizens they've murdered, those charges were dismissed (correct me if i'm wrong)

[Obamamo]

My point exactly!

[mouselion]

The Graham amendment contains this flaw: Military should not be bound to consult with Justice first on criminal cases involving contractors. The military should have full jurisdiction from the start to prosecute these cases. The only reason why Justice didn't take this case is because the contractor was an Iraqi-Canadian. Had it been a U.S. citizen, Justice would would have taken over the case and buried it as they always do. Graham's amendment is too weak to have the impact it needs to have on civilian contractors.

[speakingtruth2power]

Privatization and profiteering go hand in hand.

That is how the Bushies see America's future.

We can only HOPE that all this will CHANGE!