Should Blackwater be held criminally responsible for the crimes committed by its "Security Contractors" ?

Question

I have served 2 tours in Iraq and have witnessed these overpaid triggerhappy meercenaries running amok with total immunity from prosecution and all it does is make our job harder because the Iraqis now have good reason not to trust us because of this. They think we are all a bunch of gangsters out to steal as much oil as the world will allow us to get away with and they are helpless to do anything about it. I am angry because as a soldier , we are held strictly accountable for what we do because thats how we win the peace, by being fair and responsible to the locals. When the Iraqi citizens see these drunken triggerhappy criminals looting their country, they will react with violence that only endangers those of us who truly trying to help their country recover from Saddam Hussien.

Answer 1

Personally I don't think they should be over there. If the Iraqis don't do something we should. I'd rather have the Iraqi do it so they can kick them out of the country.

Answer 2

Has americans and others turned Iraqi's into porno stars yet and abused them?

Answer 3

Yes

Answer 4

I'll try not to take offense since I have several friends that have worked for Blackwater. I'll just say that it sounds more like you've been reading books rather than spending time in the sandbox. I have never known any contractor from any major firm that acts like you describe.

More to the point, the notion of holding a corporation criminally responsible is pretty funny. A corporation is an abstract entity. Are you going to lock their incorporating documents and bylaws in a cell for 10 years?

Answer 5

first of all, thank you for serving 2 tours in iraq, and to respond to your question, while i do feel it is kind of cool on the whole concept of blackwater, i do feel that they are the future of a metal gear solid 4 type of future where the line between soldier and civilian will disappear, and i do feel that they should only be allowed to operate here in the US as private security. Personally i would rather hear in the news of how a group of Marines or U.S ARMY personnel capture a high ranking enemy general than to hear about how some mercnaries killed a group of terrorists and some civilians were caught in the crossfire. To me it seems like they are only in it for the money, and not to be a part of the U.S mission. And it does suck that the cowboys are being paid as much as a 1 star general in the U.S military