The Dangers of "Hired Guns"

It's no big secret that the US forces in Iraq are stretched desperately thin. In an effort to round their numbers out, the United States has taken to hiring "civilian contractor" forces. Private militias or mercenaries. Paid by the American fiscal deficit, and only loosely associated with the command of the US military.

Contractors Shooting Civilians in Iraq

It would appear that the same hare-brained command that managed to allow Abu Ghraib to happen right under their nose has once again allowed tragedy to hurtle out of control in Iraq. Of course, this is the same military machine that used White Phosphorus in their assault on Fallujah and then claimed that they only targetted "insurgents". (How, pray tell, is an area of effect weapon supposed to differentiate between an insurgent and a "civilian".

By the time the US gets out of Iraq, I shudder to think what the record will show.