And the Iraqis might as well start singing them now. Why? There is none. Otherwise how can the 1600 Crew explain this?
The Bush administration has decided to take the unusual step of bestowing on its own troops and personnel immunity from prosecution by Iraqi courts for killing Iraqis or destroying local property after the occupation ends and political power is transferred to an interim Iraqi government, U.S. officials said.
The administration plans to accomplish that step -- which would bypass the most contentious remaining issue before the transfer of power -- by extending an order that has been in place during the year-long occupation of Iraq. Order 17 gives all foreign personnel in the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority immunity from "local criminal, civil and administrative jurisdiction and from any form of arrest or detention other than by persons acting on behalf of their parent states." (my emphasis)
Now, does that sound to anyone out there like the 1600 Crew is protecting not just our troops from prosecution (which would be a difficult prosecution, I think) but the -ahem- contractors [campaign contributors, please be seated, thank you].
If this is to "ease the burden", so to speak for armed contractors to carry out their "Missions", and not face prosecution from some future duly-constituted Iraqi government, I think that the 1600 Crew has left yet another open can of rattlesnakes lying around in the desert heat.
The military folks who misbehave will I think be carefully watched after Abu G-Rape for evidence of malfeasance...almost another "zero tolerance" thing, which is a sort of typical military over-reaction to Things That Go Bad Then Go Public (like, ummmm, Tailhook). But who will watch the -ahem- contractors?
No one. So we get Order 17...another Limited Liability Clause from your favorite No Account(ability) republicans.
