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Posted by Punzie on Oct 4th, 2007


The New York Times
October 4, 2007

New Rules for Contractors Are Urged by 2 Democrats

By CHRISTINE HAUSER

Two leading Democratic presidential hopefuls seized on the Blackwater case yesterday to call for more accountability in using security contractors for security and military missions.

The two, former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina and Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, spoke after reports about Blackwater USA employees’ killing fleeing Iraqis and trying to cover it up.

The employees guard State Department and other personnel in Iraq.

Mr. Edwards, in Portsmouth, N.H., called for ending the outsourcing of military and security missions to contractors. He presented a plan to expand the jurisdiction of American law enforcement agencies to cover contractors overseas and used the case to highlight his opposition to the Iraq war and Bush administration tactics.

“The Bush administration is keeping the war in Iraq going, despite the overwhelming opposition of the American people,” Mr. Edwards said. “And they are doing it in part by performing an end-run around the all-volunteer force.”

Blackwater employees have been accused of involvement in a shooting on Sept. 16 in a Baghdad square that killed at least 17 Iraqis.

In Iowa City, Mr. Obama presented a plan to make the contractors more accountable by creating a special F.B.I. unit to enforce federal law. He criticized the administration as failing to supervise companies like Blackwater.

“This isn’t just about broken laws or wasted tax revenues,” Mr. Obama said. “This is about our claims to moral leadership in the world. We cannot win a fight for hearts and minds when we outsource critical missions to unaccountable contractors.”



Jeff Zeleny contributed reporting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/us...cs/04dems.html