Breaking: Iraq Revokes All Contractor ImmunityThe metaphorical statue of L. Paul Bremer III has come crashing down. Today the Iraqi government formally revoked one of the Coalition Provisional Authority’s enduring vestiges — a decree of immunity from prosecution in Iraqi courts for U.S. security contractors.
The Iraqi government announced on Wednesday that it has decided to formally revoke the immunity from prosecution granted to private security companies operating in the war-ravaged country.“The cabinet held a meeting yesterday and decided to scrap the article pertaining to security companies operating in Iraq that was issued by the CPA (Coalition Provision Authority) in 2004,” government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement.
“It has decided to present a new law regarding this issue which will be taken in the next cabinet meeting.”
Expect a massive controversy to follow. What will the State Department do if Iraqi judges issue arrest warrants for American contractors? Will heavily-armed contractors submit to Iraqi warrants, or will they openly defy the law of an allegedly sovereign country? More to come.