First Blackwater, Now Halliburton
Linda Lowen reports the distressing story of Jamie Leigh Jones, 20, who was reportedly raped by co-workers in 2005; to date, nothing has happened to the men involved. Even worse, the Army rape kit -- which contained semen from "multiple uknown men" -- was lost "after Army investigators turned it over to KBR officials."
Justice Seekers adds more: the Halliburton/KBR human resources officer said that "Halliburton/KBR permitted or encouraged a 'sexually lawless environment' and uses arbitration as a means to 'circle the wagons' to protect their financial interests, rather than fairly treat their employees."
This is the latest Iraqi contractor indicident involving employee actions which would be criminal had they happened on US soil.
At least 14 of the civilians killed by Blackwater contractors in September were unjustified shootings that "violated deadly-force rules in effect for security contractors in Iraq, according to civilian and military officials briefed on the case." An earlier military review panel found all 17 deaths unjustified.
But in the vague legal climate created by our government-written contracts -- and our government's wordsmithing of Iraqi law -- these men will probably never face a jury.
The Jones case differs in that the victim is a US citizen, not an Iraqi. However, the contractor reactions seem to be taken from the same playbook: both are sheltering the men accused of criminal behavior.
Halliburton/KBR is arguing that Jones must submit to "mandatory binding arbitration," based upon language in her employment contract.
And according to Pierre Tristam, "private security contractors [like Blackwater] could not be tried by Iraqi courts if they were involved in a shooting incident in the course of fulfilling their contractual obligations."
Should criminal acts in Iraq that are committed by, or against, US citizens in Iraq be exempt from US criminal law? What example does the US government want to show the rest of the world? What is the role of Congress in the Halliburton/KBR and Blackwater cases?