In the Gray Zone

Blackwater is still making headlines. Now some of their employees have been ordered to appear in court on charges of the murders of two Afghan civilians. A year ago, Blackwater personnel opened fire on an Afghan vehicle that had been involved in a traffic accident because, according to Blackwater personnel, they felt threatened. The pattern is a familiar one. Blackwater mercenaries used that same excuse for killing 17 Iraqi civilians.

A United Nations commission recently asked the Obama administration to take meaningful disciplinary action against the employees of private security companies for their wrongdoings. The Obama administration, like previous administrations, employs tens of thousands of mercenaries in war and crisis zones globally, both as combatants and as bodyguards. The U.S. mercenaries often operate in legal “gray zones” because they are neither regular soldiers nor members of the official police force. They are seldom held accountable. Even those accused in the Baghdad massacre got every possible chance to escape punishment. The trial against them was dropped after just a few days because of judicial considerations – the prosecution used their own statements against them, statements they had made after being granted immunity from prosecution. However, there is no doubt for the U.N. Commission that private contractors must also be held responsible for human rights violations.