U.S. to rein in Iraq mercenaries

BAGHDAD, May 5 (UPI) -- U.S. Pentagon officials want to rein in the activities of various private security firms operating in Iraq, the Washington Times said Wednesday.

"We are trying to tighten the rules by which these people operate," Peter Rodman, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Several of the security firms have been used by the military and the CIA to help hunt down suspects and aid in their interrogation, circumventing the normal military or civilian chain of command.

It is important to make the companies "accountable to military people so they are properly carrying out the roles they are there for," said Douglas Feith, undersecretary of defense for policy.

A defense official in Washington said the Pentagon was "very concerned about contractors and their performance on the battlefield," but added "the majority of our contractors on the battlefield are performing a great service for both the military forces and the Iraqi people."