GENEVA, Switzerland, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- While abuses tied to military contractors in Iraq have decreased, there are still legal loopholes that must be addressed, a U.N. monitoring group said.
U.S. security contractor Blackwater has been the subject of half a dozen U.S. lawsuits and prosecutions, many stemming from activities of its personnel in Iraq. Several were linked to a September 2007 shooting in central Baghdad's Nissour Square in which 17 Iraqi civilians were killed.
A U.N. working group on mercenaries, during a visit to Iraq, determined the number of incidents related to private military and security companies has gone down since the 2007 assault. The panel attributed the decrease to stricter Iraqi laws and U.S. oversight.
The panel welcomed measures outlined in a bilateral status of forces agreement between the United States and Iraq that removes immunity for some security contractors. Yet, the group said, it's not clear if that immunity covers all contractors and whether it's applied in Iraqi courts.
"Providing security to its people is a fundamental responsibility of the state," panel Chairwoman Faiza Patel said. "Outsourcing security creates risks for human rights and the government of Iraq must remain vigilant and devote the necessary resources to ensure that private military and security companies, whether international or Iraqi, are stringently regulated and that they respect the human rights of the Iraqi people."
The panel recommended that the ambiguities in the SOFA be clarified as a matter of priority.
