Let us hope that the bills floating in Congress add a strict financial penalty for groups like Blackwater who cross the line. After all, no matter how agregious these “independent mercenary” groups are…it’s all about the money… 

 Accountability on the Battlefield

It is clear by now that the Blackwater guards operating in Iraq have been allowed to run amok with no concern about being held accountable under the law. Congress has begun the process of revoking that dangerous immunity. It needs to quickly pass a strong law, and then it must ensure that contractors are held accountable for lawless actions in war zones. On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a bill introduced by David Price, Democrat of North Carolina, to rein in contractors like Blackwater USA. The vote was 389-30. The bill would ensure that all contractors working for the American government in a conflict zone are put under the jurisdiction of American criminal courts, and it would require the F.B.I. to deploy units in conflict areas to investigate contractor crimes.