By DPA
Washington : The mistreatment of Iraqis by private US security firms is in conflict with the overall military mission in Iraq, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said.
Gates Thursday said a plan needed to be worked out with the State Department, which hires the companies to guard US diplomats and other personnel, to bring the contractors under a single command.
“Based on everything I’ve read and what our own team has reported, there have been instances where, to put it mildly, the Iraqis have been offended and not treated properly,” Gates said.
The US military mission and the task of the security firms “are in conflict”, Gates said.
Scrutiny of the private companies has peaked since Blackwater USA was involved in a shootout in Baghdad that left 17 Iraqis dead. The Iraqi government says security agents were unprovoked when they opened fire on Sep 16, an account disputed by Blackwater.
The State Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are conducting probes.
Gates said it was possible for the US military to assume the job of protecting diplomatic personnel and facilities, but that it would place additional strains on the military and distract it from fighting the enemy and securing the country.
Earlier Thursday, the spokesman for the Iraqi government told reporters at the White House that Baghdad wanted Blackwater out of the country. He said the Sep 16 shootings were a “crime” and the firm needed to be held accountable.
“We would like Blackwater to leave Iraq,” Ali al-Dabbagh said in a rare appearance at the White House. “There is a great anger among the Iraqis against Blackwater.”
Blackwater says the convoy came under attack by armed militants and the private security contractors were justified in returning fire.