By NNN-KUNA
Baghdad : The Iraqi Interior Ministry has issued a new draft decree laying the foundation for the work performed in Iraq of security companies.
The ministery said Tuesday that the draft would be submitted to the National Assembly (NA) for endorsement.
The head of Iraq’s National Command within the Interior Ministry, Lieutenant General Abdel-Karim Khalaf said the ministry had issued the draft in the aftermath of the events earlier this month involving the American security company Blackwater whose members had opened fire on a crowd of civilians killing several innocent people and injuring others.
He said that the draft law was referred to the Shura Council to be studied before being sent to the NA. He declined to disclose further details on the issue.
He said that only 23 US-based security companies operated in Iraq with a total staff of 3,000 people.
A source within the ministry had told KUNA that it had secured a video tape of the incident involving the Blackwater security agency, which occurred in the Al-Nusour square in the Al-Mansour area.
While Blackwater maintains its men had opened fire haphazardly after being attacked by the crowd, eyewitnesses said the security men had opened fire without any provocation.