Iraq Deal With US to End Immunity for Foreign Contractors

With a new security agreement being negotiated between the US and Iraq, the two countries tussle over control. Some Iraqi analysts criticize the overall agreement as a signal that the US plans long-term occupation of the country. But others note that a new policy, no longer extending immunity to foreign contract workers who break Iraqi law, signals that the Iraqi government could be taking more control of its destiny. Contract workers who commit crimes in Iraq will be arrested and punished under Iraq law, announced the Iraqi foreign minister to Patrick Cockburn, reporting for the Independent. With more than 160,000 contract workers in Iraq, more than the total number of US troops, the US had resisted such measures. Iraq, with 600,000 troops, still requires US security and support, note Iraqi officials – and the country studies similar agreements between the US and Turkey, Japan as well as South Korea. – YaleGlobal