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End of Immunity Worries U.S. Contractors in Iraq
nytimes.com - 12/1/2008
End of Immunity Worries U.S. Contractors in Iraq
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A major question is whether the new pact permits the Iraqi government to prosecute Americans for past crimes, such as the shootings by private security guards. >
krugman.blogs.nytimes.com - 12/4/2008
Worries about next year
— krugman.blogs.nytimes.com — I've been ruminating over economic prospects for next year, and I'm getting scared. Two points: 1. The... economy is falling fast. We'll see what tomorrow's employment report says, but we could well be losing jobs at a rate of 450,000 or 500,000 a ... (more) Worries about next year
Comments vote down Matthew Yglesias found this 12/4/2008found this
seeingtheforest.com - 12/4/2008
Laid Off Contractors Don't Get Unemployment
— seeingtheforest.com — Before reading this, realize that people who are called contractors instead of employees -- the first to... get laid off as things get worse -- do not get unemployment benefits so they don't file claims... (more) Laid Off Contractors Don't Get Unemployment
Comments vote down Suburban Guerrilla found this 12/4/2008found this
yglesias.thinkprogress.org - 12/5/2008
Worries and Options
— yglesias.thinkprogress.org — Paul Krugman notes that the economy is falling fast and it may be difficult to bring stimulus... to bear all that rapidly: Infrastructure spending will take time to get going — a new Goldman Sachs report suggests that projects that are “shovel-ready” ... (more) Worries and Options
Comments vote down LiberalOasis : The Blog found this 12/5/2008found this

Blog Reactions

Democratic Underground Latest Breaking News:  End of Immunity Worries U.S. Contractors in Iraq

Think Progress:  ThinkFast: December 1, 2008

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Blog Reactions

End of Immunity Worries U.S. Contractors in Iraq
Democratic Underground Latest Breaking News — ... will become an impediment to recruiting Western workers. If it is approved by Iraq’s Presidency Council, as expected, the agreement will go into effect on Jan. 1. So far, no major company working in Iraq has announced plans to withdraw from the country. Some industry experts said that while the corporations would stay, they would be forced to rely much more on Iraqi employees, rather than on Americans and other foreigners who might fear working without legal protection. Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/01/world/middleeast/01co...

ThinkFast: December 1, 2008
Think Progress — ... “When the Iraqi government ratified an agreement last week setting new terms for a continued American presence in Iraq, private contractors working for the Pentagon faced the inevitability that they would be stripped of their immunity from Iraqi law.” Some experts said that contractors would be forced to rely much more on Iraqi employees, rather than on Americans. ...

Blackwater plans new mission: fighting pirates.
Think Progress — ... outside its State Department security work in Iraq, which brings in between $300 million and $400 million a year.” The security company may be looking for new lucrative opportunities partly because the Iraqi government has now ratified a law stripping Blackwater contractors of immunity. Indeed, Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell noted the legal benefits of operating in the open sea: “We would be allowed to fire if fired upon; the right of self-defense is ...

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