[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 149 (Wednesday, October 3, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H11177]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  PRIVATE SECURITY CONTRACTORS IN IRAQ

  (Mr. HALL of New York asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HALL of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to decry our 
unprecedented use of unaccountable private security contractors in 
Iraq.
  By some estimates, there are over 50,000 private security personnel 
working in Iraq. These contractors operate outside U.S. and Iraqi law, 
raising animosity toward Americans in the field and losing us hearts 
and minds in Iraq.
  The activities of one of the most prominent contractors, Blackwater, 
highlight why they are a counterproductive influence in Iraq, and their 
activities must be curtailed.
  Two weeks ago, Blackwater personnel guarding a State Department group 
were involved in a shootout that resulted in the deaths of as many as 
17 Iraqis. Yesterday, the Government Reform Committee disclosed that 
Blackwater has been involved in 195 escalation of force incidents since 
2005; and in 80 percent of those, Blackwater fired the first shots. 
These incidents, combined with others, clearly indicate that we need to 
stop putting contractors in Iraq and bring those there under control, 
which is why I have introduced legislation to freeze the number of 
contractors operating in Iraq at September 1 levels. And I am a proud 
cosponsor of the bill we will vote on today, the MEJA Expansion Act, to 
bring these contracts under control.

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