PMC. Mamma mia!!!

I received from MB (for his security I write only the first letters of the name) an essay on the reality of Iraq in 2008, as we Westerners wanted it.

Did Italy ever disengaged from Iraq? (in Italian)
From disengagement of regular troops to the Private Military Companies.

It talks of mercenaries and contractors, the involvement of private companies (Private Military Companies) and the behaviour of these, which is "consonant with the political conduct" of the States involved in the war.
It talks of contracts, mentioning names and figures, facts unknown to many political columnists of the "mission of peace".
It talks of Barbara Contini, governor for the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA, the occupying coalition), in the province of Dhi Qar, in the south of Iraq.
It talks of "armed men, independent of any civil or military court, who act with total impunity in a region devastated by war."

An accurate and detailed work, essential reading.

To better understand which kind of culture we are talking about here is the link to the spot of StartSicurezza srl, one of the best Italian private security agency, and here is even the link to Arcoiris TV to see per vedere una big-game hunt to man in Iraq by a small group of American "contractors" from AEGIS, a hyperspecialized private agency.

Bruno Picozzi (in translation)

Know before you speak

Someone wrote to me asking what I think of operations of peace/war (de según como se mire todo depende, song the Jarabe De Palo) in Iraq and Afghanistan.

First of all I believe that Afghanistan and Iraq are two places in the same adventure, with the necessary differences.
That said, I think that the best answer is this article in Voltaire Net written by Michael Schwartz, Professor at Stony Brook University of the state of New York, which presents the famous research of the prestigious American medical journal "The Lancet" on the number of casualties in Iraq and talks about what we call "rules of engagement" of the American soldiers in Iraq.
Just read it: http://www.voltairenet.org/article149840.html

In this regard someone pointed out to me a few days ago this film on youtube: An American scandal (in Italian).

Furthermore on the blog Alessio in Asia I read the following comment:

"I feel that if we withdraw from IRAQ, there might be terror."
Wow… if there might be terror… I wonder… what's going on since "we" invaded Iraq ?

Bruno Picozzi (in translation)