Contractor deaths near 650 in Iraq
And these don’t get counted by the Pentagon:
In Iraq, contractor deaths near 650, legal fog thickens
Bernd Debusmann
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The war in Iraq has killed at least 647 civilian contractors to date, according to official figures that provide a stark reminder of the huge role of civilians in supporting the U.S. military.
The death toll of civilians working alongside U.S. forces in Iraq compares with more than 2,700 military dead and, experts say, underscores the risks of outsourcing war to private military contractors.
Their number in Iraq is estimated at up to 100,000, from highly-trained former special forces soldiers to drivers, cooks, mechanics, plumbers, translators, electricians and laundry workers and other support personnel.</i>
