US govt. mercenaries fire on Marines.

I'd be pretty pissed, too, if I was in the armed forces today. My American 'counterparts,' mostly hired by contractors to act as bodyguards-- but guaranteed immunity from prosecution for criminal acts-- are earning up to thirty times as much government money as me (about $1,400 per day seems to be the norm), they live in posh hotels, get much easier jobs. . . oh, yeah. And they keep shooting at me.

Iraq's interior ministry said yesterday it wanted to impose legal boundaries on the private security business after American contractors twice opened fire on US marines. . .

The marines say one of their combat teams came under fire from guards in a convoy of four-wheel-drives belonging to Zapata Engineering, a firm based in North Carolina that is involved in reconstruction projects.

A marine observation post was fired at three hours later by the same convoy, according to Lt Col Dave Lapan, a marines spokesman.

The contractors' vehicles were eventually stopped by metal spikes in the road.

Soldiers promptly arrested the security men, including 16 Americans and three Iraqis, who were placed in a detention centre. They have since been sent home.

The Zapata employees have admitted firing at civilian vehicles but deny targeting marines. They said that while in custody they were physically and emotionally abused.

The lawyer, Mark Schopper, who is representing two of the contractors, claims that at one point a marine shouted at the men: "How does it feel to be a rich contractor now?"

To be honest, here's a sort of military abuse that I don't object to one bit... I'd be breaking out the rubber hoses myself.