End contractor impunity

Re “House OKs bill to prosecute private contractors in U.S.,” Oct. 5

Our young men and women in combat risk their lives every day. I keep reading about members of the armed forces in Iraq being court-martialed and charged with murder when they kill civilians. Yet private contractors who do the same thing, or worse, are not subject to any law of the United States or Iraq. Private security contractors who are employed by the State Department are performing a service that has traditionally been provided by the military. They should be held to the same standards of conduct as specified in the Uniform Code of Military Justice. It is argued by some that private contractors should be held to a lesser standard because they protect U.S. diplomats. Why is the life of a diplomat more important than the life of a young Marine?

Jay Stevens

Long Beach

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The White House and its allies in Congress are expressing “grave concerns” and have stated that holding private contractors in Iraq accountable for their actions would place “inappropriate and unwarranted burdens” on the U.S. military.

Isn’t that like saying holding criminals accountable for their actions would place an inappropriate and unwarranted burden on police and the courts?

Steve Newberg

Carlsbad

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With great fanfare, the House passes legislation that would make all private contractors working in Iraq subject to prosecution in U.S. courts for any misdeeds. What a farce! They should be subject to prosecution in Iraqi courts. After all, isn’t Iraq an independent democratic state? That’s the Bush administration’s claim. Let it act as an independent state and administer its own justice.

William McCall

Arcadia