- WASHINGTON - When Iraqi police
raided the Baghdad home and offices of politician Ahmed Chalabi on May
20, US officials hurried to distance themselves from the operation, saying
it was an Iraqi affair and that no US Government employees were involved.
-
- But eight armed American contractors paid by a US State
Department program went on the raid, directing and encouraging the Iraqi
policemen who, witnesses say, ripped out computers, turned over furniture
and smashed photographs.
-
- Some of the Americans helped themselves to baklava, apples
and diet soda from Mr Chalabi's refrigerator, sitting in a garden outside
to enjoy their looted snacks, according to members of Mr Chalabi's staff.
-
- The contractors work for DynCorp, a subsidiary of Computer
Sciences Corporation and the company in charge of training and advising
the Iraqi police on a State Department contract. A State Department official
confirmed the DynCorp workers' presence during the raid.
-
- The participation of gun-toting American contractors
in a raid the US Government has insisted it did not order is the latest
instance of problems posed by the 20,000 contract security workers serving
in Iraq.
-
- http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/30/1085855436368.html
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