All of this financed by the American taxpayer. Done by an occupying military power, without accountability to, apparently, anyone.

This, by the way, is well known in Middle Eastern circles, and is one helluva propaganda victory for anyone who wants to use it. Don't have to make things up, just report them.

U.S. contractors in Iraq allege abuses
Four men say they witnessed shooting of unarmed civilians

"What we saw, I know the American population wouldn't stand for," says Craun.

They claim heavily armed security operators on Custer Battles' missions — among them poorly trained young Kurds, who have historical resentments against other Iraqis — terrorized civilians, shooting indiscriminately as they ran for cover, smashing into and shooting up cars.

On a mission on Nov. 8, escorting ammunition and equipment for the Iraqi army, they claim a Kurd guarding the convoy allegedly shot into a passenger car to clear a traffic jam.

"[He] sighted down his AK-47 and started firing," says Colling. "It went through the window. As far as I could see, it hit a passenger. And they didn't even know we were there."

Arf