Mission Control – writing a Harvard thesis

USA Today has a story on the new Status of Forces Agreement that will take effect in Iraq on January 1, 2009. It says that security contractors will no longer be allowed to carry certain kinds of weapons

As of Thursday, most foreign contractors will not be allowed to possess machine guns that fire .50-caliber bullets or larger. If they’re caught with such heavy weapons, Iraqi security forces will take them away.

That should be rich. I’d like to see a picture of that.

The article goes on to say

Iraqi police will be able to search the offices and vehicles of private security contractors, confiscate illegal weapons and expel companies operating without a license.

The article claims that the Ministry of Interior has denied Blackwater an operating license. That should create a problem for the State Dept. if it’s true and enforced.

General Odierno has began calling the Green Zone the “Iraqi Security Zone”.  Wonder if that will catch on?

Also, the State Dept. has a copy of its IG Report on its security contractors (Dec. 2008). The 44-page report updates the Kennedy Panel report from November 2007.  I’ll have to read this over a bit to comment. Happy to have it in time to include the info in my thesis.