Is it possible that the young cadets we met up in West Point are the same guys killing civilians all over Baghdad and elsewhere?
The incident which answered the puzzle, took place this previous week, when helicopters of a Private Military Contractor (PMC) company by the name of Blackwater USA fired into the streets of Baghdad, an attack that Iraq's Interior Ministry officials said killed nine people and wounded 13. Later reports put the death toll as high as 20.
The Iraqi policeman who was trying to open the traffic for the US motorcade said there was a car, dilapidated and old, driven by a man, with his wife and children riding in the car on that fateful ride.
The unlucky man - aren't all Iraqis -was driving at a very slow speed which probably sent the US security force up the wall of suspicion and instead of handling the matter soberly, a mini war was waged.
Probably they believed one of the children, who was burnt to ashes, was actually Osama Bin Laden in disguise.
For years now, I get mail and telephone calls from friends in Baghdad who tell me there is an American killing machine which actually conducts unexplained operations.
Little do Iraqis know that there are more than 130,000 private military contractors in Iraq, raising the number of US military existence from the 130,000 plus soldiers to 260,000.
Little do Iraqis know that even the Fallujah incident of 2004 - where Blackwater USA contractors were hanged and burnt from the iron bridge - is believed by Iraqi officials to be a muscle and money war between Blackwater USA and other security firms, wanting to demarcate their territories for contracts and money. So what else is this war about for mercenaries?
When and if the US army is asked about Blackwater USA's affiliation, the response will be like the one I received from both Lieutenant Colonel Holly Silverman, a US Military official in the region, and Captain Vic Beck, US Navy Chief, Media Operations, Multi-National Force-Iraq.
Both said that Blackwater USA was a privately contracted company and had no affiliation with the US military.
So who does Blackwater USA do business with? The US State Department, with contracts reaching $715 million in Iraq.
Can Condoleezza Rice be wanting a private army for her State Department now? Well, as almost everyone has a mini militia in Iraq today, staying in vogue is very tempting.
US troops in Iraq make anywhere between $28,000-$40,000 annually, while Blackwater USA boys make the sum monthly, tax exempted.
They are the Fed Ex service of peace and stability as described by the man who established the company, Eric Prince. He also defines his firm as the most comprehensive professional military, law enforcement, security, peacekeeping and stability operations company in the world.
This company was established around 10 years ago, which is supposed to be good news. They were there in 2003, after the downfall of the Baathist regime on April 9, right?
So where were they when looters burnt down Iraqi ministries? Where were they when our infrastructure was devastated? Where were they when our museums were looted, because one thing is for sure, they were there very soon afterwards in Fallujah in 2004.
Next question
My next question was kindly answered by Mirembe Nantongo, a spokesperson from the US Embassy in Baghdad:
Under what law does Blackwater USA function in Iraq?
Nantongo said in his letter: "There are a range of cross-cutting jurisdictional, legal and regulation-related issues that potentially apply to the case at hand. The investigation we are pursuing in cooperation with our Iraqi government partners is intended to provide a clear set of facts. Once those facts are determined, the jurisdictional and legal issues can be accurately addressed."
He also sent me a statement by Tom Casey, Deputy Spokesman, US Department of State, about an Iraq-American joint Commission to investigate the issue.
But all this does not answer my question, which is actually simple and needs a simple answer.
The fact of the matter is, Paul Bremer has issued CPA Order no 17 which protects these guys from being court martialled.
President George W. Bush spoke at the South Asian Studies Organisation on April 10, 2006 marking the third anniversary of Iraqi freedom. On that memorable day, one student asked Bush: "The Uniform Code of Military Justice does not apply to Private Military Contractors in Iraq, I asked your Secretary of Defence Mr Rumsfeld what law governs their actions?"
To which Bush replies, half jokingly,: "I'm gonna ask him... help".
The student laughs with everyone else and goes on with her question: "I was hoping for a more specific answer here, Mr Rumsfeld said Iraq had its own domestic laws which he assumed applied to these PMCs, however, Iraq is clearly unable to enforce its laws, much less over our PMCs, I would surmise to you that in this case privatisation is not a solution. How do you propose to bring PMCs under a system of law?"
Bush smiles and says: "I was not kidding [needless to say the house went down with laughter] I'm a gonna pick up the phone - I am not dodging the question, it's very convenient, but I will really call him and ask."
Without a real set of laws, we will see more incidents, we will hear more stories, and we will one day know the whole story.
