NEW IRAQ ALLEGATIONS POINT TO DANGERS OF PRIVATE SECURITY COMPANIES The Iraqi Minister of the Interior has accused private security companies of being mixed up in Iraq’s dirty war. Speaking to the BBC about the increase in death squad activities and kidnapping, Bayan Jabr ’implicated the involvement of about 30,000 civilian security guards operating in Iraq.’ BBC news 12/04/06 British companies’ major involvement in Iraq’s private security forces was set out in Corporate Watch’s recent report Corporate Carve-up. Dozens of companies, many led and staffed by ex-British army officers, are being used by UK and US governments and corporations. Our report flagged up the potential dangers of such large forces in Iraq, unregulated and privately run. However, this is one of the first times that we have heard direct accusations that private security personnel may have been involved in undercover operations in Iraq. Loukas Christodoulou, the main author of the report says ’British security companies such as Aegis are doing very well in war-torn Iraq. However, there remain grave doubts as to the effect that these companies are having on the conflict. By hiring large numbers of ex-military men for their protection, UK diplomats and corporations could be adding fuel to the kidnappings and assassinations that are destabilising Iraq.’