Baghdad: The work of private security firms turned into a hot topic of discussion after the second attack by an Australian security firm in Al Masbah neighbourhood in Baghdad and claimed the lives of two Iraqi women a few days ago.

The American Blackwater security firm had killed 17 Iraqis in a similar incident last month.

Information about the total number of individuals working for private security firms is inconsistent, Naseer Al Abadi, deputy Iraqi Army Chief of staff, told Gulf News. "The number of individuals working for security firms is more than the American troops in Iraq. Sources indicate that there are about 180,000 individuals who play a significant role in protecting diplomats and companies beside major buildings and securing supply convoys of American and multinational forces," he said.

Occupation forces

The Interior Ministry sources revealed that 20,000 individuals of security firms are affiliated to the British Defence and Foreign Affairs Ministries, as the Control Risk Groups, Armour Group and Heart Group, beside there are 70,000 individuals working for American private security companies related to the Ministry of Defence like Blackwater.

Ordinary Iraqi citizens call individuals working for the private security companies as second and larger occupation force after the American troops. Some Iraqis call them mercenaries and Mossad agents. However, what is interesting is the fortune they make from wars. Each one receives a salary ranging between $750 to $1,000 daily, according to estimates from officials at the Ministry of Interior.

Ghalib Al Hitti, Iraqi academic, told Gulf News: "I believe the Iraqi government, specifically the Shiite coalition, is very concerned about private security companies for they might assist in implementing a military coup against Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki. Al Maliki himself fears that former prime minister Eyad Allawi may use a security company to assassinate him or murder Shiite Coalition's prominent figures as a prelude to overthrowing the pro-Iran Shiite government. Therefore the campaign against private security companies is led by the Interior Ministry."

The average age of the security companies' employees is between 30 and 40 and they have combat skills because they were ex-military personnel involved in wars. Recently Iraqis have joined these companies for high salaries like the Heart Group which employed 220 Iraqis.

Awad Al Musawi, a member of Dawa Party led by Al Maliki, told Gulf News: "The Iraqi government's decision to handle the security companies' file aims at protecting Iraqi citizens lives. Besides there are some security situations which hint that personnel working for private security firms are involved in conducting them due to their alleged links to foreign intelligence agencies which seek to raise sectarianism among Iraqis."

UN probes rights issue

UN officials in Iraq said yesterday they will be looking into whether war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed in recent shootings of Iraqi civilians by US-hired contractors and urged US authorities to hold private security firms accountable for unjustified killings of Iraqis.

"For us, it's a human rights issue," said Ivana Vuco, a human rights officer with the UN Assistance Mission to Iraq. "We will monitor the allegations of killings by security contractors and look into whether or not crimes against humanity and war crimes have been committed." Saed Erekat, the UN mission spokesman, urged the US government to hold those involved in indiscriminate gunning down of Iraqis 'to the bar and prosecute them.'

AP