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Editorial

We’ll probably never know exactly what happened Sept. 16, when private security contractors protecting a State Department convoy in Baghdad opened fire.

The Iraqis say the guards, employees of Blackwater USA, killed at least eight innocent civilians. The State Department, while unsure of what happened, says it is confident the guards acted appropriately.

A transparent investigation is promised. Don’t bet on it. Almost nothing is transparent about the hired guns employed by the Defense and State departments. They won’t say how many private security guards they employ, how many have been killed or wounded, or whether any have been charged with wrongdoing.

Blackwater USA describes itself as a private military company. Its employees are almost all hired from the military and conduct what amount to military missions.

But while outsourcing rear-echelon mess hall and mechanic jobs makes some sense, outsourcing gun-toting diplomacy is another story. Security forces who come in contact with foreign civilians are de facto representatives of the U.S. Such jobs should be left to those who wear the nation’s uniform, are sworn to defend its Constitution — and are held legally accountable under U.S. military law if they misbehave.

Blackwater and other security firms don’t fit the bill. They are out of reach of Iraqi justice and also remain out of reach of U.S. law for actions committed against Iraqis in Iraq, because the Pentagon has yet to assert its authority.

With their long hair and exotic weapons, the private security guards may think they look cool. But to the rest of the world, especially Iraqis and Afghans, they can appear to be lawless thugs.

It’s time to rein in the cowboys.