Civilians ID'd in abuse may face no charges
by Farah Stockman, Boston Globe Staff

A legal loophole could allow four American civilian contractors allegedly involved in the abuse of Iraqi prisoners to escape punishment, US military officials and specialists said yesterday.

"This is not something we have seen in previous wars," said Peter W. Singer, a fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of "Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry," referring to the use of civilian interrogators. Singer said the tendency to use private contractors for a wide variety of services -- instead of calling up more troops -- could pose serious legal problems for the US military.

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