Sen. Kaufman Introduces Bill to Hold American Contractors Overseas Accountable Under U.S. Law

[babylonsister]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/49926

Sen. Kaufman Introduces Bill to Hold American Contractors Overseas Accountable Under U.S. Law
Submitted by davidswanson on Sat, 2010-02-06 15:01.

Kaufman says bill will emphasize America’s “commitment to justice and the rule of law”
Source.


WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-Del.) introduced legislation today to ensure accountability under U.S. law for American contractors and employees working abroad. The Civilian Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (CEJA) will close a gap in current law to make certain that American government employees and contractors are not immune from prosecution for crimes committed overseas.

“As we have seen in recent years, the failure to address serious criminal conduct by American contractors working abroad has undermined our counterinsurgency efforts and strained our diplomatic ties,” Sen. Kaufman said. “This bill, by providing federal law enforcement the tools necessary to arrest and prosecute the wrongdoers, will establish needed accountability and further empha the United States’ commitment to justice and the rule of law.”

Sen. Kaufman, a member of the Judiciary Committee, noted recent examples that further highlighted the need for this legislation: the violent rape of Jamie Leigh Jones, a contractor with Halliburton, while stationed in Iraq, and the killing of unarmed civilians in Baghdad by private security contractors with Blackwater.

The proposed legislation creates no new substantive offenses, but rather allows the government to prosecute government contractors and employees for certain serious crimes. The legislation expands on the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA), which provides similar criminal jurisdiction over Department of Defense (DoD) employees and contractors but does not clearly apply to U.S. contractors working overseas for other federal agencies, such as the Department of State.

The Civilian Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act will:

• Direct the Justice Department to create new investigative units to examine, arrest and prosecute contractors and employees who commit serious crimes.

• Allow the Attorney General to authorize federal agents to arrest alleged offenders outside of the United States, if there is probable cause that an employee or contractor has committed a crime.

• Require the Attorney General to report annually to Congress the number of offenses received, investigated and prosecuted under the statute; the number, location, and deployments of the newly created investigative units; and any changes needed in the law to make it more effective.

[librechik]

1. Did he ask President Shelby if that's ok? cuz otherwise, it won't even get a hearing

[jwirr]

2. And while we are at it let's do audits of their books. This is ridiculous.

No bid contracts, no audits to see where our money is used and no rule of law. A fine way to do business.

[babylonsister]

3. Yep, let's do! nt

[pleah]

4. K&R