That responsibility falls entirely on the contractor

Speaking about the incident in Baghdad Tuesday when mercenaries for an Australian firm bodyguarding USAID employees fired 40 bullets into a car that failed to get out of the way fast enough – which is a terrible, terrible thing and I categorically deny ever having had fantasies exactly like it – State Dept spokesmodel Kurtis Cooper denied any responsibility, much less accountability, waving around a contract: “A.I.D. does not direct the security arrangements of its contractors. These groups are contractually responsible for the safety and security of their employees. That responsibility falls entirely on the contractor.” Yes, the contract says that the contractors are contractually responsible. From the Latin contractus, meaning, “Dude, you totally blew the shit out of that chariot.”