Bush: "I was going to ask him. Go ahead. (Laughter.) Help. (Laughter.)"
Student: "I was hoping your answer might be a little more specific. (Laughter.) Mr. Rumsfeld answered that Iraq has its own domestic laws which he assumed applied to those private military contractors. However, Iraq is clearly not currently capable of enforcing its laws, much less against -- over our American military contractors. I would submit to you that in this case, this is one case that privatization is not a solution. And, Mr. President, how do you propose to bring private military contractors under a system of law?"
Bush: "I appreciate that very much. I wasn't kidding -- (laughter.) I was going to -- I pick up the phone and say, Mr. Secretary, I've got an interesting question. (Laughter.) This is what delegation -- I don't mean to be dodging the question, although it's kind of convenient in this case, but never -- (laughter.) I really will -- I'm going to call the Secretary and say you brought up a very valid question, and what are we doing about it? That's how I work. I'm -- thanks. (Laughter.)"
It's difficult to go over this question and answer session without fuming and sputtering in outrage. We lefties progressives and blogger-types have known since mid-2003 that the lack of a clearly-defined legal status for contractors was a real problem in the winning of hearts & minds, that if the situation were reversed and the US were under foreign occupation, that Americans would be absolutely infuriated to learn there was no legal recourse in case something like the apparently unprovoked killing of American citizens by foreigners were to take place.
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