“Your article on “Contracting Out the War in Iraq” [SA34] was of great interest to me. Contractors are not a completely new development. They are but the present day expression of mercenary troops. Contractors, mercenaries, Paid Scabs, Foreign Legion; their names change and their job description changes but their basic nature remains the same. They have serious defects, serious problems, as all hit men have.

They must be paid and paid highly and they cannot be controlled in the same way as the regular army. The Democrats must keep funding them or they leave and leave quickly.” - Joe