Jared Polis for Congress

The United States’ use of private contractors to provide security in and around Baghdad is pervasive and extremely risky, a candidate for Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District said Friday.

Jared Polis spoke in a conference call from Amman, Jordan, having just returned from three days in Iraq.

He said he saw many checkpoints being guarded by soldiers-for-hire from countries like Peru and Chile. By outsourcing military work to private companies, which in turn hire soldiers from around the world, the Unites States is inadvertently training armed forces which could rebel or otherwise cause trouble, Polis said.

“I think those private militias should be banned,” Polis said. “I think we should pass a law that no corporation should be allowed to operate a militia.”

He also said he was disappointed there was so little news about mercenaries in Iraq, and he urged Coloradans to keep pressure on the media for more in-depth reporting.

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