Baghdad meets the Wild West  Private security contractors in
Iraq operate in an environment where violence, alcohol and
inexperience are rife     • The Guardian,     • Jump to comments
()  The arrest of a British contractor in the Baghdad Green Zone
for the murder two of his colleagues has once again shone a
spotlight on the behaviour of private security companies working
in Iraq. Here "Sharkey", a private security contractor who has
spent much of the past six years in Iraq, describes his
experiences and the changing nature of the industry.  Baghdad's
Green Zone compounds are a lot like the Wild West; often
volatile, foreboding places, where disparate groups of men and
personalities are thrown together and expected to get along.
They are mini-forts behind concrete walls, with many of the
trappings of western life, including alcohol. There are guys
operating under stress there and others who simply shouldn't be
there in the first place.  Add to that the overall environment
in which they are operating. Iraq is