Pentagon Sees One Authority Over Guards.

The article reports that U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has urged that the approximately 10,000 armed security contract personnel employed by the U.S. in Iraq should be brought under the supervision of a single authority, preferably the armed forces. Gates believes this will eliminate abuses such as the shooting deaths of 11 Iraqis by employees of Blackwater USA. The State Department, which employs Blackwater to guard its employees, opposes Gates' proposal.