Civilian Workers Still Face Dangers in Iraq
June 29, 2012
Volatile security conditions have forced the State Department to continue to employ a large number of contractors to protect personnel in Iraq after the shift from a military to civilian-led mission, several senior federal officials told a House committee Thursday.
"It is accurate our personnel have security concerns," said Mara Rudman, U.S Agency for International Development assistant administrator for the bureau for the Middle East. Rudman spoke at a hearing before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's national security subcommittee. "The security environment in Iraq is improving but is still not a normal security environment."
The last American troops left Iraq in December, but the U.S. maintains a large presence in the country.