The most interesting aspect of the American media reporting about Fallujah murders of 4 Americans this week, was the insistence amongst the Pentagon and White House reporters that the victims were "private security contractors".

What they really are is paid mercenaries. Why not more discussion of the fact that the number of paid American (most of them former military) mercenaries in Iraq far exceeds the number of British troops there.

So, why no public discussion about this aspect of the "new military"? The US funded mercenary/paramilitary forces in Iraq apparently don't have to live with same constraints that the official military does, so that is probably one major reason why the US military is now relying more on the Guard and a paid mercenary paramilitary force, than it is it's own military forces.

Is it cheaper to use a for-hire mercenary paramilitary force? When did this shadow military take over so much of the job from the regular military? Anyone know much about this?