45 Iraqis, 3 US Soldiers Killed on July 3, 2007, Including 19 Executed by Death Squads

The Iraq News Agency (INA) reported that 43 Iraqis and 3 US soldiers were killed on July 3, 2007.

- Dr. Nihad Al-Rawi, from the Baghdad University was assassinated today for insisting on an investigation about who is responsible for the food poisoning in the University cafeteria. Earlier, 250 students were poisoned and many of them were taken to the hospital as a result. The Iraqi Parliament tried to investigate it without success. Militiamen killed Dr. Al-Rawi with 71 bullets.

- A US Hummer military vehicle and a US tank were attacked and destroyed in southwest of Baghdad.

- 18 Iraqis were killed, 36 were injured by a car bomb explosion in Al-Sha'ab neighborhood, in Baghdad.

- 3 US soldiers were killed, in addition to the five killed yesterday. Four were injured.

- A US helicopter OH-58D was downed south of Baghdad but the crew was rescued by other US helicopters.

- An Iraqi female janitor working in the Spanish Embassy and three of her family members were found dead.

The (US) Associated Press news agency (AP) reported no Iraqi or US war news today July 3, 2007.

The death toll for private contractors in the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has topped 1,000, a stark reminder of the risks run by civilians working with the military in roles previously held by soldiers.

A further 13,000 contractors have been wounded in the two separate wars led by the United States against enemies with hit-and-run tactics that drain conventional armies.

The casualty toll is based on figures the U.S. Department of Labor provided to Reuters in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act and on locally gathered data.

In Iraq, their number is estimated to be close to 130,000 -- not much less than the 157,000 U.S. troops presently deployed to the country. Their work ranges from driving fuel trucks, cooking meals and cleaning toilets to servicing advanced weapons systems and guarding senior U.S. officials.

The contractor death toll compares with 3,577 U.S. military deaths in Iraq and 342 in Afghanistan, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. That means that on average, since the two conflicts began in 2001 and 2003 respectively, one civilian contractor is killed for every four members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Despite the risks, there is no shortage of those wanting to work in the war zones, lured by high pay and, in some cases, a sense of adventure.

"There are more applicants than there are jobs," said Doug Brooks, president of the International Peace Operations Association, a trade group for more than 30 private security companies.

By some estimates, the number of private security companies in Iraq and Afghanistan has swollen to almost 300, both U.S. and foreign corporations. One of the richest contracts awarded since the U.S. invaded Iraq went to Aegis, a British firm involved in intelligence-gathering.

Contrary to common perceptions, the majority of civilian contractors in the war zones are not Americans - and foreigners have done most of the dying as the U.S. accelerated outsourcing functions previously performed by soldiers.

But at a Congressional hearing in May, Joseph McDermott, the Assistant Inspector General for Iraq, quoted Labor Department statistics as saying that of 900-plus contractors killed by the end of April, 224 were U.S. citizens.

Officials say the majority of contractors are Iraqis and people from developing countries as far apart as Chile and Nepal, Colombia and India, Fiji and El Salvador. Filipinos make up one of the largest single groups.

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