They're able to escape prison because the contracts for the private companies in Iraq include a provision that the companies can't be sued or prosecuted for their actions or the actions of their employees. It's outrageous, and though the Iraqi government (for instance) wants Blackwater out and contracts changed, our government won't let them. (More proof that we're not really interested in setting up a sovereign government in Iraq, just a branch office of the U.S. government.)

And unfortunately, KBR, Blackwater, Halliburton and the like won't have any problem filling jobs there--most people don't pay attention to the news or to these stories.

Let's hope Congress gets its act together and pressures Bush and Cheney to change the terms of the contracts--it REALLY looks bad for the White House to condone gang rapes and disallow prosecution, and I can't imagine any way to spin it so it looks better. Maybe McCain will weigh in--anyone know how he voted on the bill?