The US government is also asking security companies in Iraq to develop a detailed ethics policy and training program by late December, said a US security manager in Baghdad.
"The government of Iraq is asking for more and more requirements from security companies," the security manager said. "This is a healthy sign. It shows that we are stabilizing the environment and that the government of Iraq is taking control."
But the new requirements, including visas and blood tests for all private security guards who enter Iraq, were creating frustration and some confusion among company managers in Iraq because there were no clear guidelines on how to fulfill them, the security manager said.
"Show me a document on how to get a visa: step 1, step 2," the manager said. "The military doesn't know. You ask them these things, and you get a shrug."
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