Mercenaries taking heavy casualties in Iraq

Private security companies (i.e. mercenaries), have played a major role in the Iraq war. An article in the Washington Post yesterday describes their widening involvement and the resulting increase in under-reported or un-reported casualties.

From the Washington Post

BAGHDAD -- Private security companies, funded by billions of dollars in U.S. military and State Department contracts, are fighting insurgents on a widening scale in Iraq, enduring daily attacks, returning fire and taking hundreds of casualties that have been underreported and sometimes concealed, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials and company representatives.

A partial list of contractor casualties is maintained here by Coalition casualty Count.