Private contractors outnumber U.S. troops in Iraq

[Will L]

The current troop level (including the recent troop buildup) is at 160,000 soldiers plus a few thousand civilian government employees stationed in Iraq. In comparison, the private contractor level is at 180,000, composed of 21,000 Americans, 43,000 foreign contractors and about 118,000 Iraqis — all employed in Iraq by U.S. tax dollars.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-na-private4jul04,0,5419234,full.story?coll=la-home-center