An Australian owned Dubaibased security company is under investigation by the Iraqi Government after its guards shot dead two Iraqi women in central Baghdad.
Unity Resources Group, based in Deira, has been operating in Iraq since 2004 and said Tuesday's deaths of a taxi driver and her passenger were a tragic incident.
Michael Priddin, Unity's chief operating officer, said in a statement: "We deeply regret this incident and will continue to pass on further information when the facts have been verified and the necessary people and authorities notified." However, the firm did not comment on whether it will continue to operate in Iraq.
It is the second time in a month that civilians have been killed by a security firm in Iraq, with private provider Blackwater under investigation after its guards opened fire and killed 17 people in west Baghdad on September 16.
While Blackwater is an American company, Unity Resources Group is an Australian-owned company based in Dubai that provides armed guards and security training throughout Iraq.
Unity's armed teams are special-forces veterans from Australia, the US, New Zealand and the UK.
In this week's incident, an Oldsmobile taxi carrying three people in the backseat was fired on as it entered the Masbah Intersection in Karradah. Two of the passengers survived the attack but were wounded.
One policeman said he collected 19 shell casings fired by the security guards.
Mirembe Nantongo, spokesperson for the US Embassy in Baghdad, told Emirates Today that Unity Resources Group was employed by the United States Agency for International Development, an arm of the US Federal Government.
"It has responsibility for its own security and we are very much in the background on this one," she added.
"Obviously this is an issue we take extremely seriously in general and we are taking a good look at procedures along with the Iraqis." Nantongo pointed out that an Iraqi-US committee met for the first time on Sunday and is reviewing the findings of the Blackwater incident.
The panel reviewing the State Department's security practices in Iraq, headed by Ambassador Patrick Kennedy, has already had recommendations from US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that all security convoys must be fitted with cameras and always be accompanied by a diplomatic security agent.
Alan MacMillan, who works for Secure Plus in Dubai, which deals with property and manned guarding, has previously worked for Olive Group which delivers security in high risk environments and has spent eight months as a soldier for the British Army in Iraq.
He said: "Private security firms are really wide ranging. For example, Blackwater is linked to the United States Government and they deliver private security to diplomats.
"Other groups such as Olive Group and Armor Group will provide armed security for multinational companies, which have to move about sometimes carrying millions of dollars of equipment.
By Adrian Murphy
© Emirates Today 2007
