Regarding my post below about the presence of SLA thugs in Iraq, an American correspondent in Iraq wrote me this: "i've met quite a few who were out of the lebanese forces. some private security companies like hiring lebanese as middle level guys in the business, because they can speak english and are more 'western,' and hence better employees, but also speak arabic and deal with the iraqis. so they get paid more than iraqis and less than white people."