Civilian Contractor as a Euphemism

[nq:1]It appears that, with the death of the four "civilian contractors" in Iraq yesterday, a new euphemism has been born. They were probably mercenaries in American employ. And now we have another spiral of revenge in the Middle East. Simon R. Hughes[/nq]

From an AP story at

http://apnews.mywa

Thus spake Maria Conlon:
[nq:1]So, I guess this makes them "mercenaries," and that must make the treatment they received from Fallujans okay.[/nq]
Except the 10 year-old kid who ground his heel into the charred head of one of the mercenaries, telling Dubya to take notice, I haven't heard of anyone at all saying that the killing of the men was OK.
I began this thread on a point of Engli

[nq:1]Thus spake Maria Conlon:[/nq]
[nq:2]So, I guess this makes them "mercenaries," and that must make the treatment they received from Fallujans okay.[/nq]
[nq:1]Except the 10 year-old kid who ground his heel into the charred head of one of the mercenaries, telling Dubya ... all saying that the killing of the men was OK. I began this thread on a point of English usage.[/nq]
Okay, let

[nq:1]Is "mercenary" used as anything but a negative term? Was it ever a "job title"? That is, were "mercenaries" ever ... "soldier of fortune" but I'm not sure that's the same thing (when applied to a person rather than a game).[/nq]
How about condottieri?

[nq:1]Except the 10 year-old kid who ground his heel into the charred head of one of the mercenaries, telling Dubya to take notice,[/nq]
Ah, so it was a political gesture.

[nq:1]It appears that, with the death of the four "civilian contractors" in Iraq yesterday, a new euphemism has been born. They were probably mercenaries in American employ.[/nq]
This probability is not universal. For example
some Canadian military cooks are no longer
trained soldiers but civilian contractors, e.g.
in Afghanistan. It is supposed to be cheaper
and the Canadian A

[nq:1]Is "mercenary" used as anything but a negative term? Was it ever a "job title"? That is, were "mercenaries" ever officially called "mercanaries" by the military or government outfit that hired them? I[/nq]
Wasn't it Kipling who wrote an ironic Epitaph
for an Army of Mercenaries, meaning the
ordinary British troops of his day (before WW1) ?

Don Phillipson
Carls

[nq:1]It appears that, with the death of the four "civilian contractors" in Iraq yesterday, a new euphemism has been born. They were probably mercenaries in American employ. And now we have another spiral of revenge in the Middle East.[/nq]
And a planeload of civilian contractors were arrested in Zimbabwe a few weeks ago.

Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa

[nq:1]It appears that, with the death of the four "civilian contractors" in Iraq yesterday, a new euphemism has been born. They were probably mercenaries in American employ. And now we have another spiral of revenge in the Middle East.[/nq]
The four civilians were employees of Blackwater Security Consulting and were working in Iraq as security guards for food convoys.

[nq:2]Thus spake Maria Conlon: Except the 10 year-old kid who ... I began this thread on a point of English usage.[/nq]
[nq:1]Okay, let's discuss it. I think the term "civilian contractor" has been used for a while by the military to ... "soldier of fortune" but I'm not sure that's the same thing (when applied to a person rather than a game).[/nq]
The papal guard in the Vatican?
I thou