Our fourth Iraq casualty
By LUKE McILVEEN
April 22, 2005

A SECURITY security contractor, 34, who spent 10 years serving in the regular army is the fourth Australian to be killed in Iraq.

The NSW man was gunned down in a small-arms ambush on a convoy on the road to Baghdad international airport on Wednesday.

Two other foreign nationals were killed in the attack on Wednesday.

The ex-army mercenary was working as a security officer with UK firm Edinburgh Risk and Security Management, guarding a businessman client, when insurgents in a four-wheel-drive pulled up alongside his vehicle and opened fire.

The Baghdad airport road is notorious for shootings and car bombings. One of the foreign nationals died instantly, the from his wounds.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said yesterday: "It's a sad situation but it does remind us that I think it's quite obvious that the risks of working in Baghdad are high."

The victim was discharged from the army in 1996 and was one of about 100 Australians who chased highly paid security work in Iraq.

Mercenaries can earn up to $9000 a week putting their lives on the line for corporations with huge contracts to re-build Iraq.

Heavily armed and well-trained, many have military experience and risk their lives ferrying their employers around Baghdad.

A Department of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman declined to name the man, whose relatives have been told.

The Australian consul-general is helping to organise the repatriation of the man's remains to Australia.

He's the fourth Australian casualty.

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