Irish Americans want the Bush administration to revoke a $293 million security deal given to a British firm in Iraq, citing the company head's former role in Northern Ireland, an Irish-American group said this evening.
The US-funded contract was awarded in May to London-based Aegis Defense Services, run by retired Lt-Col Tim Spicer, commanding officer of the Scots Guards in Belfast in 1992 when two of his soldiers killed teenager Peter McBride.
The Rev Sean McManus of the Irish National Caucus, a Washington-based lobbying and human rights group, said Irish Americans were enraged the deal went to Spicer, who played a controversial role in other conflict areas.
"He (Spicer) has a terrible record in Northern Ireland and yet despite this gets this contract. This is deeply offensive to the McBride family and to the rest of us," said Rev McManus.
Lt-Col Spicer had defended the actions of his two soldiers, who were convicted of the murder of 18-year-old McBride but were released early and allowed to rejoin their regiment.
"I am confident we will be able to block the contract," said rev McManus, adding it would become an issue in the November presidential election if the deal were not revoked.
Rev McManus said he wrote to President George W Bush about the issue and was lobbying other officials from his administration about the contract, which involves coordinating the work of thousands of private security contractors in Iraq.
In London, a spokeswoman for Aegis defended their work in Iraq and said any allegations against Lt-Col Spicer and the company were "absolute nonsense."
"What we have said throughout is that the contract was a public tender and the terms and conditions were vigorously applied, as you would expect from the U.S. government," said spokeswoman Ms Sara Pearson, declining further comment.