by David Phinney

May 31, 2005 — This just in. Several sources confirm that the Marines outside Fallujah arrested 16 American security contractors and two Iraqis on Saturday. They were held until today. The contractors were working convoy security for Zapata Engineering and were accused of shooting their weapons.

“There were security concerns,” said a spokeswoman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which awarded Zapata a one-year contract worth $32.5 million to help dispose of captured munitions.

Who the alleged targets of the shooting were, if any, remains blurry. All were treated as prisoners, put into orange jumpsuits, blindfolded, exposed to snarling dogs and photographed according to sources. The FBI is investigating and at least some of the 16 Americans are on their way back to the United States.

No charges were filed against the contractors, according to the Army Corps spokeswoman. Zapata is not talking.