In Iraq, the Pentagon and US embassy are said to have reached a deal governing the activities of Blackwater and other private military firms. According to the New York Times, the agreement focuses on boosting security coordination with military command and providing further guidelines on when private guards can open fire. But the agreement takes no steps to address whether private military contractors can be held accountable for their actions. Government officials remain mute on whether Blackwater and other private military contractors can be prosecuted for shootings, such as the September killing of seventeen Iraqi civilians in Baghdad. Contractors are currently immune from Iraqi courts under a US-imposed law.