WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Security contractors in Iraq use some over-the-top tactics and overreact at times, a top U.S. general in Iraq said Friday.



Members of a private security company prepare the way for a U.S. convoy in Baghdad, Iraq.



Many in Iraq have witnessed security contractors operating in a questionable fashion, said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson, chief of staff for the Multi-National Corps in Iraq.



"I can certainly say I've seen them do some tactics that I thought were over the top. But that's something we've got to keep working out," Anderson said in a briefing to Pentagon reporters via teleconference from Iraq.



His comments soon after Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he wants closer oversight of Pentagon contractors in Iraq. Gates has dispatched a team there to review accountability and oversight.



Anderson did not offer specific examples of incidents he had seen.



He agreed security contractors in Iraq have taken a lot of criticism, but he said they are in a tough position.



"They obviously have a tough job to do in a tough environment. I don't know if they're overly aggressive. I think the question becomes what rules do they follow with respect to what the rules of engagement are," he said.



The actions of private security contractors have come under scrutiny since a Baghdad shooting incident earlier this month.



Iraqi authorities say Blackwater guards fired indiscriminately, killing as many as 20 civilians; Blackwater says its employees responded properly to an insurgent attack on a convoy.



Under an order laid down by the U.S.-led occupation government in 2004, security contractors are not subject to Iraqi law for actions taken within their contracts, a condition that irritates Iraqi officials.



About 137,000 civilians are working for the U.S. military in Iraq, Gates said Wednesday. That number includes at least 7,300 of the estimated 25,000 private security contractors working in Iraq, he said.



After the Blackwater shootings, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England issued a memo to commanders in Iraq outlining their responsibility for holding contractors accountable, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said.



Anderson said the assessment team sent by Gates is getting a feel for how the military employs contractors, to what scale, what functions they're providing and what differentiates between Department of Defense and Department of State contractors in the security role.



The State Department also is investigating the role of private security contractors. Ambassador Patrick Kennedy, a management and policy expert, will lead the effort, along with a high-level panel of outside experts, including retired Gen. George Joulwan, former commander of NATO forces in Europe; Stapleton Roy, former U.S. ambassador to China; and Eric Boswell, a former assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security.



Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wants an interim report by next Friday.  E-mail to a friend
Which group has overreacted? Who says  says he's seen private security contractors overreact  ? Who does the defense secretary say he wants closer oversight of in Iraq? Who wants closer oversight of contractors? What does Blackwater say? Who overreacted ?
Security contractors in Iraq U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson, Pentagon contractors Defense Secretary Robert Gates its employees responded properly to an insurgent attack on a convoy. Security contractors in Iraq
question: Which group has overreacted?, answer: Security contractors in Iraq | question: Who says  says he's seen private security contractors overreact  ?, answer: U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Anderson, | question: Who does the defense secretary say he wants closer oversight of in Iraq?, answer: Pentagon contractors | question: Who wants closer oversight of contractors?, answer: Defense Secretary Robert Gates | question: What does Blackwater say?, answer: its employees responded properly to an insurgent attack on a convoy. | question: Who overreacted ?, answer: Security contractors in Iraq