Well, I have been doing a bit of research and found some information about dealing with companies that have mistreated you. I actually called the Department of Labor here in the US, and asked for suggestions on how employees and contractors can protect themselves or deal with wrongdoings. The DOL cannot protect you overseas. They can protect you here in the states, and the Fair Labor Standards Act applies.
For overseas, the companies that hire US citizens and Non-US citizens for work in Iraq and elsewhere need to contact the Department of State or US Embassies in that country your working in, if you have problems with your company. But I really do not have any faith in that process, because there are no laws that can protect you. But you can still file complaints and bring this stuff to the attention of those who should hear it.
The big one for me, is to exhaust all methods and use the shotgun technique with the idea that at least one of the methods will work.
And then there is always hiring a lawyer. But I tell you what, you go down that path, you have to have some serious coin and make sure your case is solid. The rule of thumb for legal stuff is findings of fact, and conclusions of law. Your damages must be absolutely solid, so read your contract thoroughly to see if in fact you were mistreated.
The other problem is conclusions of law. There are very little protections out there to fall back on. In the US, you have a better shot in a case, but once you go overseas, then you don’t have much to work with. I could be wrong, but you have to remember that these companies come packing with the best lawyers in the business, and small grievances and legal issues are very easy for them to sink.