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Archived Articles
State Sovereignty and Private Security Companies
2006
Back to Current Articles | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 Census Counts 100,000 Contractors In Iraq (December 5, 2006)
According to a US military census, 100,000 US-government contractors currently operate in Iraq including US citizens, Iraqis and other third-party nationals. This Washington Post article reveals the Pentagon’s growing reliance on contractors to provide services such as security, interrogation and maintenance to the armed forces. Yet, the lack of coordination between the military and contractors raises legal and ethical questions about the presence of civilians on the battlefield, with reports of contractors and US troops engaging in “friendly fire.”Private Military/Security Companies "Acknowledge Humanitarian Law Obligations" (November 27, 2006)
As nations increasingly outsource military tasks to private military companies (PMC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is concerned about questions of command responsibility and accountability for violations of international humanitarian law. Since 2004 the ICRC has worked with private military and security companies to educate them about the necessity of complying with the laws of war, and reminds them that the responsibility of educating and training PMC lies primarily with the company itself and the states who hire them.US Accused of Covert Operations in Somalia (September 10, 2006)
This article in the Observer details how US-based private military companies (PMCs) planned covert military operations inside Somalia in support of President Abdullahi Yusuf's transitional federal government and against the Supreme Islamic Courts Council which currently controls the capital Mogadishu. The article states that correspondence between the PMCs suggests the involvement of the US Central Intelligence Agency. Such foreign involvement in Somalia would violate the UN arms embargo, the author affirms.Iraq Contractors Make Billions on the Front Line (June 13, 2006)
An unprecedented “outsourcing of conflict” has produced a large market for private contractors in Iraq. Lucrative US government contracts go to firms that provide security for US projects and personnel – jobs that in previous conflicts have been done by the military. Issues surround how far these private contractors should go, what authority they have and who should police them. (CNN)These Guns for Hire (May 22, 2006)
As this New York Times op-ed points out, private military contractors offer an “attractive” solution to numerous government and corporate security concerns. Whether contributing to the “endless campaign against global terrorism,” helping to deflect public disapproval of the war in Iraq, or protecting transnational corporations in “remote and hostile” settings, private forces offer a more “efficient” and politically tractable alternative to standing government armies. Yet the growing role of military and security contractors in armed conflicts – representing a free market response to security challenges – prompts serious questions over transparency, legitimacy, and legal accountability.Blood Is Thicker than Blackwater (May 8, 2006)
The private security firm Blackwater gained notoriety following the death of four Blackwater contractors in Fallujah in 2004. As this article from The Nation points out, private security companies in Iraq have received billions of dollars in government contracts, while facing “zero liability” for their actions. In the case of Blackwater, company officials deliberately withheld protections to its staff in order to boost profits and demonstrate increased “efficiency,” thereby securing further contracts. This arrangement has worked well for both the Bush administration, which has outsourced key elements of the ongoing occupation, and the highly profitable security firms, despite the deaths of several hundred security contractors (and thousands of Iraqi civilians) since the US-led invasion.Iraq Struggles With Rise of Guns-For-Hire (May 7, 2006)
In Iraq, private security contractors contribute to various aspects of the US military occupation by guarding coalition bases, protecting US officials, training Iraqi security forces and interrogating detainees. The rise in the numbers of these “guns-for-hire” has contributed to abuse, lawlessness and a lack of coordination. These problems have prompted a flurry of attempts to better regulate an industry that is expanding rapidly around the world. (Associated Press)Iraq Occupation Makes Possible Record Profits for British Private Military Contractor (February 28, 2006)
Thanks to Pentagon defense contracts, the British firm Aegis Defence Services announced record profits in 2005 and a 100-fold increase in turnover since the US-led invasion of Iraq. Private military companies (PMCs) such as Aegis have played an unprecedented role in the occupation, with over 25,000 contractors – the second largest force behind the US military – operating in Iraq. Annual PMC contracts in Iraq range from US$10 - 100 billion. (World Socialist Web Site)
2005
Back to Current Articles | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 Private Security Guards Operate With Little Supervision (December 4, 2005)
Thousands of heavily armed private contractors work in Iraq, often with little supervision or regulatory oversight. Functioning in a “legal grey area,” private contractors have immunity from the Iraqi judicial system and rarely face prosecution in their home courts when they commit crimes. Though many contractors are professionally trained, the recklessness of some complicates reconstruction efforts and deepens Iraqi resentment of the US-led occupation. With $733 million in contracts, private security contractors represent a significant component of Iraq’s reconstruction. (Los Angeles Times)America's Unsung War Dead (November 30, 2005)
While the US public and media widely discussed the 2000th military death in Iraq, casualties from the “other [US] army” receive little attention. As of November 14, 2005, 280 private military contractors have been killed in Iraq. Though they operate largely outside of the public’s view, private military companies play a significant role in the Iraq war, with roughly 20,000 contractors and $1 billion in contracts. (Asia Times)
2004
Back to Current Articles | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 Important Role Seen for Private Firms in African Peacekeeping (October 15, 2004)
At a US Congressional hearing, members of the House Africa Subcommittee discussed the role of private military contractors in African peacekeeping operations. While some Congress members are uncomfortable with the idea, Subcommittee Chairman Ed Royce supports the work of PMCs, arguing that they can help "to bring stability to Africa" by providing alternative security arrangements when weak states are incapable. (Washington File)Line Increasingly Blurred Between Soldiers and Civilian Contractors (May 13, 2004)
Private military contractors play an integral role in the US occupation of Iraq. Numbering in the tens of thoudands, contractors rival non-US coalition forces in size and amount to ten percent of US personnel in Iraq. As the Washington Post points out, the current development of the private military security sector is potentially very dangerous, as it blurs the line between actual combatants and civilian contractors, and both become viable targets of attack. (Washington Post)
2003
Back to Current Articles | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 Modern-Day Mercenaries (December 9, 2003)
Profit maximizing is the main concern of private corporations, and leaving them unregulated could cause social strife. Similiarly, unregulated military companies could foster conflicts. YaleGlobal asserts that military companies need regulation, as they are seldom morally driven.The Enron Pentagon (October 19, 2003)
Using the Iraq war as an example, P.W. Singer of the Brookings Institution discusses the privatization of war and its theoretical and practical ramifications. The privatization of war, he argues, represents a dangerous "interface between business and government." (Boston Globe)
2002
Back to Current Articles | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 Dogs of War into Doves of Peace (November 11, 2002)
Mercenaries played an instrumental role in various coups, civil wars, and military conflicts throughout Africa during the post-colonial period. As private military contractors increasingly engage in peacekeeping operations and conflict resolution, many hope to wash themselves free of the negative connotation of the word “mercenary.” As the BBC points out, whether a mercenary or a private military contractor, many of these "hired guns" continue to fuel instability by engaging in violent conflicts.Private Military Companies: Options for Regulation (February 12, 2002)
The Green Paper by the UK’s Foreign Office analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of private military companies (PMC). A strong and reputable PMC might enhance the UN’s capability to respond rapidly and effectively in a crisis. Yet are we really ready to “privatize peace”? (Foreign and Commonwealth Office)
