MERCENARIES UNBOUND

Private military services are big business. Currently, there are hundreds of firms that generate over $100 b a year in revenue (about 1/4 of the entire US military budget, and if taken in aggregate the second largest military in the world) and is growing at many times the rate of the DoD (Department of Defense).

PMCs (private military corporations) are central to the US effort in Iraq. With between 15,000 PMC (Update: 20,000) mercenaries in Iraq, they represent the second largest allied military force in theater. They are also used extensively in hot spots across the world (over 50 countries). Given this widespread use, large size, and the sensitive nature of their services; it is surprising that the industry is relatively free of regulation. P.W. Singer (author of Corporate Warriors), wrote an essay on the law and PMCs called, "War, Profits, and the Vacuum of Law: Private Military Firms and International Law" (PDF). In the essay he provides a concise overview of the current laws that relate to PMCs:

• There is little local control. All but few states have few statutes that even recognize PMC's exist. If a nation puts too much pressure on a firm, it can simply shop nations for a permissive environment in which to base (example: Executive Outcomes). In fact, all the mechanisms typically used multi-nationals to avoid taxation or labor/environmental regulations are available to PMCs to avoid oversight. For those states in which PMCs typically operate, the legal structures and political environments are too weak to challenge PMC usage and practices (case in point is the bad behavior of Dyncorp employees in Bosnia).
• There are few international controls. International conventions/laws propose a restrictive test for mercenary status (which is easy to circumvent via legal means). Further, the corporate nature of current mercenary efforts makes legal action against individual employees doubtful, particulary when the corporation is sanctioned by a state (corporations working in Iraq are sanctioned by the US State Department). Singer sums it up: "The general result is that, contrary to common belief, a total ban on mercenaries does not exist in international law. More importantly, the existing laws do not adequately deal with the full variety of private military actors. That is, they are specifically aimed at only the individuals working against national governments or politically recognized movements of national liberation."

Over the long-run, there will be a regulatory regime to regulate PMCs. The most likely location for an oversight body will be in the UN (which will determine whether a PMC is sanctioned or not according to conventions). Additionally, enforcement will likely be done by national governments in support of the world court. This improvements to the existing control system will likely consist of:

• Standards of conduct and quality. This will require audits.
• Rules for the treatment of PMC employees if captured. A Geneva convention for UN sanctioned PMCs is in order.
• Rules on when PMCs may be employed. This difficult subject will require substantial negotiation by all parties.
  

Until these rules are adopted and enforced globally, there is the potential of severe problems. These include:

• The trial and execution of PMC employees for war crimes (they are not protected by the Geneva conventions). This is very likely to occur in Iraq.
• Gross misconduct by untrained, unqualified PMC personnel in a war zone.
• The establishment and operation of PMCs that operate against the international community of nations.

Comments

[Watching Them, Watching Us]

All 20,000 mercenaries cannot be ex-special forces VIP bodyguards can they ?

Who is paying for these merceneries and why ?
Surely it is cheaper to have sufficient regular military forces in place ?

What happens when the Coalition employed mercenaries come into conflict with Al-Quaeda employed mercenaries ?

If these PMC mercenaries are not part of the formal military command and intelligence structures, will they suffer more ambushes and "Friendly Fire" than regular troops? Will they be more likely to commit atrocities or war crimes ?

Do the Kurdish forces in the North of Iraq count as Coalition allies or as mercenaries ?

[Scott Trow]

Let's be realistic the Western countries (I'M originally European) have or shall we say are forgetting the art of war. People die in war that's why we have soldiers to kill our enermies.
Current Political pandering seems to treat confilct as an polling exercise. We need strong fair and decent leadership who believe and are not afraid to act in the nations interests.

PMC's will boom, why because they wont be American or British flags on the dead bodies, they will be faceless corporations who do not need public votes to stay in business.

I foresee PMC's being used overtly and covertly in the war on Terror far more in the coming years,how about this for a 'situation", PMC's are fed intelligence on a Terror hide out the battles rage for a week in the jungles of Indonesia, 100-200 PMC "employees" dead, after much bloodshed the battle is won, Coalotion Forces fly in to stake the victory on CNN, call me foolish but are we so far from this already (Iraq)?

[brian williston]

Do you have a job listing for mercs.How does one get started in this field?

[Rocky Estridge]

recruit me.

[Travis Henderson]

I want to know how to get recruited as a Mercenary? Will somebody please contact me to recruit me? Howdo I get recruited?
globalguerillas.com

[Tony Lauret]

I'll like to know how do for to be recruited in Irak.
will somebody contact me for a job?

[Eugene]

Ex-south african military 1996 to 1990 operational Africa

[David]

I am an ex-Australian recon sniper, I am looking for extra work. Im willing to travel to almost anywhere, though I would like to work along side coalition forces. At this stage working in Iraq or Afghanistan would be suitable. I would appreciate hearing from any legitimate companies or Government organisations who would believe they could use my services.
If I dont get any job offers, I will be looking for other suitable members who would be willing to help set up a business organisation in a similar field in order to help fight against Terrorism etc.

[MECENARY X]

HEY AUSTRALIAN ..... look for a magazine called soldier of fortune i heard about from a nam vet ..they list the govt's that need ur type rite now ...good luck

[nathan meyer]

Get on the internet. Look for a company called Black Water USA’s website. They are run by ex-Navy SEALs and have operational contracts all over the near/middle east. Experienced military/law enforcement were being offered 1000-dollars a day for the first 60-day contract. They prefer special-ops experience or something like Marine embassy guard, ect. However they are recruiting very heavily at the moment do to an upsurge in contracts.

I was accepted to the second stage (being vetted for passport and security clearance) and my experience was straight air assault and mechanized infantry, with a short TDY as a Cavalry Scout. I did deploy to several border bolstering missions as the Wall came down in Europe and also guarded some nuke sites. Nothing wrong with this kind of experience, certainly qualified me to ride shotgun on supply convoys or baby site oil wells. However my training didn’t even rise to the “Ranger” entry-level of special-ops that you might think would be the bare minimum for employment. If you have a true special ops background you will probably make even more money working for a Brown or Halliburton. I think it is a waste of time to apply to these companies for something other than Iraqi janitor or truck driver unless you are ex-spec ops.

Black Water USA got some press for having 4 of their workers murdered in (I think) Fallujah. I think this reflects on the situation and not the company. Unfortunately this happened during my application process and the wife had visions of our two sons (4 and 2) having a video of their father being beheaded floating around on the internet for the rest of their life and came out very strongly against me going despite the money. Others might not be in the same position, so good luck.

[Simon Gregory]

Ex British parachute regiment soldier after mercenary work will take anything, so anyone recruting or anyone with any relevant info please get in contact. cheers

[Donald Riles]

I want to know how can i be recruited as a mercenary. i may not be an ex special forces or any thing but i am excellent at hand to hand combat and can shoot pretty well so contact me at sgtslim85@aol.com or my cell (915) 227-3162

[h. rubins]

I need some help understanding this. Mercenaries are an accepted part of the coalition in Iraq, right? So why is it that foreign combatants, siding with the Taliban in Afghanistan or the old regime in Iraq - which had no proven connection with Al quaida - are condemned as terrorists... Even if they did only fight within Afghanistan or Iraq. Could someone explain to me, why one is an 'unlawful combatant' and the other a 'Mercenary'? Justice really is blind!!!

[nathan]

Foreign fighters working for a government for pay would be mercenaries, true enough. You don’t seem truly up set (as “justice is blind” comment) by the fact that westerners paint a broad stroke in calling both an enemy paid $300 bucks to plant a road side explosive device or the guy who paid him terrorist. Rather you seem to be equating western democracies as being no different than the Taliban or Saddam because they both use paid retainers to accomplish tasks. Both sides use weapons as well, are you suggesting they are identical or even similar in motivation, outcome or causation because of this? Hey the Nazi’s bombed London and we bombed Berlin--all the same?

[j]

For work as a merc go to Blackwater's home page.

[J-S]

i want to know if it's an obligation to have a military formation to be recruit by a PMC. I'm under 18 years old but a have a short formation in assault rifle like C7A2 and C8 and martial art but i never follow the military recruit camp of my contry.i'm really interested by this type of carrer but i don't know HOW could i be recruit by this type of company?

sorry for my englsih i'm french canadian i don't have the opportunities to practice them

[HELLENIC WARRIOR]

HELLENIC WARRIOR.

TO FIGHT FOR THE SAKE OF MONEY OR THE SAKE OF YOUR OWN SICK MINDED PLEASURE WILL BRING YOU NO GLORY IN THE GATES OF HEAVEN. IN THE GREEK ORTHODOX BIBLE IT SAYS, A SOLDIER FIGHTING FOR HIS COUNTRY AND PEOPLE THAT KILLS OR WOUNDS HIS ENEMY SHALL BE FORGIVEN IN THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT, ITS CALLED E-BIDO E-BIDAS. TO ALL YOU WANABE SOLDIERS OUT THERE, KILL A MAN FOR THE GLORRY OF WEALTH IS JUST A CURSE ON YOUR SOUL, NO DIFFERENT THAN A KILLER IN THE STREET, THAT IS IF YOU HAVE THE BALLS TO DO SO.
I'VE READ SO MUCH BULLSHIT ON THIS SITE THAT I HAVE ONE ADVICE,STAY WITH YOUR DAY WORK AND BE HAPPY AND PEACEFUL AND LET THE FIGHTING BE MADE BY TRUE PATRIOT WARRIORS,AS ALWAYS MAY PEACE PREVAIL IN THIS UNCERTAIN WORLD.

P.S I WAS O.Y.K A SPECIAL FORCES UNIT FOR 8 YEARS IN GREECE I'VE RESENTLY RETIRED FROM THE COMPANY AND BELIEVE PEACE AND HARMONY IS BEST, MAY GOD BE WITH YOU ALL AND BRING A TRUE GOOD SPIRIT IN YOU ALL.

MONO LAVE STIN TURKIA.

[Baldrick]

Stick to your Rambo movies guys, and by the way, Tony Lauret, you might want to learn to spell the country your day dreaming of going to.

[Kevan Boddy]

Just interested in your work.

[shockwave]

require recuitment.

[Gerhard]

Welcome to the future. Just in case someone out there was snoozing and missed it, Iraq is not the first instance of civilian operators working a paramilitary role. Not including the DEA/CIA sponsored drug wars in South America, American corporations have a long tradition of employing "private armies" to protect thier overseas investments. Who do you think has really been providing security for the oil companies in the former Soviet Republics? What about mining companies in South West Africa? Since the early 1990's, there has been a flood of "unemployed" military personnel who after serving 10 or 15 years in the US military, discovered they no longer had a retirement pension to look forward to, or the pay sucked so bad a job at Wal-Mart looked good. The US had active duty military personnel in the early to mid 1990's on welfare because of pay and benefit cuts. The jet jocks in the USAF could always bag a job flying commercial airlines for triple the wages that Uncle Sam could offer. So why be shocked or appalled when the ground pounders do the same thing? This is the realities of the world we now live in. No more Soviet Union to threaten our existance. We dismantle missiles, destroy silos, decommission ships, but what do we do with the soldiers who are now out of work?

[jack daniel rautio]

let me know if you need someone,i'm 46 done my time years ago.check out my 201 files.something to do.my home address is 2710 birchwoood dr. orange park,fla. 32210. 904 269 8817 .ss#263-63-3231.

[Brandon]

Mercenaries are the best tool to use! In the military politics takes charge over mission, thats why we lost Vietnam too much political bull s**t comes into play. Also there have always been Mercenaries and will always be Mercenaries weather you know about is or not, so stop fighting it. The CIA used Mercenaries during the Cuban Missile Crisis called Alpha 66. We need Mercenaries to work out side the political spectrum and win wars that the "political military" cannot!

[ted sre]

i have a son who just went back to that hell hole called IRAQ i would love to get trained by someone and go over their and fight along side the brave troops we have their now can anyone help me out i'm serious about this

[TheShadowKnows]

I'm a new infantry recruit in the U.S. Army and I've recently learned about all these mercenary companies like Executive Outcomes and the like and was wondering if anyone who reads this who knows more than I do about this sort of thing could tell me how one would apply to work for one of these companies and how much a mercenary gets paid and what is the very mininum training one of those companies might expect. As I said I'm not exactly a vet, but I'm going to Iraq soon and maybe Afganistan and I want to take that experience and use it.