In September 2007, a convoy of armored vehicles carrying private security contractors employed by the firm then known as Blackwater USA approached a large traffic circle in Baghdad. Minutes later, 17 Iraqi civilians in that square were dead, and 24 others had been wounded. The sentencing this month of four Blackwater guards in the attack […]
Working with other U.S. Government agencies, the Department of Defense supports international efforts for regulation and oversight of PSCs. These efforts include the development and promotion of the Montreux Document on pertinent international legal obligations and good practices for States Related to operations of Private Military and Security Companies During Armed Conflict and promotion of the International […]
When asking about the role of private contractors in the so-called “War on Terror”, one has to be careful not to fall for the sensationalism which envelops much of the public debate on military outsourcing. This means keeping a focus on the structural and systematic rather than the individual, anecdotal evidence of contractor involvement in military […]
What is the state of self-regulatory initiatives in the private military and security industry? Private military and security companies (PMSCs) put forward a complex regulation of their own activities through Codes of Conduct (CoC), including best practices and ethics declarations initiated by firms, which aim to complement existing national and international rules. This chapter classifies […]
Mattis sees larger U.S. civilian presence in Syria WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Friday that he expected to see a larger U.S. civilian presence in Syria, including contractors and diplomats, as the fight against Islamic State militants nears its end and the focus turns toward rebuilding and ensuring the militants […]