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 […]
Although the United States isn’t a signatory to the U.N.’s “International Convention Against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries,” the employees of private military companies aren’t mercenaries. PMCs supply support services and personnel whose jobs range from aircraft repair to medical and humanitarian aid. They also provide security guards who have parlayed their […]
US Military Reveals Contractors Flew to the Rescue in Niger, but Little Else Details about an ambush in the West Africa country and what American personnel were doing there remain scant. Here's what we know. Additional details that have emerged regarding an ambush in southwest Niger that left four U.S. Army soldiers dead continue to prompt more […]