Private Army Firms And Security Contractors

[manuel]

Hi friends, I have just discovered a documentary about private army firms and security contractors firms..mercenaries.

The army occupation in foreign countries (which is what so-called investing in peace) is not only done by nation military forces, but mercenaries.

Assets protection services and offshore corporation strategies are performed by well trained civilians.

You have a gun, you are hired..

Lets talk about the oil refineries, Chevron Texaco, Repsol, Total...Who do you think protects those shipments, and provides security to staff and employees? When a company is operating in a hostil enviroment (or non friendly country) mercenaries are just there.

Mercenaries call themselves security contractors. Armed to the teeth they are not cheap either.

If you are doing business in a hostil environment and you dont want to get your head cutted off from your shoulders or being kidnapped hire one of them, better two..If you can pay them...

Does anybody know further about these forces? I would like to hear something about this...I am not going to buy that documentary, but if you are interested go to shadowcompanythemovie.com and take a look.

BTW, I am not in any way affiliated to this.

Regards,

A copy/paste from the site:

While exploring the increasingly blurred lines between soldier and mercenary in modern warfare, one thing became very clear to Shadow Company’s filmmakers: The rules of war have changed.

Privatization is reshaping the face of conflicts around the world. The modern US Army cannot go to war without soldiers for hire, and the need for them is unlikely to go away any time soon. If anything, the role of private military contractors will likely get more critical. It’s imperative that citizens understand the true cost of operating this way. Without the right legal framework and more open business practices, this trend toward military privatization could have dire implications for all of us:

“The size and scope of the private military contingent in Iraq also cut to the heart of the most troubling questions about the Bush administration's handling of the war. They point up the administration's inadequate planning and preparation, its lack of transparency about the war's financial and human cost, and its sense of denial about whether it put enough American troops on the ground to accomplish the task handed to them. The hiring of such a large private force and the ensuing casualties that it has taken outside of public awareness and discussion have served as a novel means for displacing some of the political costs of the war. Even more troubling, the growth of such an ad hoc market arrangement, lying outside the chain of command, makes an already tough mission even more difficult, and risks lives on both the troop and contractor side.”

- Warriors for hire in Iraq, by P.W. Singer (April 15 2004, Salon.com)

With over $100 billion in annual revenues and 70000 employees in Iraq alone, the private military industry is booming, yet few civilians know anything about it. It’s time we all started asking the question: What are we really risking by allowing profit-motivated corporations into the business of war?

[Dani]

I have the movie for some time.

i now many people that are soldiers for hire tru Omega group.

I think its a jobb like any other..

[Bansenshukai]

I have the movie for some time.

i now many people that are soldiers for hire tru Omega group.

I think its a jobb like any other..

I totally agree. The name "mercenary" lends so much more in the way of pre-conceived notions, however. I personally know quite a few members of such organizations and I believe that they fill a gap that neither military nor law enforcement can adequately fill in the service of private corporations operating in an "in extremis" environment.

While many people believe that these private security contractors are all former special operations personnel, this is not always the case. Of course, there are some firms that hire almost exclusively from that lot of personnel. The vast majority, however, maintain not-too-stringent requirements with a "have-gun-will-travel" methodology for hiring. As a result, you can have a security detail composed of a few former special operations personnel, a couple of retired police officers and some guys with only corporate security experience. Also, it is important to understand that "special operations" is a relative term that is directly proportional to the military capability of that former soldier's country of origin. For instance, I have known "special operators" from foreign countries that would not stand-up against a vehicle maintenance platoon from the 101st Airborne Division. A large number of these private security companies don't always hire former US/BR/AUS special operations personnel. In many countries, "special operations units" can be much more heavy-handed and crude than any light infantry organization in the conventional forces of the afore-mentioned countries. For them, clearing a room might involve tossing-in a fragmentation grenade and spraying with an automatic weapon. Therefore, they might not be the subtle, precise, "smooth" operators we might expect. You get some of these guys in a firefight, in an urban environment, with civilians around and you might have a very [censored]-off populace after the subsequent funerals are finished. And, it's not that this would not happen with military units. The difference is that military units usually prepare for secondary and tertiary effects when they conduct an operation - this is a normal part of operational planning. It's hard, however, to plan for contingencies when organizations outside of the military unit's sphere of direct influence conduct their own "operations" within the military's area of operations.

For the military commander these private security companies can become a headache as they certainly have the ability to "shape" the operational environment while not being directly accountable to the commander of the area of operations they work in. So, while both parties try to coordinate for the betterment of all involved, sometimes the "contract" takes priority over the military objective and the private security employees execute was is most profitable for their employer and not necessarily the military commander. Also, security considerations might preclude the military contingent from sharing the most critical aspects of a campaign plan, or strategy, for the same reason an FBI agent might not inform a private security guard how he's conducting a major investigation. It's an uneasy partnership. But, I'm of the belief that these private entities do - in the end - allow the military to free itself from a great deal of ancillary tasks in order to concentrate on the more critical operational and tactical situation at hand.

In the end, this type of employment is not for everyone. In many cases the money is quite significant for the short period of time one is exposed per each contract (weeks, or months). But, a great majority of these companies do not have much in the way of benefits (medical, dental, etc.) and cannot guarantee continued employment. The industry itself - especially for the really expensive (read "specially skilled") personnel - hinges on "word-of-mouth" and reputation. After a few contracts, a person begins to network and, if seen as a reliable and professional team member, begins to work more often. Also, one will not always risk his life for what most of us might consider "a worthy cause". I believe that the ill-fated Blackwater security contractors killed in Fallujah died protecting kitchen supplies. So, in the end, one must have his personal affairs in order and understand the true cause for which one is "fighting" - namely, one's own financial future and, ultimately, one's life. "De Oppresso Liber!"

Edited November 26, 2006 by Nouns Defions

[ryyannon]

@Nous Defions:

thanks for your well-informed and well-written response....

[Watchmeister]

Over the years I have encountered private armies hired by corporations. Although I have no idea of their role in true war situations, they play an important (and beneficial) role in many situations. As examples in my work as an international banker type (and I use that description loosely ) one corporate client who developed one of the larger oil fields and pipelines in Columbia had a security force much larger than the local military or rebels. Without it that resource would never have been developed. I have come upon similar situations in the Phillipines and in certain African countries. Without those forces there would be no infrastructure or natural resource development in many countries. And those "evil" foreign corporations when they act properly provide a lot of local employment as well as government revenue. Now if it is a corrupt government...

[Bansenshukai]

Over the years I have encountered private armies hired by corporations. Although I have no idea of their role in true war situations, they play an important (and beneficial) role in many situations. As examples in my work as an international banker type (and I use that description loosely ) one corporate client who developed one of the larger oil fields and pipelines in Columbia had a security force much larger than the local military or rebels. Without it that resource would never have been developed. I have come upon similar situations in the Phillipines and in certain African countries. Without those forces there would be no infrastructure or natural resource development in many countries. And those "evil" foreign corporations when they act properly provide a lot of local employment as well as government revenue. Now if it is a corrupt government...

Sounds like Arauca and Saravena... am I right? Boy, I've been neck-deep in them woods.

PS - Thanks alot, ryyannon! I'm glad to know at least something on this board. Typically, I'm just sitting here and learning from you guys.

[Watchmeister]

Not familiar with those two. Cuisiana, Copiagua and Ocensa Pipeline in Columbia. Phillipines - several different islands with significant DNC issues. Congo - the whole place is scary from a business person's perspective. The independent contractors are critical to investment in these and many other places.

[manuel]

I see you guys know this issue very well.

Very interesting information, I am sill reading it...

[manuel]

@Nouns Defions:

Thanks for this long and explanative answer. I really find it very interesting.

You really know about the operational and working scheme of these companies.

Terror and assasination is a very profitable business for the insurgents in the occupied countries because they have someone to blackmail, starting with the foreingn army forces operating in thier country.

Now let me explain:

You know, coallition countries put soldiers there, but this soldiers have a family too, and if a soldier gets hurted or killed, this families can be a true pain in the ass at the time of elections right?

Plus add the fact that we people are usually pacifist and that most of us are against the war itself...

So when a soldier gets killed, we people will start to blame the government for its acts.

I think insurgents are very aware of this situation. I think insurgents understand that we have a higher concept of life than theirs and they get profit from this situation.

Time ago, pictures of spanish soldiers in Afghanistan arranging payments of tons and tons of dollars from Credit Suisse were published in the press. Payments were for local leaders and insurgent army leaders of Afghanistan who had power and influence over insurgents. This way the spanish army avoided being attacked during its stay and pacified the insurgents.

I am sure however this scheme was alredy done by other countries there involved.

This scheme helps to keep the bad guys up and running.

Peace means no money to them, War means tons and tons of money.

The characteristics of these private security companies are quite interesting too, they have the ability to shape the environment and they are not accountable to the commander of that area and that their contract objectives go beyond than the military objectives. I think that your example about the interaction of these two subjects is very well pictured.

I see that these companies may hire other roles rather than special operations personnel.

I think those roles may be more interesting since their functions are different than the expected.

You are right about choosing the right people to operate, and that sometimes they are not the smooth operators one can imagine.

I like the idea to work for a worthy cause, i think this words made me understand that perhaps this may be a job like any other, but that not everybody can apply for it. I myself wouldnt do that, and despite I understand that nowadays threads can be as dangerous and painful as death, I still prefer to battle in the sweet contingence of ones deliberations.

@kruzer:

Aint Columbia in the US? Why would somebody need a private army then?

I think US aint a hostile environment like middle east or Africa. Am I wrong?

I think that if you are in one of that lonely and non developed countries, a Litigation & Dispute Resolution Company is as important as a private security company. You know these governments are filthy and cruent pirates.

Very interesting job yours kruzer, I want to be like you someday

@ryanonon:

Indeed! We should thanks to Nouns defions for this long and explanative post. I liked it very much.

@dani:

Should I buy that movie?

[Chicken Manny]

As Nouns Defions states there are a wide range of contractor profiles. You hire security experts for high value targets and armed bodies for more general targets. Many of these men are very highly trained and extremely proficient in dealing with a wide range of 'events'. Asymmetric warfare requires different tactics and a rapid operational tempo. Just like in the corporate environment you place the right person for each job. It would be very difficult to make a blanket statement about 'contractors' because there is such a wide range of roles. I served with some of the best private operators serving and I can tell you they are true professionals and their services are of great value to their clients.

Anyway, just my two cents.

Cheers!