Outsourcing war
The article many focuses on the role private military firms (PMFs) had in the United States overseas venture in Iraq. PMFs are private businesses that provide governments with professional services linked to warfare. They can perform tasks ranging from tactical military assistance, combat services, strategic advice, military training, and logistics, intelligence, and maintenance services. PMFs arose when, following the conclusion of the Cold War, many nations decided to downsize their military, and yet the growing instability of the world created a greater need for troops to intervene. According to the article the Pentagon has more than 3,000 PMF contracts, and 50 other countries around the world employ the services of various PMFs. "To get to Afghanistan, European troops relied on a Ukrainian firm that, under a contract worth $100 million, ferried them there in Soviet jets." There are more than 60 firms than employ more than 20,000 personnel.
There are many issues that are raised when PMFs are brought into international conflict. One us that the Pentagon does not count the number of casualties in PMFs because they are categorized as non-military casualties, further blurring the lines between civilian and soldier. Another issue is that "when contractors do military jobs, thy remain private businesses and thus fall outside the military chain of command and justice systems...PMFs retain choice over which contracts to take and can abandon or suspend operations for any reason, including if they become too dangerous or unprofitable." The U.S. military has little control over the actions of PMFs and often are left with the extra burden if the PMF abandons its post, putting more American lives in danger. There is also little to no regulation by the U.S. government on the recruitment, screening, and hiring of individuals or public military roles, because PMFs are private sector, and because PMFs are private sector, they can choose who to accept contracts for which includes dictatorships, rebel groups, drug cartels, and jihad groups.
However, PMFs for all the controversy that surrounds them, has become a necessary evil because they can accomplish what the military cannot do because of the political bureaucracy that surrounds anything controlled by the government. They can provide essential support to military objectives that allow them to achieve their missions successfully, and with a minimum number of casualties. The government needs to write new laws creating regulations and eliminating loop holes that PMFs can slip through to disregard accountability. PMFs and governments need to access their position in global conflict and set concrete regulations and sanctions to protect the U.S. military, PMF personnel and the general public.
Link to article in Foreign Affairs.
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2005-03-01/outsourcing-war
There are many issues that are raised when PMFs are brought into international conflict. One us that the Pentagon does not count the number of casualties in PMFs because they are categorized as non-military casualties, further blurring the lines between civilian and soldier. Another issue is that "when contractors do military jobs, thy remain private businesses and thus fall outside the military chain of command and justice systems...PMFs retain choice over which contracts to take and can abandon or suspend operations for any reason, including if they become too dangerous or unprofitable." The U.S. military has little control over the actions of PMFs and often are left with the extra burden if the PMF abandons its post, putting more American lives in danger. There is also little to no regulation by the U.S. government on the recruitment, screening, and hiring of individuals or public military roles, because PMFs are private sector, and because PMFs are private sector, they can choose who to accept contracts for which includes dictatorships, rebel groups, drug cartels, and jihad groups.
However, PMFs for all the controversy that surrounds them, has become a necessary evil because they can accomplish what the military cannot do because of the political bureaucracy that surrounds anything controlled by the government. They can provide essential support to military objectives that allow them to achieve their missions successfully, and with a minimum number of casualties. The government needs to write new laws creating regulations and eliminating loop holes that PMFs can slip through to disregard accountability. PMFs and governments need to access their position in global conflict and set concrete regulations and sanctions to protect the U.S. military, PMF personnel and the general public.
Link to article in Foreign Affairs.
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2005-03-01/outsourcing-war
