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Special Reports // 1 decade ago

U.S. mulls Iran strike systems for Israel

Israel has apparently asked the United States for bunker buster bombs and tanker aircraft that would be used in an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Special Reports // 1 decade ago

Dogs of War: Two little words

How much argument can there be over the definition of two words? A lot, it turns out, if those two words are "inherently governmental" and if they appear in federal documents defining what functions U.S. agencies cannot contract out to the private sector.

Special Reports // 1 decade ago

Dogs of War: The Holy Grail, part four

LOGCAP is the Holy Grail of the private military contracting industry.

Special Reports // 1 decade ago

Dogs of War: Back to Africa

Where does the future lie for the private military industry? Those who watch the industry closely have noted it tends to migrate periodically. In the beginning, mirroring human evolution, the industry emerged in Africa, and now it is returning there in a big way.

Defense News // 1 decade ago

Atomic Market: What Benazir knew

A new book confirms what has to be one of the more unusual exchanges of nuclear information outside of outright spying and helps explain how Pakistani nuclear weapons knowledge made its way to North Korea.

Special Reports // 1 decade ago

Dogs of War: Defense Base Act revisited

My earlier column on mandatory employee insurance for defense contractors under the Defense Base Act stirred up a bit of a hornets' nest. As this is a complex issue, I think it is worth revisiting, especially in light of a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the issue last week chaired by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif.

Special Reports // 1 decade ago

Dogs of War: Blackwater, Najaf -- Take Two

One aspect of private military and security contractors that is relatively ignored is their relationship with regular military forces. Such discussion, as there is, is generally limited to sound bites about the reported envy that soldiers have for allegedly better paid security contractors.

Special Reports // 1 decade ago

Dogs of War: Inherently governmental?

Amid all the polemics over the use of private military and security contractors by the U.S. government there are two words one rarely sees, but they lie at the very heart of the debate: "inherently governmental."

Special Reports // 1 decade ago

Dogs of War: Insurance? What insurance?

Life in Iraq for private military contractors is dangerous. If they get killed their dependents in theory get insurance but there will be no letters from a military commander of the president, commending them for their service to the country. No chaplain shows up at their door to offer consolation.

Special Reports // 1 decade ago

Dogs of War: Cost-effective: Myth or fact?

If you've heard it once, you've heard it countless times: Governments and corporations turn to private military contractors because it is more cost-effective than using regular military forces. But is it true?

Quotes

It is time to recognize that today's (private military companies) are far different from the ad hoc organizations of the past. As experts such as Professor Herb Howe of Georgetown University have noted, many of today's companies exhibit a distinct corporate nature and a desire for good public relations. The companies' goal of obtaining contracts encourages them to control their employees' actions. Private firms have a large pool of qualified applicants due to worldwide political realignments and defense cutbacks since 1989 ... One thing is clear: The need for security from the private sector is going to increase dramatically. And PMCs are going to fulfill that need
Analysis: Private armies- II Jul 18, 2002

The only question is how best to address concerns about accountability, threats to a nation's sovereignty (i.e., usurping the state's prerogative of having a monopoly on violence), having a vested interest in perpetuating a conflict, violating human rights or acting as government proxies. The consensus opinion is that this is best accomplished through regulation
Analysis: Private armies- II Jul 18, 2002