Child Soldiers Reloaded: The Privatisation of War
How private companies recruit former child soldiers for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Private military companies have become significant players in conflicts around the world (Al Jazeera)
01 May 2017 15:52 GMT
From opportunistic guns for hire on the fringe of domestic conflicts to a global force operating within a multibillion-dollar industry - the private military sector seems to be flourishing.
As armies and war increasingly become 'outsourced', private military companies have taken on a wider increasing range of responsibilities, from security and intelligence analysis to training and combat roles.
"The private military industry is a part of how the countries fight wars today ... The US government doesn't track the number of contractors used in places like Iraq or Afghanistan. We know it's a lot, we don't know exactly how many," says Sean McFate, a professor at Georgetown University who used to work for a private military company.
The employees of these contractors can come from anywhere, and sometimes those leading the missions don't know exactly who is working for them.
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/specialseries/2017/04/child-soldiers-reloaded-privatisation-war-170424204852514.html
47:39 video at link. Graphic.