Activists want mercenaries regulated

[bemildred]

LONDON - A humanitarian group called Monday for government regulation of private security companies in combat zones, saying "mercenaries" often operate with impunity in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The London-based War on Want delivered a list of recommended regulations for the private security industry to Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, calling for increased scrutiny of allegations of human rights abuses by private security staff.

The demand comes as a conference of British defense firms working in Iraq and Afghanistan was set to open Monday in London.

Both the British government and private security companies agree that regulation is needed. But the companies say an independent ombudsman — rather than government regulation — would be more effective.

Yahoo

[BushOut06]

1. Why not an international BAN on mercenary groups?

Seriously, how did it ever come to this? This sounds like stuff you would read in some RW war-fantasy novel, not what you would expect to see in the real world. Kill-for-profit?

[htuttle]

2. There has been one in the works, since 1989

The International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries.
http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/FULL/530?OpenDocument

But there hasn't been much headway getting it signed and ratified among UN member states.
http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/27a/062.html

Only 16 nations have signed and ratified it (Azerbaijan, Barbados, Belarus, Cameroon, Cyprus, Georgia, Italy, Maldives, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Suriname, Togo, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan) and 10 more states have signed it, but not ratified it yet (Angola, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Germany, Morocco, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Uruguay and Yugoslavia). Note the complete absence of all of the permanent members of the Security Council.

http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/WebSign?ReadForm&id=530&ps=P
http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/WebSign?ReadForm&id=530&ps=S

[Vidar]

6. Too true, but we're living in Bush & Cheney's fantasy world.

Impeachment & punishment of the criminals is about the only way back.

[The2ndWheel]

7. Seriously?

I think mercenaries are as old as war.

"Kill-for-profit?"

Is that a real question?

[BushOut06]

11. True, but still...

I know there have been mercenary groups for quite some time. But corporate mercenary groups?

[The2ndWheel]

12. If corporations had been around longer

they would have been doing it the whole time. A King rounds up a few guys to do some killing, a CEO establishes a company that provides guys to do some killing. The only difference today is that it's under the umbrella of capitalism. Just providing a service.

[Kagemusha]

3. If Iraq had a functioning government, mercenaries would be regulated

It doesn't, so they aren't.

[maddezmom]

4. Why not both gov't regulations with independent followup?

K&R

[saigon68]

5. These Thugs and Hoodlums are approved at the highest levels

Including a corrupt military who lets these monsters operate with

"THE GLOVES OFF"

[ima_sinnic]

8. they were sent into NOLA after Katrina

...who knows how many U.S. citizens were killed by mercenaries then? The press was not allowed in, if you will recall, but witnesses said they saw men with black ski masks and all kinds of weapons. BushCo used NOLA as a practice exercise for their fantasy of eliminating us.

[hughee99]

10. Seriously? n/t

[magellan]

9. Security firms 'abusing Iraqis' (UK)

Private security firms operating in Iraq are committing human rights abuses, a charity has claimed.

A report by War on Want says no prosecutions have been brought despite hundreds of complaints of abuse.

snip...

Lt Col Tim Spicer, whose Aegis security firm operates in Iraq, said they worked under "very strict rules" and could be prosecuted if they did anything wrong.

'Huge profits'

War on Want claims UK ministers are increasingly using private security firms with a total of 48,000 employees in Iraq - six to every British soldier.

John Hilary, the group's campaigns and policy director, said the Iraq war "has allowed British mercenaries to reap huge profits".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6097372.stm

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