Private Military Peace-Keepers?

[FRO]

Just got me new issue of the Walrus (a Canadian news magazine) and it has an article about a new initiative to use PMCs as peace-keepers. The company that is pushing for this is called "Global Peace and Security Partnership." The full article is on-line here (http://www.walrusmagazine.com/article.pl?sid=04/04/27/1912249&tid=1).

Personally, I figure it's a pretty good idea with a few major wrinkles to iron out.

Take care all.

[usa320]

A good idea indeed. A force of well paid, highly trained former cops and soldiers would make a good force, which could be used for peace keeping, while military forces can be used elsewhere in hot zones.

[incubz5]

It's a great idea and one I'm fascinated by but the caveat here is this: You get what you pay for.

Richard Marcinko, the legendary, infamous founder of the legendary, infamous SEAL Team Six writes toward the end of his autobiography, Rogue Warrior, that:

As to what's ahead, I'd always joked about taking SEAL Team Six commercial. "You Call, I Haul." KATN, Inc- Kisck Ass Take Names Incorporated.

It's not so farfetched. The U.S. government has guildines that ordain assassination unacceptable as national policy. It has rules, which say that hostile targets, such as chemical-war plants, nuclear facilities and weapons, can only be hit during bona fide military strikes. But what happens when a superpower such as the United States is faced with a Muammar Qaddafi, a Manuel Noriega, or a Saddam Hussein?

The Israelis have the ability to launch preempitive SpecWar strikes against specific targets, as they did when a combined Mossad-Israeli Army commando unit assassinated the PLO's number two terrorist, Abu Jihad, at his home in Tunis in April 1988. The United States, however, has always been reluctant to wage similar shadow wars against its enemies.

One way for the U.S. to strike back and still retain plausible deniablility would be to subcontract its covert hits. So, instead of launching a complicated, costly, major military operation against Muhammar Qaddafi, for example, let Demo ****'s KATN, Inc. do the job instead. Just call 1-800-SEAL R US.

Think about it. I have friends, now retired from the SEAL Team Six, who can fly anything from a Cessna to a 737 to an HH-53H. I have myh own intelligence network. I can get hold of specialized equipment. All of those elements are easily recreated outside the military framework. Personnel is no problem either: the hardest chore would be selecting the few who'd make my final cut.