Mercenaries Boom In Iraq

[moe.ron]

So I was talking to a few friends in the law enforcement and inteligence services here in SA. They were telling me about how they are tracking south africans mercenaries hired by the Coalition authority to provide security. They have also arrested a few of them upon returning home. A few of the mercenaries were Koevoet men. The Koevoet were the secret police in South Africa during the apartheid government era. The question for everybody, what do you feel about the involvement of mercenaries, many of whom violating the law of their homeland, in Iraq?

[DeltAlum]

You know how sometimes you can look right at a word, and then read it as something else?

I wondered whether they were blowing up German Luxury Cars in Iraq.

[Coramoor]

I'm not sure how different that is from hiring 'private' security from agencies here in the US.

[AlphaSigOU]

Big difference... these guys are taking the next step... soldiers for hire. Loyal to no one except the highest bidder who pays in cash. If I read moe.ron's post correctly, you can't hire yourself out as a mercenary in South Africa - if I recall correctly they had some really bad problems with 'em some years ago with one 'Mad Mike' Hoare, who was hired out to be the muscle for overthrowing the government of the Seychelles. He got caught before the plan could be put into action.

More info: http://www.encyclopedia4u.com/m/mike-hoare.html

[moe.ron]

Originally posted by AlphaSigOU
Big difference... these guys are taking the next step... soldiers for hire. Loyal to no one except the highest bidder who pays in cash. If I read moe.ron's post correctly, you can't hire yourself out as a mercenary in South Africa - if I recall correctly they had some really bad problems with 'em some years ago with one 'Mad Mike' Hoare, who was hired out to be the muscle for overthrowing the government of the Seychelles. He got caught before the plan could be put into action.

More info: http://www.encyclopedia4u.com/m/mike-hoare.html

Yup, I've also read the book "Dog of War." There was also some mercenaries that were arrested in Euiterial Guinea (sp?) and Zimbabwe. These guys were on their way, allegedly, to overthrow the Equiterial Guinea governments. From what I've herd, many of them were identified by the South African government. However, they did not violate any law when they left the country. So, the South African gave all the info to both countries and let them handle it.

Now, I've also herd that some of these "contractors" were also members of the Pinochete secret polices. I'm never a big fan of PMC because they answer to nobody. They are also illegal under international law and treaties. Another problem is that the PMC themselve has said that many of the mercenaries are comming in without proper training and many of the PMC are small and unprofessional.

However, I do believe that PMC is here to stay. Maybe there need to be a governing body to monitor PMC. What does everybody think?

[Rudey]

The military is heading more toward commercialism. When you can get paid a 6 figure salary to leave the Seals and work in Iraq, you'll take it. Who do you think was killed in Faluja?

I don't see the significance of this at all. Terrorists come from all over to fight "holy wars" and instead of currency, they're paid in spirituality. You have Afghanis fighting Chechen wars and it isn't limited to the religion when you see Irish terrorists collaborating with South American and Arab ones.

-Rudey

[moe.ron]

I don't have a problem with British and American mercenaries as they are violating the law. Instead, I do have a problem with mercenaries that are openly violating the laws of their home country. I also have a problem with the coalition authority that give out contracts to company that have full knowledge that they are violating the laws by hiring these dogs of wars.

So, to reiterate,:

(1) Some of the mercenaries are violating the law.
(2) The contractors hired the mercenaries that are violating the law.
(3) The Coalition Authority give out contractrs to the contractors that knows the mercenareis are violating the law
(4) Who do the CA or the Contractors answer to to be punished for violating the laws?