OT: Privatized War

[Puke]

are these not interesting times? I remember a few weeks ago, I had read that the four civilians killed and mutilated in Fallujah may have been mercenaries, as one of of them was wearing dog tags.

Then I read in a South African news paper that one of them was confirmed to have been a US "Security Contractor" that we had down there a few years back, assassinating people involved with the appartheid conflict. Cant remember which side of it we had him supporting though, but word has it that he was a rather brutal fellow.

And now I come accross this interesting litte read:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...r=emailarticle

20,000 mercenaries? Increasing to 30,000 as we withdraw conventional forces? Do a google search for Blackwater Security and take a look at their hireing requirements! I knew that we used "private contractors" but I didnt know that it happened on this scale!

Anyway, Im sure you folks have several thoughts on the matter. I think that I will refrain from voicing an opinion one way or the other, but I am interested in seeing what you all have to say.

[EvilGenius4ABetterTomorro]

When you train very hard year after year to be somesort of special operations badass, there's not much you are qualified to do when you leave the service. Some become mercenaries, others join U.N. peacekeepers or NGO's (I honestly don't know what that is) There are even some who re-enlist in the French Foreign Legion. Mercenaries do have their place and are often times better equipped and better trained then the regular armed service counterparts. I say sure go ahead and use 'em. But they better pick something better to drive than a Land Cruiser.

[sachmo]

It's a very interesting situation, because it doesn't seem that the media makes a distinction between a civilian and a mercenary. Here in America, we don't handle civilian deaths very well. But would we be as shocked and outraged if we learned that the civilian casualty was in fact an armed peacekeeper who was armed and went knowingly into harm's way, for money?

Please note that I am not saying that there have not been innocent civilians killed in Iraq, on either side, but I personally make a distinction between security forces and private citizens.

[capnq]

NGO = non-governmental organization, I think.

[EvilGenius4ABetterTomorro]

Yeah, even though we all know their mercenaries now the media still says "civilian contractors". I also wonder why those Japanese civilians were there. Do I need to put quotes around civilian? Were they just being stupid? Were they putting pee pee in our Cokes?

[AMF]

Well, the Japanese do an awful lot of NGO stuff - aid work, mostly. And, given that they have few if any "security" type consultants in Japan, I suspect they're just the run of the mill aid worker types.

Originally posted by EvilGenius4ABetterTomorro:
Yeah, even though we all know their mercenaries now the media still says "civilian contractors". I also wonder why those Japanese civilians were there. Do I need to put quotes around civilian? Were they just being stupid? Were they putting pee pee in our Cokes?