Private security contractors in the War on Terrorism: Men of honor or dogs of war?

摘要

The end of the Cold War and ascendance of Globalization were the catalysts that allowed the transformation of mercenaries into Private Security Corporations (PSCs). This transformation of lone rogue warriors into legitimate corporations specializing in the market of force would have a dramatic and long lasting effect on modern warfare. PSCs, being an integral part of the legitimate use of force by sovereign states, must have mechanisms in place to ensure moral and ethic safeguards, and adherence to international law. Likewise, the Global War on Terrorism ushered in a new era of reliance on PSCs to bridge the security gaps created by a smaller military force being stretched too thin. PSCs were the logical stop gap solution. While they were awarded lucrative contracts, little thought was given to oversight of actions by PSCs and their employees. This failure and the lack of legislative or executive branch regulation in a dynamic situation has been much more reactive than proactive, and created a "Wild West" perception that the government has taken remedial steps to correct. Reliance on PSCs are moving them toward becoming a permanent fixture in the government, thus much more work needs to be done in the area of transparency, oversight, and ability to prosecute violations of law, to ensure proper use of force in the execution of our foreign policy.