UN labels private security forces as mercenaries

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Malaysia Sun

A United Nations report has criticised private security companies which operate without accountability in war zones, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

A five-member UN panel, set up two years ago, carried out investigations in countries including Chile, Fiji and Peru, where many contracted guards in Iraq and Afghanistan are from.

There has been a growing demand for former police and military personnel to work in dangerous countries, which give de facto legal immunity to private military and security company personnel.

Many of the private security companies have contracts with the Pentagon or U.S State Department in Afghanistan and Iraq.


Read more: http://story.malaysiasun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/b8de8e630faf3631/id/298005/cs/1/

[Why Syzygy]

1. Well that's a no brainer. n/t

[redqueen]

2. It's sad that simply stating something so obvious is news.

*sigh*

[Barrett808]

6. "In a time of universal deception..." yada yada yada n/t

[Lone_Star_Dem]

7. This means that they fall under international convention laws now

The International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries, to be exact.

Which is weak at best, but at least it's some type of international law.

[peacetalksforall]

3. Yes, General Rice to the rescue. Her own little army, speaks Spanish, too.

Soon, we will be seeing the Africans that George suggested a while back.

[msongs]

4. war profiteers - our "troops" make $100/day and blackwaters $1000 a day for the same duties

war profiteers from the cheney fan club's industrial complex rake it in, completely unaccountable for their actions, while our soldiers are fully accountable and make nothing. The US military is in fact acting as a security guard company for the profiteers.

Sad that the population is unaware of this or chooses to ignore it.

Msongs
www.myspace.com/msongsmusic

[SpiralHawk]

5. "Who cares what the UN thinks?" - Commander AWOL

"And who the hell cares what you think, you noisy proles* you. Just shut up and sit down. I have an occult cabal of republicon homelanders in place to take care of trouble makers like you.

"And always remember: Big BushCo Homelander, Inc. loves you."

- Commander AWOL



* Proles - formerly known as either human beings or citizens of the United States of America.

[The Blue Flower]

8. At least it's official now

Now that they've declared them to be officially mercenaries, they can start to be dealt with according to law.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

12. That's correct and exactly the point of their being officially labeled as mercenaries.

:thumbsup:

[Doctor_J]

9. Did they also label grass as a plant and ice as frozen water?

:eyes:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

15. There are legal ramifications to this ruling

While I understand it appears painfully obvious, it's actually quite difficult to attach the label of mercenary legally under the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries.

[sasquatch]

10. So we can start calling them mercenaries now w/out getting sued

[ShortnFiery]

11. Mercenaries: Useless and dangerous; valiant before friends; and cowardly before enemies.

Mercenaries and auxiliaries are useless and dangerous; and if one holds his state based on these arms, he will stand neither firm nor safe; for they are disunited, ambitious and without discipline, unfaithful, valiant before friends, cowardly before enemies; they have neither the fear of God nor fidelity to men, and destruction is deferred only so long as the attack is; for in peace one is robbed by them, and in war by the enemy. The fact is, they have no other attraction or reason for keeping the field than a trifle of stipend, which is not sufficient to make them willing to die for you. They are ready enough to be your soldiers whilst you do not make war, but if war comes they take themselves off or run from the foe; which I should have little trouble to prove, for the ruin of Italy has been caused by nothing else than by resting all her hopes for many years on mercenaries, and although they formerly made some display and appeared valiant amongst themselves, yet when the foreigners came they showed what they were.
... by Niccoló Machiavelli

[John Q. Citizen]

13. Somebody tell PBS, CBS, NBC, and ABC. They prefer the euphemism to the truth.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

14. I'm wondering if this will even be mentioned in the US

I won't be surprised if it isn't.