US use of "soldiers of fortune"

[Husar]

I wonder how good the photos are that they can make with those Polaroid sunglasses...
Eh I mean the opening post does indeed seem a bit biased to me and a link instead of some book recommendation would be very nice, otherwise, as has been said, this can be spun to anyone's agenda.
In my opinion being a mercenary does not make someone evil by itself, some of them are paid to protect certain buildings inside Baghdad, if we ignore the bigger guns, what makes them so different from a security guard in a bank or a policeman guarding a protest? Yeah, there are probably evil mercenaries out there but then there are also evil kings so doesn't it bother you that sweden has a king?

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

If the mercenaries are as or more cost effective than regular troops, I see no reason why they should not be used on the battlefield to supplement forces, or to be used to free American soldiers for use elsewhere.

[Koga No Goshi]

If the mercenaries are as or more cost effective than regular troops, I see no reason why they should not be used on the battlefield to supplement forces, or to be used to free American soldiers for use elsewhere.

They're only more cost effective because Blackwater lets the U.S. military do the initial training at taxpayer expense, and then pocket/brain-drains vets into private Blackwater service.

While we have a recruitment shortage and argue over troop benefits...

and wonder why there are morale problems..

[CrossLOPER]

If the mercenaries are as or more cost effective than regular troops, I see no reason why they should not be used on the battlefield to supplement forces, or to be used to free American soldiers for use elsewhere.

That's not the argument.

[Kadagar_AV]

KukriKhan, troops can murder just like anyone else.

In this particular case you are correct though, "slaughtered" would probably be a better word, as I am sure not all deaths were pure murders, very few in comparison to be exact.

But as I former trooper, I mus say that I on the contrary know there is a thin line between sanctioned kill and outright murder. If you feel threatened, you tend to shoot first and think later, meaning a lot of unneeded happens in each and every war. Specially if teh combatants dont share a language.


PanzerJaeger, very constructive.


papewaio, Indeed. As I said, murders are quite common in wars.



Husar, wrong word there... tehee...

I gave you a link in my OP. But a quick google search will give you tons of information, what I included was the wiki page of Blackwater.

I don't see how lawless forces used in combat "can be spun to anyones agenda". Could you please elaborate?

And I do not claim the mercs are "evil". However, they have other instructions AND other options than normal soldiers. In effect, they can break the geneva rules of war whenever they want to without being held responcible.


Evil_Maniac From Mars, first of all, as Koga mentioned, the state has already paid for the training. Secondly, the MAIN issue here is not cash, is it? Or is case more important to you than, oh say, laws of war and stuff?

As CrossLOPER explained.

[Koga No Goshi]

Don't feel too isolated like this is Swede vs. America, Kadagar. I'm American and I agree Blackwater has no legitimate place in an occupation and the heavy use of Blackwater is less an issue of saving money-- more an issue of "selling the war on the false premise that it needed fewer troops" and pushing the "privatize the military" ideology.

[KarlXII]

The problem is not just the taxpaying money, it is also, if I recall correctly, that Iraq has actually prohibited Blackwater from operating in the country, while the US has granted it legal immunity. If, what is essentially a mercenary coporation, is allowed to operate illegaly but with immunity, this creates a very strange and tense situation.


Kadagar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_of_two

[Papewaio]

papewaio, Indeed. As I said, murders are quite common in wars.

Actually I maintain that it is possible for a solider to murder not that it is common.

The hand grenade incident I was referring by the way was the My Lai Massacre... abnormal enough that it caused a court martial. Interesting part of it that for some reason leaving the military absolves one of all war crimes committed while in service... I'm sure the Nazi's in the Nuremburg trials and the Japanese Imperial soldiers in the Tokyo trials had wished that rule of law known to them.

So I don't think that murders happen very often. I do think that a double standard is applied depending if you are prosecuting ones own vs another. That is a very human thing to do. And on top of that cover ups do happen, and even when exposed there is always pardons and the like.

IMDHO the troops generally do the right thing. It is the law and the attempts to go by the letter to skirt justice by higher up in the command particularly the politicians who beat the drums of war that needs to be addressed more closely.