http://www.npr.org/2011/02/24/134020224/foreign-policy-how-to-hire-a-mercenary
Excerpt:
Foreign Policy: How To Hire A Mercenary
Enlarge Mahmud Turkia /AFP/Getty Images Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi gesturing behind a bulletproof glass during a ceremony in Tripoli early last week before the current protests against his leadership became widespread. Some reports are now claiming that Gadhafi is hiring mercenaries to defend him.
Mahmud Turkia /AFP/Getty Images
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi gesturing behind a bulletproof glass during a ceremony in Tripoli early last week before the current protests against his leadership became widespread. Some reports are now claiming that Gadhafi is hiring mercenaries to defend him.
As Libya cracks down on the ongoing protests against Moammar Gadhafi's government, reports have surfaced of African mercenaries attacking protesters and massing to defend the capital city of Tripoli. "They are from Africa, and speak French and other languages," said Ali al-Essawi, the Libyan ambassador to India who resigned this week. Libyan police in the town of Benghazi who have turned against the Gadhafi regime have reportedly captured foreign soldiers who are "black, spoke French and were identified by wearing yellow hats" stated an ABC News report. According to varying reports, the foreign mercenaries employed by Gadhafi may be from Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger, Mali, Sudan and, even Eastern Europe. So how does one go about hiring mercenaries on such short notice these days?
It helps to have friends in the right places. Al-Jazeera has reported that advertisements have been appearing in Guinea and Nigeria offering would-be mercenaries up to $2,000 to come to Gadhafi's aid. The reports are vague so far, but if the Libyan strongman has indeed been shopping for mercenaries, West Africa would be a good place to start. Recent conflicts in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and the Ivory Coast have generated a steady supply of unemployed ex-fighters willing to move from conflict to conflict for the right price. Foreign mercenaries, often paid in diamonds, kept Sierra Leone's brutal civil war going for years. U.N. peacekeepers have reported that the electorally ousted but defiant Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo has brought in mercenaries from Liberia to aid him in his conflict against internationally recognized President Alassane Ouattara.
Libyan money has helped prop up a number of unstable African regimes in recent years — for example, Gadhafi was a longtime, enthusiastic backer of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, now on trial in The Hague for war crimes — so it makes sense that Libyan officials would have connections in the region. As of yet, there's no reliable reporting of how or when the mercenaries there, but some Libyan activists believe that they may have been housed at training camps in southern Libya for months, anticipating an uprising.
http://www.factbat.com/blog/2011/2/24/blackwater-dyncorp-killing-protesters-in-libya.html
Excerpt:
Blackwater, DynCorp: Killing Protesters in Libya?
There is much evidence to assume that Aegis Defense Services, DynCorp, and/or Blackwater company - closely affiliated with the defunct Sandline security company - are being paid by Mohammar Gadhafi to send mercenaries to Libya, to do his dirty work.
Aegis, in October 2004, won a $293 million, three year contract in Iraq, outsourcing intelligence for the U.S. Army, among other things. The company was in charge of some 20,000 private soldiers. (Wikipedia.org)
These types of mercenary forces have become more and more prolific in the last 20 years, and the implications are disturbing. DynCorp was caught trafficking children as sex slaves. Blackwater is known for using civilians as target practice and indiscriminately shooting anyone on the streets who is dark skinned. Sandline was rocked by multiple scandals, barred from several countries, and was eventually disbanded.
The basic modus operandi (MO) of these various forces are unique in that they are generally sadistic and brutally apathetic, as a matter of policy.
The tactics being employed in Libya - such as indiscriminately shooting unarmed civilians, firing upon people from a mobile position without ever even slowing down - typically from an armored Humvee or heavy truck - and assassinating rivals with sniper fire, are explicitly those of DynCorp, Blackwater and Sandline.
Reports state that the mercenaries are being flown in from Africa, which has been a primary stomping grounds for several for-profit security agencies, especially Sandline and its affiliates. They have trained people to be hired thugs whom assist countries within revolutions or coups, or as most often occurs, aid governments in suppressing protests or rebellions.
There are many reports of these types of speeding drive-by's where several men fire automatic assault rifles, targeting everything from unarmed pedestrians, women standing on their balconies and even children peering out the windows of their houses.
Typically these agencies are tremendously unreliable in the areas of accountability, ethics, restraint and contract negotiations. And they generally will hire out their services to anyone who will pay.
Sandline is famous for the "Sandline Affair" which was a political scandal in Papua New Guinea - particularly the conflict in Bougainville - which toppled the government of Sir Julius Chan and took the country to the verge of military revolt.
Sandline agreed to a $36 million deal that fell through once the PNG found out that so much money was being paid for a job they felt they could handle. The Army ended up ousting the PNG government and arresting Spicer.
There was also the Sierra Leon Scandal where Tim Spicer, current CEO of Aegis Defense Services (ADS) - While employed by Sandline International - was involved in the Sierra Leon Civil War where he was importing arms in violation of the United Nation's arms embargo.
He was working with Rakesh Saxena, and Indian financier who was seeking concessions from the new government, for diamond and mineral deposits. It was eventually discovered that even the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) knew of Spicer's and Sandline's actions. Spicer maintains he was innocent and merely a victim of "a wider political controversy."
Considering the many scandals that have surfaced, and increased potential for human rights violations, one might think that it would be difficult to find support for these guns for higher. However, there are several UN members, and other officials, who clearly condone the practice. Such as Kofi Ann, UN Secretary General; Jean-Mari Guehenno, Under Secretary General, UN Peacekeeping Operations; Sir Brian Urquhart "Founding Father" UN Peacekeeping; Ian Douglas, security adviser to UN Africa operations; Ed Royce, US Senate Africa Subcommittee; Susan Rice, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, US State Department; Jack Straw, Foreign Secretary of State, UK Government; UK Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, and even the UK Parliamentary Human Rights Group, among several others (at this site).
Much of the current sanctimonious sentiment in favor of hired hit men, is as a result of the September 11, 2001 tragedy that took place in America, and which has driven so many people to abandon their morals.
Peter Takirambudde, executive director for Africa Human Rights Watch actually sums up much of the feelings of these nearsighted pragmatists in a statement in 2003 "The use of private military companies is no longer necessarily a bad thing ... It is not a crazy idea ... Times have changed."
A truly alarming fact is that far too many of these "murder for higher" companies are partnering with corporations which are also involved in food processing and product manufacturing. This is somewhat of a conflict of interest in that once a military force has taken control of a country there are generally high level positions to be filled and products and food to be supplied.
Furthermore, this is just one more instance where the average conglomerate can engage in various manipulations that would otherwise be impossible without the large and diversified consumer and investment base of a typical corporation.
These companies also employ extremely savvy public relations personnel, such as Sarah Pearson, a consultant that assisted Sandline in its scandals. Pearson has her own press outfit called the SPA Way that works for high-end British retail and food outlets. She also represents dental clinics, fresh breath companies and hair stylists. (Mines and Communities)
That there are actually people, especially women, who will deceptively defend duplicitous and twisted death dealers is utterly appalling and should be seen for what it is ... aiding and abetting a capital crime after the fact.
The privatizing of security forces for the express intent of 'making a killing' (pun intended) in foreign countries is an egregious development that will prove increasingly erodent to the stability and sanctity of the entire world.
References:
Wikipedia.org; Spicer, Tim @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Spicer
Mines and Communities, on Sarah Pearson involvement with Sandline. minesandcommunities.org @
UN and Official Supporters of Sandline; @ http://www.sandline.com/comment/list/comment45.htmlhttp://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=685
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Spicer
Excerpt:
Aegis, in October 2004, won a $293 million, three year contract in Iraq, outsourcing intelligence for the U.S. Army, among other things. The company was in charge of some 20,000 private soldiers. (Wikipedia.org)
These types of mercenary forces have become more and more prolific in the last 20 years, and the implications are disturbing. DynCorp was caught trafficking children as sex slaves. Blackwater is known for using civilians as target practice and indiscriminately shooting anyone on the streets who is dark skinned. Sandline was rocked by multiple scandals, barred from several countries, and was eventually disbanded.
The basic modus operandi (MO) of these various forces are unique in that they are generally sadistic and brutally apathetic, as a matter of policy.
The tactics being employed in Libya - such as indiscriminately shooting unarmed civilians, firing upon people from a mobile position without ever even slowing down - typically from an armored Humvee or heavy truck - and assassinating rivals with sniper fire, are explicitly those of DynCorp, Blackwater and Sandline.
Reports state that the mercenaries are being flown in from Africa, which has been a primary stomping grounds for several for-profit security agencies, especially Sandline and its affiliates. They have trained people to be hired thugs whom assist countries within revolutions or coups, or as most often occurs, aid governments in suppressing protests or rebellions.
There are many reports of these types of speeding drive-by's where several men fire automatic assault rifles, targeting everything from unarmed pedestrians, women standing on their balconies and even children peering out the windows of their houses.
Typically these agencies are tremendously unreliable in the areas of accountability, ethics, restraint and contract negotiations. And they generally will hire out their services to anyone who will pay.
Sandline is famous for the "Sandline Affair" which was a political scandal in Papua New Guinea - particularly the conflict in Bougainville - which toppled the government of Sir Julius Chan and took the country to the verge of military revolt.
Sandline agreed to a $36 million deal that fell through once the PNG found out that so much money was being paid for a job they felt they could handle. The Army ended up ousting the PNG government and arresting Spicer.
There was also the Sierra Leon Scandal where Tim Spicer, current CEO of Aegis Defense Services (ADS) - While employed by Sandline International - was involved in the Sierra Leon Civil War where he was importing arms in violation of the United Nation's arms embargo.
He was working with Rakesh Saxena, and Indian financier who was seeking concessions from the new government, for diamond and mineral deposits. It was eventually discovered that even the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) knew of Spicer's and Sandline's actions. Spicer maintains he was innocent and merely a victim of "a wider political controversy."
Considering the many scandals that have surfaced, and increased potential for human rights violations, one might think that it would be difficult to find support for these guns for higher. However, there are several UN members, and other officials, who clearly condone the practice. Such as Kofi Ann, UN Secretary General; Jean-Mari Guehenno, Under Secretary General, UN Peacekeeping Operations; Sir Brian Urquhart "Founding Father" UN Peacekeeping; Ian Douglas, security adviser to UN Africa operations; Ed Royce, US Senate Africa Subcommittee; Susan Rice, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, US State Department; Jack Straw, Foreign Secretary of State, UK Government; UK Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, and even the UK Parliamentary Human Rights Group, among several others (at this site).
Much of the current sanctimonious sentiment in favor of hired hit men, is as a result of the September 11, 2001 tragedy that took place in America, and which has driven so many people to abandon their morals.
Peter Takirambudde, executive director for Africa Human Rights Watch actually sums up much of the feelings of these nearsighted pragmatists in a statement in 2003 "The use of private military companies is no longer necessarily a bad thing ... It is not a crazy idea ... Times have changed."
A truly alarming fact is that far too many of these "murder for higher" companies are partnering with corporations which are also involved in food processing and product manufacturing. This is somewhat of a conflict of interest in that once a military force has taken control of a country there are generally high level positions to be filled and products and food to be supplied.
Furthermore, this is just one more instance where the average conglomerate can engage in various manipulations that would otherwise be impossible without the large and diversified consumer and investment base of a typical corporation.
These companies also employ extremely savvy public relations personnel, such as Sarah Pearson, a consultant that assisted Sandline in its scandals. Pearson has her own press outfit called the SPA Way that works for high-end British retail and food outlets. She also represents dental clinics, fresh breath companies and hair stylists. (Mines and Communities)
That there are actually people, especially women, who will deceptively defend duplicitous and twisted death dealers is utterly appalling and should be seen for what it is ... aiding and abetting a capital crime after the fact.
The privatizing of security forces for the express intent of 'making a killing' (pun intended) in foreign countries is an egregious development that will prove increasingly erodent to the stability and sanctity of the entire world.
References:
Wikipedia.org; Spicer, Tim @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Spicer
Mines and Communities, on Sarah Pearson involvement with Sandline. minesandcommunities.org @
UN and Official Supporters of Sandline; @ http://www.sandline.com/comment/list/comment45.htmlhttp://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=685
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Spicer
Excerpt:
| Tim Spicer | |
|---|---|
| 1952 (age 58–59) | |
| Place of birth | Aldershot, England, United Kingdom |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | United Kingdom Army |
| Years of service | 1970[1] - 1994[2] |
| Rank | |
Timothy Simon Spicer, OBE (born 1952) is a British former army officer, current CEO of the private security company (PSC) Aegis Defence Services. He is a veteran of the Falklands War and also served with the British Army in Northern Ireland. He became well-known as an employee of Sandline International, a private military company (PMC) which closed in April 2004.
[edit] Military career
Born in 1952 in Aldershot, England, Spicer followed his father into the British Army, attending Sandhurst and then joining the Scots Guards. He tried to join the SAS, but failed the entry course.[3] In 1982, his unit was pulled from Tower of London guard duty and sent to the Falklands War where he saw action at the Battle of Mount Tumbledown.Spicer was involved in what became a controversial incident while serving in Northern Ireland in 1992. Soldiers of the Scots Guards under Lieutenant Colonel Spicer's command shot and killed Catholic civilian, Peter McBride. Subsequent evidence suggested that McBride had been unarmed and not a threat. Lt. Col. Spicer stood by his soldiers even after they were convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment on 10 February 1995, arguing that in the conditions applicable to the incident, they had legitimately believed their lives to be in peril.[4] The soldiers were released from Maghaberry Prison on 2 September 1998 as part of the Good Friday Agreement following a high-profile campaign to secure their release.
[edit] Private military company (PMC)
In 1994 he left the army and founded Sandline International, a private military company (PMC).[edit] Sandline affair
Main article: Sandline affair
The Sandline affair was a political scandal that became one of the defining moments in the history of Papua New Guinea (PNG), and particularly that of the conflict in Bougainville. It brought down the PNG government of Sir Julius Chan and took Papua New Guinea to the verge of military revolt.After coming to power in mid-1994, Prime Minister Chan made repeated attempts to resolve the Bougainville conflict by diplomatic means. These were ultimately unsuccessful, due to the repeated failure of Bougainvillean leaders to arrive at scheduled peace talks. After a number of failed military assaults and the refusal of Australia and New Zealand to provide troops, a decision was then made to investigate the use of mercenaries. Through some overseas contacts, defence minister Mathias Ijape was put in contact with Spicer.
He accepted a contract for $36 million, but the deal fell through when the PNG Army found out that so much money was being spent on a job they claimed to be able to do. The Army overthrew the PNG government and arrested Spicer. He was eventually released and sued the PNG government for money not paid.
[edit] Sierra Leone Scandal: the arms-to-Africa affair
When employed by Sandline International, Spicer was involved in military operations in the Sierra Leone Civil War, which included importing weapons in apparent violation of the United Nations arms embargo.[5] He had been contacted by Rakesh Saxena, an Indian financier hoping that a new government would grant him diamond and mineral concessions. The controversy over this incident, and whether the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) knew of Sandline's actions; inquiries into it concluded that the FCO had known of the actions, and that Spicer believed he was not breaking the embargo. However, former British diplomat Craig Murray claims that he was present at a Foreign office meeting when Spicer was explicitly read the text of UN Security Council Resolution 1132 which obliges member states to prevent their nationals from importing arms to Sierra Leone.[6] Spicer always denied that he or Sandline did anything illegal:| “ | Neither Sandline nor Tim Spicer did anything illegal and were, if anything, victims of a wider UK political controversy. Sandline was contracted to supply weapons and professional services to the legitimate elected government of Sierra Leone. This government had been deposed by a military junta in alliance with the Revolutionary United Front, a barbaric rebel movement. The British government knew of the action, which did not contravene international law or the UN Security Council’s arms embargo. The facts are borne out by a Government investigation, two inquiries and a UN Legal opinion. | ” |
— Spicer's FAQ page [2] |
Spicer has claimed that he always has called for greater involvement of the British government in the PMC issue. In fact, Col. Spicer said that six weeks before the arms-to-Africa affair blew up, Sandline had submitted a paper to the Foreign Office calling for greater regulation, but had not yet received a response. At the time, with no government response, Sandline was considering setting up its own oversight committee, including a senior retired general, a lawyer and a representative of the media.[7]
In late 1999, Spicer left Sandline, which kept operating until 2004. The next year, he launched Crisis and Risk Management. In 2001, he changed the company's name to Strategic Consulting International and also set up a partner firm specializing in anti-piracy consulting, called Trident Maritime. In 2002, Spicer established Aegis Defence Services, which around the beginning of the Iraq war was consulting for the Disney Cruise Line.
[edit] Aegis Defence Services
Spicer is Chief Executive of Aegis Defence Services, a PMC based in London. The Chairman is Field-Marshal Lord Inge, former Chief of the Defence Staff and the Board of Directors include: General Sir Roger Wheeler, Chief of the General Staff; Paul Boateng, former Labour Minister and ex-High Commissioner to South Africa [8] and Sir John Birch, former British deputy ambassador to the United Nations.In October 2004, Aegis won a $293 million three-year contract in Iraq outsourcing, among other things, intelligence for the U.S. Army.[9] [10]
| “ | Spicer is effectively in charge of the second largest military force in Iraq – some 20,000 private soldiers. Just don't call him a mercenary. | ” |
— Stephen Armstrong Guardian journalist [11] |
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