Mercenaries: Reducing the American Footprint?

Jonathan Beatty

Professor Craig

World Politics 001H

Date of Submission: 7 December 2011

Briefing Paper – Mercenaries: Reducing the American Footprint?

Mercenaries, otherwise known as “Private Military Companies,” are essentially paid soldiers. Merriam Webster defines a mercenary as, “one that serves merely for wages; especially: a soldier hired into Foreign Service (Merriam-Webster).” While mercenaries are being hired all over the world, recently the United States army has begun to hire mercenaries to carry out the objectives of the United States without having the footprint of the United States show up in the form of military involvement. Mercenaries are even popping up in towns in the United States. Without the awards and status associated with being in the military, mercenaries are able to carry out attacks under the radar and are sometimes protected by governments. With all these advantages, the United States is jumping on the bandwagon and employing mercenaries in various locations around the world to continue carrying out military actions that, if the public knew existed, would be extremely disappointed with individuals high up in our government.

As early as 2003, there have been reports of the United States funding mercenaries around the globe. In 2003, plans were announced for the United States to pay $250 million to pay for combination force of 20,000 mercenaries and foreign troops to relieve US troops (20,000 Mercenaries). According to GlobalSecurity.org, “Estimates of the number of private international security personnel range from 15,000 to 20,000 from the United States alone (Global Security).” While not commonly known, contractors all over the world hire mercenaries in order to carry out missions that are not sanctioned by the United States military.

Also unknown to the public is the privatization of the security forces inside the United States. “Since the 1980’s, private security contractors have outnumbered police officers (AlterNet).” According to the Washington Post, “More than 1 million contract security officers, and an equal number of guards [are] estimated to work directly for U.S. Corporations (Private Arm).” This brings the ratio for Private Security Contractors to police to “more than 5-[to]-1 (Bruce Schneier).” This means that our security forces are not as secure as one would believe. Private Security Contractors are often cheaper for organizations and, in some cases, government-related organizations. Also, many cities in the United States are turning towards armed guards because they are proven to be more effective in reducing crime in areas that are crime-ridden. Another positive of hiring, in the eyes of city officials in the United States, is the elimination of the problems associated with prosecuting police officers when a police officer kills an individual (AlterNet). All in all, hiring private security contractors has become a less-stressful and cheaper option than hiring police officers in the United States.

One of the more prolific examples of mercenaries being used throughout the world is in Iraq. These Private Security Contractors can earn up to $1,000 a day, depending on the location (Global Security). Recently it hit the news, in a quiet fashion, that the State Department would command an army of mercenaries in Iraq by the beginning of 2012 (Wired). This comes after the successful pullout of American troops by President Obama. With only weeks to go until the United States has completely pulled out of Iraq, US officials are assuring that this is the end of the Iraq for the United States army (Leader Confident). The promise of the end of the Iraq war with the United States military is a completely true statement. But the involvement of the United States in Iraq is continuing and will continue for years until Iraq has become completely stabilized. With President Obama needing a victory to tote during his presidential campaign, after failing to keep promises and a failed healthcare system, the replacement of the troops in Iraq was likely orchestrated in order to fuel the Obama campaign engine (ObamaCare). The transition from the United States military into Private Military contractors has been in place for over a decade. The only reason why reports about this army of mercenaries are coming to light is because a state department official has been frustrated about the little amount of information he was receiving when he was attempting to audit the program (Wired).

Plans for this transition have been in the works since February of this year when a lightly-covered Senate hearing revealed that a changeover was in the works. John Kerry, who is the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, stated at the hearing that the government needs to “be careful” in replacing the military with a private military presence (5,500 Mercs). Reports have this takeover costing upwards of $974 million (5,500 Mercs). Current reports have the beginning force the State Department will be commanding will start with about 5,500 private security contractors (Wired). While these mercenaries will be protecting diplomats and other individuals that work at embassies in Iraq, they will no doubt be members of firefights with Iraq being unstable after the transition. This transition removes the government and military footprint, and, consequently, blame of any deaths that may occur as a result of these firefights.

What is more concerning than the obvious cover-up by the government‘s continued involvement in Iraq is the use of mercenaries, funded by the United States government, to train rebel fighters across the world. An example of this secretive tactic was revealed in the New York Times in August. It was revealed that the United States was using private security contractors to train African troops involved in fighting the Shabab in Somalia (New York Times). As stated by Johnnie Carson, the top State Department official in Africa for Obama’s Administration, “We do not want an American footprint or boot on the ground (New York Times).” While the government is correct in assuming that direct involvement by the United States military would create unrest, there are better options than secretly-funding mercenaries to train rebel forces. Other options include sending in an international force or sanctions from the United Nations.

While the United States says it has the best of intentions when hiring mercenaries to carry out activities they do not the United States’ footprint on, the trend of hiring mercenaries is catching on across the world, and not everyone has the best of intentions. Foreign Policy magazine reported that several countries, including Libya, are hiring mercenaries to take care of problems. Protests in Tripoli were reportedly attacked by African mercenaries who were employed by the late Muammar al-Qaddafi. Even more concerning is the large amount of ex-fighters available in Africa after conflicts in “Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and the Ivory Coast.” Other reports of mercenaries being hired by leaders with bad intentions include the ousted president of the Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo. (Foreign Policy)

While not all Private Security firms are involved in the type of situations listed above, the trend is increasing. With the United States perpetuating the belief that hiring mercenaries is efficient, the trend is likely to result in more conflicts in the future. With the government hiding the involvement of mercenary groups, negative motivations can be assumed all in an attempt to reduce the footprint of the United States across the world. While the government attempts to reduce the footprint of the United States across the world for various motivations, leaders of the United States fail to realize that trying to reduce the footprint of the United States is useless. The shoes that are worn by the United States, as a Hegemon, are weighed down with lead and will continue to affect the world until the power of the United States wanes.

Works Cited

Abdul-Zahra, Qassim, and Rebecca Santana. "Leader Confident Amid Pullout | Nation / World News - The News Tribune." The News Tribune | Tacoma-Seattle News, Weather, Sports, Jobs, Homes and Cars | South Puget Sound's Destination. The News Tribune. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. .

Ackerman, Spencer. "5,500 Mercs to Protect U.S. Fortresses in Iraq." Wired.com. WIRED, 1 Feb. 2011. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. .

Ackerman, Spencer. "Exclusive: U.S. Blocks Oversight of Its Mercenary Army in Iraq." Wired.com. WIRED, 22 July 2011. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. .

Gettleman, Jeffery, Mark Mazzetti, and Eric Schmitt. "U.S. Relies on Contractors in Somalia Conflict." The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. .

Global Security. "Mercenary / Private Military Companies (PMCs)." GlobalSecurity.org - Reliable Security Information. Global Security. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. .

Goldstein, Amy. "The Private Arm of the Law." Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis. The Washington Post, 2 Jan. 2007. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. .

Heritage Foundation. "Another ObamaCare Failure." The Moral Liberal. The Moral Liberal. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. .

Keating, Joshua E. "FP Explainer: How Do You Hire Mercenaries?" Foreign Policy - The Global Magazine of Economics, Politics, and Ideas. Foreign Policy Magazine, 23 Feb. 2011. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. .

Merriam-Webster. "Mercenary - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Merriam-Webster. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. .

Richter, Paul. "U.S. Hires 20,000 Mercenaries Costing $250 Million To Patrol Iraq." Information Clearing House. Los Angeles Times. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. .

Scahill, Jeremy. "U.S. Cities Increasing Use of Armed Mercenaries to Replace Police." Home | AlterNet. AlterNet, 24 Apr. 2009. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. .

Schneier, Bruce. "Bruce Schneier: Privatizing the Police Puts Us at Greater Risk." Schneier on Security. MInneapolis Star Tribune, 27 Feb. 2007. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. .