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Private security firms

ARGUMENTS FOR:

A lack of recruits to the US and British armies has made private security firms a vital part of 21st century military occupation. In Iraq, for instance, their contribution frees up regular forces to stem insurgent unrest and attempt to make the country stable.

Private security firms play a vital role in safeguarding property and escorting diplomats. The US army doesn't have nearly enough soldiers on the ground in Iraq to do this itself. US Ambassador Ryan Crocker told Congress, "There is simply no way at all that the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security could ever have enough full-time personnel to staff the security function in Iraq."

Without private security firms, some defence experts say the US would have to consider re-introducing the draft - not used since Vietnam.

Although prosecuting private contractors for their misdemeanours is often compromised by the difficulty of collecting evidence, they can be held accountable for their actions in US courts.

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ARGUMENTS AGAINST:

Private security firms have harmed the US Army's reputation in Iraq. The recent killing of 11 civilians in a Baghdad gunfight, involving men from Blackwater Security, has highlighted the impunity with which these mercenaries are allowed to operate.

It's an untenable situation to have foreign citizens who are immune from local law. Because of this, security guards are able to act with a devil-may-care attitude, and end up contributing to rather than preventing the atmosphere of lawlessness.

The Iraqi government has ordered Blackwater to leave the country. If US officials insist that they stay, they will undermine Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's authority.

Both US and British troops, who are paid less money for doing more perilous jobs, have reason to resent the private security companies. Increasingly, expensively-trained soldiers are abandoning the army to join them.

FIRST POSTED OCTOBER 2, 2007

News & Comment: News & Politics