Mercenaries



Mercenaries



Preface



This document consists of notes from the DVD, "Shadow Company". The statement from the DVD cover says, "A must-see for anyone with an opinion on US foreign policy. Shadow Company doesn't dictate answers but encourages an audience to ask the right questions."

The DVD provides in-depth interviews and on-scene films of Baghdad operations. A portion of the proceeds from purchases of the DVD go to the Cape Community School, Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Note: Dollar amounts are quoted are quoted in USD.


History



Private Military Contractors, sometimes known as "mercenaries," have been in use since the middle ages. Because many of the early mercenaries had been in the British Army fighting in France, when that war ended, they sought military work on the European continent. They were often called "free companies" or "English companies."


The Present



Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the market for military operators has been flooded as countries around the globe have reduced the size of their armies. Today, Private Military Firms have evolved from the mercenary trade. They usually hire unemployed soldiers trying to make a living using the skills they have learned.


Justification



The ordinary soldier fights under a flag for a particular country, employing a legitimate use of force which would otherwise be considered murderous and criminal. Mercenaries lack that political justification, and they are sometimes considered undesirable entities.


Rules of Engagement for Contractors



The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), the Iraq quasi-government that the US supports, specifies three rules whereby contractors can take action:

  • For their own self-defense.
  • To protect their noun (person, place, thing, or organization).
  • To protect Iraqi civilians who are under imminent mortal threat.


The CPA states that private military contractors don't come under Iraqi law. If a contractor does something wrong, he is flown out of country.


Vehicle Operations



Contractors are often tasked to protect principals when they move from one location to another. Contracting firms have training for vehicle operations which includes offensive and defensive driving skills, especially within the military operations urban terrain (MOUT). Two or more cars are usually involved, with a contractor driving each car. The drivers are trained to drive, not engage. They look for possible locations of improvised explosive devices (IED) along the route. The other contractors in the cars watch all other vehicles on the road. If a vehicle appears to be a threat, that is communicated to the other vehicles in the convoy. If an Iraqi vehicle doesn't get out of the way, the procedure is for a contractor passenger to raise a fist and yell "imche!" which means "back!" If the other car doesn't get out of the way, the contractor raises his gun, making it visible to the driver. If the car still doesn't move over, an automatic gun burst is shot in front of that vehicle. If it still doesn't stop, the next burst goes into the engine. And finally, if the car still doesn't stop, the driver of that car is targeted.


Watch the People



Contractors who drive vehicles in Iraq are taught to watch the faces of the people on the street. Few Iraqis are pokerfaced if something is about to go down, and many give a convoy "hard looks." This is an indication to be very alert for an ambush. Another sign is when there is nobody on the street during a time when there are usually many pedestrians. The Iraqis have all gone indoors, usually for good reason.


Pot Shots



Early in the war, joblessness in Iraq resulted in Iraqis getting paid $2,500 USD to fire an RPG at a US convoy. As Iraqi opposition to US military in the country has increased, the price has dropped to $250. This amounts to a lot of disgruntled, unemployed Iraqis taking pot shots at Americans.


Threat Deterrence



To deter threats, military contractors often go "high profile." This means that groups of them load up on weapons and show themselves in an effort to dissuade anyone who might wish to confront them.


Counter Assault Team (CAT)



A special suburban utility vehicle (SUV) is outfitted with armor and heavy armament. It never carries a principal, but is strategically located so that if insurgents engage a convoy, it can quickly move in and return heavy fire into the bad guy's positions or vehicles. The CAT vehicle is also called the "Hate Car" because it can unleash an incredible volume of munitions against a threat. The objective for bringing a hate car into the action is to give the principal time to get "off the 'X'" - get away from the ambush location, also called the "box." In all movements of a noun, predetermined operational procedures and plans are put in place to deal with threats.


Armored Cars



The cost of a purpose-built armored 4x4 SUV is around $200,000 for one armored to B6 Standard. Military contractors build their own armored vehicles by taking a stock automobile and hiring an Iraqi welder to install steel plates into it.


Call a Cab



The cost of a cab to transfer a person from JFK to downtown New York City is about $35.00. The cost to transfer a person from BIAP (Baghdad International Air Port) to downtown Baghdad is about $13,000.00.


Cost



One of the earliest, modern private military contractors is Executive Outcomes, organized in 1980. Typical fees charged by Executive Outcome for a minimal deployment in 1997:

  • Infantry troops: $4.5M
  • Weapons: $2.5M
  • Attack Helicopter: $4.1M (e.g. Russian MI-24 helicopter)
  • Assault Helicopter: $3.0M
  • Pilots: $1.0M


The US military spends $25,000 per soldier, per month in Iraq. Early on in the Iraq war, forty percent of the contracts for private military contractors that the Pentagon let had no bidding. They were simply accepted at the price offered by a company.


Current Situation



Following 9/11, the size and number of Private Military Contractors expanded greatly.

In recent history, US government entities have privatized and outsourced much work that used to be public responsibility including garbage collection, education, prison operations, government site security, and portions of the military. The private military industry is larger than most people realize. It operates in 150 countries and the firms have a combined annual revenue of $100 billion USD.

When the US disbanded the existing Iraqi security infrastructure, it left a void. The US hired Private Military Contractors to provide security. These contractors protect convoys, personnel reconstructing Iraqi infrastructure, buildings, organizations, and supply lines. More than 20,000 military contractors are now in Iraq. There are more armed, civilian contractors in Iraq than soldiers from all non-US coalition countries, combined. The "coalition of the willing" has become a "coalition of the billing." In the 1991 Gulf War, there was 1 contractor for every 100 soldiers. Today, in Iraq, there is 1 contractor for every 10 soldiers.


Players



In Iraq, the US Army is over-tasked, and it has to rely on outsource suppliers for trucking, food, and security. There are three types of military contractors.

Non-lethal service companies:



  • Halliburton
  • KBR
  • SAIC

Military consulting firms.


These companies provide advising and training to replacement Army troops in Kuwait prior to their deployment into Iraq.

  • MPRI
  • Vinnell
  • Dyncorp

Private Military Contractors.


These companies work for governments and are hired to change the strategic situation. They provide tactical military capability in a combat zone. They don't fight wars, but they make sure that no one disrupts the business America is putting in place. It presents a sort of passive/aggressive posture - a protective barrier around US foreign policy. A list of Private Military Companies would include:

  • Executive Outcomes: the first military contract firm in modern times. Provides security in the Green Zone in Baghdad.


  • Sandline: hired to quell an uprising in Papua, New Guinea in 1997.


  • Kroll


  • Triple Canopy


  • Control Risks Group


  • ArmorGroup


  • Aegis: In 2005 it received a $295M, plus cost, 3-year contract from the Pentagon.


  • Blackwater


  • Erinys


  • Global Risk: also provides personal and facility security to mining, oil, and gas operations around the world.


  • Meteoric Tactical


  • Olive Security: A UK-based company.


  • Hart Group


Weapons


Weapons used by military contract personnel can be standard US issue, or they can be any type of weapon that is available through the black market.

  • Diemaco M4 - Standard issue US Army rifle, 5.56mm


  • MP-5 - A favorite weapon for military contractors


  • 66mm LAW


  • SG 552-2 Commando


  • Steyr AUG


  • Beretta M9/92


  • PKM - A belt-fed, Russian-made vehicle-mounted machine gun.


  • AS-50 - The AS-50 sniper rifle was not readily available at the time of this report. Developed in the UK by Accuracy International for the US Army, it is a semiautomatic, 27 lb., soft recoil, 5 round clip, 50 caliber sniper rifle that can fire 5 rounds, with 2,000 yard accuracy, in under 2 seconds.


  • AK-47 - Iraqi manufactured units are avoided because of poor quality. AK-47s built by Russia and Rumania are well built.


Because contracting firms operate outside of the US military, they do not always have access to US military hardware, especially that which is high-tech, classified, or current technology. As a result, these companies often have to go to outside sources for equipment such as helicopter assault and gun ships, night vision devices, anti-tank rockets, sniper rifles, transport aircraft, boats and ships, etc. Russia and some of the other countries that were part of the former Soviet Union sell surplus military equipment left over from the cold war as well as recently developed hardware.


Black Market Weapons


Because of an arms embargo to Iraq, contractors who want to acquire additional weapons must go outside of military channels. The arms black market is unfriendly to Americans, so contractors hire a local Iraqi to go to the market with a weapons shopping list.
PKM machine guns, new in the crate, greased, used to cost $450, but since Fahluja, the cost has risen to $900 for a rusty gun.
An Iraqi-built AK-47 costs $100. A Russian or Romanian-manufactured AK-47 with a folding stock is of higher quality than Iraqi versions, and goes for $300.


Compensation


Depending on experience, new contractor recruits can earn an annual income of $80,000, tax free. Experienced contractors earn $150,000 or more, per year, tax free.


Types of Contractor Applicants



Different types of applicants contact private military firms seeking jobs or additional information on work that is available.

  • Former contractors or security persons who have been out of the game for a while, and they miss the camaraderie, the action, and the adrenalin rush.

  • Ex-military persons looking for work where they can use their skills.


  • People who seek a new career.


For personnel to work as private security detail (body guards), the US State Department has specific requirements.


Military Contractor Qualifications


Global Risk demands a minimum of 10 years experience in high security areas or special forces personnel. Examples of areas of experience valued by contracting firms include the following:

  • SAS - Special Air Service, the principal special forces unit of the British Army. A small and secretive institution, it sometimes attracts a disproportionate amount of media coverage. The SAS was formed in 1941 with British and later French volunteers to conduct raids behind enemy lines in North Africa, and today serves as a model for similar units fielded by other countries. Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


  • GSG-9 - Counter-terrorism unit of the German Federal Police, considered to be among the best of such units in the world. Many later counter-terrorism units of other nations were modeled after the GSG-9. Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


  • Delta - The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D), commonly referred to as Delta within the U.S. Army or as Delta Force by the general public and officially recognized by the Department of Defense as the Combat Applications Group. It is a Special Operations Force (SOF) and an integral element of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


  • USSF - United States Army Special Forces, also known by the nickname "Green Berets" or simply Special Forces (capitalized). It is a Special Operations Force of the United States Army, trained for unconventional warfare and special operations. The force was founded in 1952. See USSOF. Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


  • USSOF - The United States Special Operations Forces is the official category where the United States Department of Defense lists the U.S. military units that have a training specialization in unconventional warfare and special operations. Special Operations Forces are often referred to incorrectly as US Special Forces, which, in actuality, is the official name for the Green Berets. The Department refers to such units (and similar foreign organizations) as Special Operations Forces (SOF). Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


  • SBS - Special Boat Service - the British Royal Navy's special forces unit. The service's motto is "By Strength and Guile." It forms part of the United Kingdom Special Forces, alongside the Special Air Service (SAS), Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR), and Special Forces Support Group (SFSG). Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


  • SEAL - The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) forces are the elite Special Operations Forces of the U.S. Navy, employed in unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, counter-Terrorism, and special reconnaissance operations. Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


  • SWAT - Special Weapons And Tactics; originally Special Weapons Assault Team - a specialized unit in many police departments, which is trained to perform dangerous operations. Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


  • SRR - Special Reconnaissance Regiment - the British recon unit. It forms part of the United Kingdom Special Forces, alongside the Special Air Service (SAS), Special Boat Service (SBS), and Special Forces Support Group (SFSG). Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


  • SFSG - Special Forces Support Group - the British military support group. It forms part of the United Kingdom Special Forces, alongside the Special Air Service (SAS), Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR), and Special Boat Service (SBS). Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


  • JTF2 - Joint Task Force 2 - The Canadian Forces (CF) does not use the term Canadian Special Forces in an official capacity, and all special operations come under CANSOFCOM (Canada Special Operations Forces Command). This command of the CF is responsible for special operations, counter-terrorism, and support for traditional troops. Several special operations units, including Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2) and the Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR) form the core of Canada's special forces. JTF2 has become particularly widely heard of, though as a secret unit, little is known of its precise composition or accomplishments on overseas missions. Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


  • LRRP - Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol, pronounced and sometimes spelled "LuRP", were special six-man teams of, primarily, Rangers utilized in the Vietnam War on highly dangerous special operations missions deep into enemy territory. In the mid to late 1960s, the U.S. Army Special Forces trained these units for the purpose of locating enemy units in guerrilla warfare, as well as in artillery spotting, intelligence gathering, forward air control, and bomb damage assessment. Companies were organized into two platoons, each with eight six-man patrols. Their training was notoriously rigorous. They operated on reconnaissance and combat patrols, either obtaining highly vital intelligence, or performing highly dangerous raids and ambushes. The tactical employment of LRRPs was later evaluated to be generally used far too dangerously by strategic commanders, who were pleased by the extraordinary kill ratios for LRRPs teams, sometimes reported as high as 400 enemy troops for every LRRP killed. Their use was reconsidered and restructured into modern day Long Range Surveillance (LRS) units. Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


  • LRS - Long Range Surveillance - Modern Long Range Surveillance, or LRS (pronounced "lurse"), units (LRSU'S) are specially employed elite surveillance units that are utilized by Military Intelligence (Example: 313th Military Intelligence Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division) for intelligence gathering deep into hostile territories. They fall under a Military Intelligence battalion (strictly, an MI Tactical Exploitation Battalion, or TEB) but are themselves Airborne Infantry units. LRS Units (LRSU) are formulated as either larger LRS Companies (LRSC), comprising 3 line LRS platoons, or smaller LRS Detachments (LRSD), comprising 1 line LRS platoon. A given line LRS platoon is organized as 6 unsupported LRS teams. LRSU operate up to 150 kilometers (90 for LRSD) behind the Forward Line of Troops (FLOT) a maximum of 8 days. Their 5 primary missions are reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, battle damage assessment, and force protection. Beyond these, they also have many secondary missions to provide general battlefield information to military intelligence sources, such as weather and light data, map data, etc. Today's LRS units trace their origin to the US Army's Long Range Reconnaissance Units LRRPs of the Vietnam War and to Army Rangers. Like other elite units, LRS are Airborne, and most leadership positions are filled by Ranger qualified officers and NCOs. Typically, LRS soldiers undergo the Reconnaissance Surveillance Leadership Course (RSLC) at Fort Benning, similarly developing long range land navigation, communications, intelligence, vehicle identification, survival, and operational techniques. LRS team members usually carry the M4 carbine, M203 grenade launcher, and M9 9mm pistol, as well as the typical complement of specialized optics and communications gear. Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


Military Contract Selection Criteria



Many military contract firms use contract selection rules, such as these, to determine what contract they are willing to bid on.

  • Is the contract legal by US law and law of the country involved?


  • Is payment likely to be paid? There have been cases where a military contract firm has not been paid for its work.


  • Is the contract moral? Even if the contract meets the other criteria, is it a morally correct operation?




Coalition Fatalities



As of June 2005, the fatality count in Iraq was:

  • US Army: 1765
  • Other Coalition Armies 192
  • Military Contractors 250


Miscellaneous information



  • Baghdad Freedom Radio, the only English language station in the area, operates from an undisclosed location at 107.7 FM.


  • 99 percent of Iraqi men wear a moustache.


  • Iraqis are proud of their reputation for tardiness. You have to specify if you want them to arrive at Iraqi time or US time. For example, 9 o'clock am Iraqi time is any time before noon. 9 o'clock am US time is 9 o'clock am.


  • Military contractors spend most of their time standing around waiting for something to happen or driving around town. They can do whatever they need to in order to protect their principal including clipping cars that don't get out of the way, shoving them off the road, or shooting them.


  • In 1993, the government of Sierra Leone hired Executive Outcomes to quell a rebel uprising by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). By June 1994, Executive Outcomes had forced the rebel force of 15,000 to the bargaining table using only 150 military contractors.


  • The Liberian government was overthrown by a rebel group. It had not requested assistance from any military contract companies. The new rebel government performed atrocities on the populace.


  • Military contractors have been used in the Balkans and Afghanistan.


  • Each morning in Iraq, military contractors receive an intelligence summary (INTSUM), a list of incidents that have occurred in the area within the past 24 hours.