PMC / Mercenaries in Iraq (catch all)

[SWJED]

4 February Washington Post - Security Contracts to Continue in Iraq by Walter Pincus.

The Defense Department plans to continue hiring private contractors to provide security at reconstruction projects in Iraq and to train U.S. and Iraqi military officers in counterinsurgency, despite problems with past contracts for such jobs that traditionally have been done by military personnel.

The contracting out of these wartime activities comes at a time when the United States is stretching its resources to provide the additional 21,500 troops in Iraq that are needed under President Bush's new strategy, which involves stepped-up counterinsurgency operations in Baghdad and the expansion of economic reconstruction activities

During an appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee last month, Army Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, the new top commander in Iraq, said he counts the "thousands of contract security forces" among the assets available to him to supplement the limited number of U.S. and Iraqi troops to be used for dealing with the insurgency.

A former senior Defense Intelligence Agency expert on the Middle East, retired Army Col. W. Patrick Lang, said last week that contracting out intelligence collection and security for Army units and their contractors "results from actual military forces being too small." He added: "I can't remember a subordinate commander considering mercenaries as part of his forces."

Retired Marine Gen. Anthony C. Zinni, who once headed the U.S. Central Command and today serves on an advisory board of a defense contractor, said there is a role for private firms taking on security missions. But he warned that problems can arise "when they take on quasi-military roles."...

[Rob Thornton]

Check out Falcon, they seem to be looking to expand their services to fill a niche. I concur with the statement about our underfunded and under-resourced organic capabilities. PMCs seem to be poised to take advantage of a "need". I would call this in large part a self inflicted gunshot wound on our part. We may never be able to rectify this.

[zdfg]

I'm curious about your comment. Falcon is a Kurdish owned outfit which supports both coalition and Kurdish specific interests.

[Rob Thornton]

Falcon is a Kurdish owned outfit which supports both coalition and Kurdish specific interests

I'd say that pretty much covers it.

PMCs are expanding to fill other roles - its getting more grey not less. Where there is a need and some initiative, there is a way to make some money. However as far as any PMCs go, I'm not sure I agree with the word "support" in the way I would normally apply it to military relationships.

There are some good people working for Falcon and the other PMCs - but I think the word "contract" is a better description. It provides a pretty set left and right limit for a "service" vs. a supporting relationship such as say a support BN to a line unit. The motivation is different (even if the individual working that PMC would like to do more) as well.

They are useful, but that doesn't mean there are not disadvantages to using them, even if you don't see them up front.