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8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 1/19
Shaping U.S. foreign policy strategies
in the new millennium -Private Military and Security Companies (PMSC)
as an integral part of U.S. foreign policy
Kathrin Herbst
Politics since the millennium:
A postgraduate conference exploring politics
since 2000 and how it is discussed
University of Nottingham 4th April, 2011
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 2/19
Bio
• Brunel University, School of Social Sciences/Brunel Centre forIntelligence and Security Studies (BCISS)
• “U.S. foreign policy towards Africa: the U.S. African Command
(AFRICOM) and Private Military and Security Companies
(PMSC)” U.S. foreign policy in Africa under Clinton, Bush and Obama
and the use of PMSC (intentions and strategies)
Management of interagency-led AFRICOM
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 3/19
What are we talking about?
• Private Military and Security Companies (PMSC) play growingroles in support of state defence and multilateral
reconstruction strategies
• PMSC have become important non-governmental commercial
security actors in the new millennium• Ongoing global instability since 9/11 fosters extraordinary
demand for security providers
• Without contractor support, some missions of U.S. Army would
be at risk (U.S. General Accountability Office – GAO)• PMSC have increasing influence in formation of security
arrangements on different levels of international system
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 4/19
What are we talking about?
• Use of private contractors in U.S. military occupations is not anew phenomena
Expansive use of PMSC as happened in Iraq is
unprecedented in modern warfare
Occupation of Iraq saw PMSC carry out more mission-critical operations than in any previous conflict
•Universally valid definition is still non-existent
Operation Desert Storm
(1991)U.S. soldiers vs. contractors
100 : 1
Operation Iraqi Freedom
(2003)U.S. soldiers vs. Contractors
10 : 1
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 5/19
What are we talking about?
SSCservice support
Management of facilities and
prisons, demining
PSCprivate security
Site control,personal &
transport security,risk
analysis
PMCprivate military
Direct militaryfunctions – own
combat troops with
command
A-PCarms production
Production,research &
development andexport of weapons
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 6/19
The Beginnings of the Discourse
• PMSC became visible social reality after end of Cold War
Scholars started discourse in 1990s
First works:
What are they?
Can typology be created to reduce complexity?
Use of term „mercenary“
Shows scepticism to new security player
Suggests that growth of industry poses risk to states‘way of organising security
Clearly defined by international law
Not helpful to define and understand PMSC
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 7/19
The Beginnings of the Discourse
• As consequence of „recent“ arrival of PMSC, few books exist onthe subject
• Many of the books that do exist far from academic, often
written by former military personnel or by individuals with an
overt agenda• Good articles published by law schools and other academic
institutions
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 8/19
Of advocates, opponents and pragmatics
Advocates
“peace and security industry“
Doug Brooks
International Stability Operations Association (ISOA)
formerly International Peace Operations Association (IPOA)
potential of industry (skills, capacity, speed, surge capability)
PMSC important and legitimate partner if:
Better coordination of community of states, international
organisations and PMSC, and
Binding rules are implemented
If not the private sector, who?
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 9/19
Of advocates, opponents and pragmatics
Opponents“new mercenaries“ “mercenary firms”
Jeremy Scahill (2008)
Blackwater : The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful
Mercenary Army
existence of PMSC weakens governments’ monopoly of force
Absence of democratic legitimation mechanisms
Existence of unlegislated areas
Lack of international law
Transparency issues
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 10/19
Of advocates, opponents and pragmatics
• Opponents and advocates both agree that PMSC are here tostay
• Pragmatic approach arises with most of the research focusing
on finding a typology and definition for PMSC
How far do the activities of PMSC extend intoresponsibilities of states in regards to security
management?
Can there be mechanisms created to:
Increase transparency,
Increase control, and
Establish responsibilities?
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 11/19
Of advocates, opponents and pragmatics
• 3 to 4 different categories with criterion being “direct use of force”
The closer to combat the more likely to be mercenary
Underlying assumption: difference on whether the
government outsources
Surveillance of public spaces,
Management of prisons, or
Support of combat missions
“Unproblematic” security
companies (site control,logistics)
To be left to self regulation
Offensive military actions
To be legitimised byinternational institutions
such as UN or state alliances
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 12/19
Peter Singer (2003)Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatised Military Industry
• First description of the market Events that caused rise of PMSC
Variety of tasks and organisational structure
Implications of the use of the industry (effects of market
forces, morality of use)
3 major types of contractors (tip of the spear )
Military Provider Firms
Private Security Providers
Military Consulting Firms
Military Support Firms
Implementation/Command
Advisory and training
Non-lethal assistance
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 13/19
Deborah D. Avant (2005)The Market for Force: The Consequences of Privatizing Security
• Transnational market for force has developed• Assumed cost efficiency
• Monopoly of force affected by use of PMSC
• Outsourcing enhances PMSC influence on foreign
policy process
• How and why PMSC are used
• Attempts to regulate industry
•
Differences in opinions are based on different focus analystshave on control of violence
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 14/19
Political controlof violence
Who decides aboutuse of weapons and
security relatedservices?
Functional control of violence
Will capacity of statepersist or be established to
address security relatedchallenges?
Social controlof violence
Is use of forceintegrated into
international valuesand norms?
Keep state controlover organised
violence upright orlead to improvement
Increase effectiveness of security actors
Promote internationalvalues/norms
In ideal world use of PMSC would ...
Deborah Avant
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 15/19
Deborah Avant
• Calls for pragmatic approach PMSC mirrored against ideal approach which is never
existent in reality, also when only governmental actors
perform together (NATO, Coalition of the Willing)
For every situation where parts of the security managementare outsourced, there has to be evaluation of:
Existing possible alternatives,
Short-, mid- and long-term consequences, and
Surrounding conditions
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 16/19
Classification of PMSC
To whom
Open market
• IO
•NGO
•Transnationalcorporations
•States
how
•Contract mostly
hidden from publicview due to it’s
nature
•Scope and type of contract publiclyknown
what
•Broad services
•combat•security
•consultancy
• logistics
PMSCsell
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 17/19
Topics of discourse
Practical-political
challenges
Monopolyof forces as
part of democracy
Legalrestrictionson use of violence
Use of PMSC by
state actors
Transparency&
accountability
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 18/19
Topics of discourse
Theoreticalquestions
Concepts of politicalsciences
challenged?
PMSCcompeting
withgovernment
services?
PMSC tool of secret foreignand security
policy?
PMSC weakenstates?
8/6/2019 Not Ting Ham Discourse Pmsc
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/not-ting-ham-discourse-pmsc 19/19
Thank you for your attention!
Blog:
http://kathrinherbst.wordpress.com
LinkedIn:
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/kathrinherbst
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