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| Picture Credit: freeworldmaps.ne |
Greater reliance on PMSCs has been a growing trend in many countries. In Latin America and the Caribbean, PMSCs have been deployed by governments to fight narco-traffickers. In Somalia they have been deployed to protect shipments of humanitarian aid and as a deterrent to pirating. And in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan they have been integral in clandestine operations of various US intelligence agencies fighting the global “War on Terror.”
The expansion of the role of PMSCs in armed conflict has been responsible for prolonging or even intensifying violent clashes. International PMSCs in Iraq and Afghanistan often subcontract to local PMSCs. In many cases, indigenous PMSCs are used as fronts for other interests – insurgents, organized crime, and even terrorist cells. There is also evidence that suggests greater reliance on PMSCs is responsible for weakening state institutions in countries that already suffer from inadequate governance structures. This does not bode well for the many “failed states” where PMSCs have been contracted, including aforementioned Somalia, and areas of Latin America where states have seen their power subverted by drug lords. Rather than bringing stability to these areas as advertised, PMSCs often destabilize situations by creating an environment that is intrinsically militarized.
Afghanistan/Pakistan
This page posts information on the use of PMSCs in Afghanistan/Pakistan
Iraq
This page addresses the use of PMSCs in Iraq during the American invasion
