"US Mercenaries Carrying Out Targeted Killings in Yemen" Topic
10 Posts
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RTJEBADIA | 16 Oct 2018 2:33 p.m. PST |
link Obviously this sort of thing has been suspected before, but as far as I know this is the first confirmed case of US PMCs being hired for "combat missions." As the article notes, both targeted killings and PMCs are increasingly part of warfare, spearheaded by US use in Iraq and Afghanistan. And throughout history big wars create big pools of veterans that can be recruited for mercenary work. Aside from that, people do love wargaming/roleplaying small special ops groups because of the more free reign on "strategic" choices at a small skirmish level. |
Oberlindes Sol LIC | 16 Oct 2018 4:37 p.m. PST |
Small special ops groups often wear non-standard colors and carry non-standard equipment, so there's some variety to be enjoyed in just the miniatures side of the game. A very long time ago, I converted a box of four 1/35 WW2 Fallschirmjäger into a Traveller mercenary team. I remember that I used bits of the sprue to make flashlights and an image enhancement scope, thread to make an extension cord from a power pack to a laser rifle, etc. I wonder what ever happened to them. |
Stryderg | 16 Oct 2018 7:15 p.m. PST |
@ Oberlindes They got hired out…permanently. |
Winston Smith | 17 Oct 2018 2:39 p.m. PST |
It cracks me up when "contractors" get indignant when called mercenaries. The OFM got snarled at for that a few years ago. It didn't seem to bother him all that much. The linked article implies that the mercenaries get a nice decent salary for that. |
foxweasel | 17 Oct 2018 4:16 p.m. PST |
Contractor/Mercenary, Potato/Potatoe, PMC/kicked out of their own countries army, Tomato/Tomatoe |
Lion in the Stars | 17 Oct 2018 5:43 p.m. PST |
Considering that "Mercenaries" are by definition of the Conventions War Criminals, I can understand why PMCs would get rather pissed about getting called mercenaries. How well do you think troops take to being called murderers? |
RTJEBADIA | 17 Oct 2018 11:28 p.m. PST |
Right, I can totally understand PMCs doing support work or security detail resenting being called mercenaries, and indeed those seem legitimate. This seems to cross that line, and if it doesn't, I'm not sure what would. IHL defined mercenaries as follows: Additional Protocol I defines a mercenary as a person who: a) is specially recruited locally or abroad in order to fight in an armed conflict; b) does, in fact, take a direct part in the hostilities; c) is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a Party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar ranks and functions in the armed forces of that Party; d) is neither a national of a Party to the conflict nor a resident of territory controlled by a Party to the conflict; e) is not a member of the armed forces of a Party to the conflict; and f) has not been sent by a State which is not a Party to the conflict on official duty as a member of its armed forces. Source: link You may notice that (a), (b), (c), (d), and (f) seem to be the case here (although (c) is always difficult to prove). (e) is the one where it seems hard to ever actually be caught breaking this law. I suppose the law would still apply in cases where a country is trying to have 'deniability' through using warlords, but there's a lot of situations where a country might be thinking "let's hire mercenaries" and then they check the laws and say "okay let's give them a rank to make everything above board." This DOES have the advantage of establishing responsibility (not that many countries are good at actually prosecuting their own war crimes…), but it seems a stretch that THIS is the thing that makes someone a mercenary or not, as it is essentially paperwork. Of course, even targeted killings are moderately controversial under IHL, both as an overall concept and in terms of specific cases. |
foxweasel | 18 Oct 2018 4:22 a.m. PST |
When contractors or PMC's are working as security guards and operating under self defence RoE it isn't an issue. The moment they undertake offensive operations they become mercenaries. I know lots of contractors/mercenaries, the difference between the two is generally the size of the pay cheque, not some ethical divide. How well do you think troops take to being called murderers? What's that got to do with this topic, troops are troops, contractors no longer are. Some PMC's operate primarily as mercenaries conducting offensive operations, Executive Outcomes being an old but good example, so saying they all get a bit upset at being called mercenaries is a bit daft. |
Lion in the Stars | 18 Oct 2018 7:25 a.m. PST |
You are absolutely correct that *some* contractors do cross that line. When a contractor gets called a mercenary, you are calling them a War Criminal, whether or not they were. Which is exactly like calling all troops murderers. If you can't see that, I can't help you. |
foxweasel | 18 Oct 2018 7:34 a.m. PST |
I don't need any help, I know exactly what mercenaries, contractors and PMC's are, what they do and how they do it. Having worked with them in Afghanistan and Iraq, I think I've a bit better idea of their mindset than you, did you have many on your submarine? |
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