Re: [SG] Mercenary Mission Motivation

----- Original Message -----
From: <adrian.johnson@sympatico.ca>

> What about mercenary units or soldiers hired by a non-governmental
group?
> Would they still be considered mercs?  For example, my rebel group
hires
> some merc advisors.  The Japanese corporate mercs - who aren't
fighting
for
> a foreign government at all - but a Japanese company.  Or the "big
evil
> megacorporation" who hires a military unit to take over a colony so
they
> can exploit the natural resources...

My guess is that under present laws, they would be seen as gangsters and
outside the law.

All states nowadays tend to be fairly strict about the use of force.
Security guards typically are under much tighter rules than police, who
in
turn are much more restricted than soldiers fighting a war.

Of course you can postulate political/economic developments that allow
corporations to develop their own military forces, but you would have to
invent the legal framework for them as well.

There are historical examples, e.g.the navies and armies maintained by
the
East India Companies.

Greetings