Life begins to copy GZG.....

--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: "Wilson, Glenn M." <WilsonG@nima.mil>
To: "Boyer, Kevin" <BoyerK@nima.mil>,Janice at
Work,<JMW3567@BJCmail.carenet.org>
Cc: "'Earl Hodgen, BMHGA Prez'" <hodgen@fidnet.com>,"'Editor, The Fifth
Column'" <fifthcolumneditor@clparis.com>,"'Figs4Sale@aol.com'"
<Figs4Sale@aol.com>,"'Pat Connaughton'",<ptconn@earthlink.net>,"'Terry
Heil 'Home''" <vorga@aol.com>,"'William A Doelling (BMHGA Treasurer)'"
<wadfire@juno.com>
Subject: Trends?
Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2002 08:00:25 -0500
Message-ID: <2104F001CD90D51194160008C7866B75011575BE@stlx01.nima.mil>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_1817000/1817495.stm

Wednesday, 13 February, 2002, 20:55 GMT=20
	      Peacekeeping 'role' for
	      mercenaries

	      British paratroops work with the UN in Sierra Leone=20
	      Mercenaries working for private military companies
	      could be used for international peacekeeping duties,
	      the government has suggested.=20

	      A long-awaited consultation paper says "reputable"
	      private firms may be able to do a better, more
	      cost-effective job than forces like the United Nations.=20

	      In the foreword, Foreign
	      Secretary Jack Straw says
	      "a strong and reputable
	      private military sector might
	      have a role in enabling the
	      UN to respond more rapidly
	      and effectively to crises".=20

	      Quizzed on the issue at
	      Prime Minister's Questions,
	      Tony Blair said: "I think what
	      the foreign secretary is
	      saying, rather, is that the
	      use of mercenaries has to come within some proper
	      system of regulation.=20

	      "Up until now that has not been the case and that is
	      why it is important that we make sure there are proper
	      rules in the use of mercenaries."=20

	      Labour backbencher Andrew Mackinlay has called the
	      proposals "repugnant".=20

	      But Conservative Foreign Affairs spokesman Michael
	      Ancram said his party supported the use of
	      mercenaries "so long as they are properly accredited".

	      Although he added: "There should be no question of
	      mercenaries becoming a substitute for
	      properly-recruited and equipped British armed forces."=20

	      For the Liberal Democrats Menzies Campbell said that
	      the case for regulating companies providing military
	      services was "overwhelming".=20

	      Although he said he had concerns that the UN could
	      contract peacekeeping operations to the private sector
	      which he said raised questions about "issues of
	      allegiance and the chain of command".=20

	      The Green Paper was prompted by the Arms-to-Africa
	      affair four years ago, which led to claims that the UK
	      Government had connived with the British private
	      military company - Sandline International - in the
	      illegal export of arms to Sierra Leone.=20

	      The Foreign Office is emphasising that it is a
	      consultation document, putting forward options for
	      discussion and not specific policy proposals.=20

	      But it says that given the
	      way the world is changing,
	      the business of providing
	      private military services is
	      likely to grow.=20

	      Therefore, a licensing
	      system may be desirable
	      to try to distinguish
	      between different private
	      military companies.=20

	      It says that in Africa
	      private companies often
	      have greater respect for
	      human rights than government forces do.=20

	      'Offensive'

	      And they may to do a better, more cost-effective job
	      than the United Nations peacekeeping force in Sierra
	      Leone (UNAMSIL), which costs $600m (=A3420m) a
	      year.=20

	      In the foreword Mr Straw says: "Today's world is a far
	      cry from the 1960s when private military activity
	      usually meant mercenaries of the rather unsavoury
	      kind involved in post-colonial or neo-colonial =
conflicts."

	      The paper adds that the use of private military
	      companies raises important concerns about human
	      rights, sovereignty and accountability.=20

	      The document is likely to lead to a heated political
	      debate as some MPs want no use of private
	      companies at all.=20

	      Mr Mackinlay, a member of the Commons foreign
	      affairs select committee, said it was "breathtaking in
	      the extreme" that Mr Straw would "even contemplate
	      giving such companies a veneer of respectability".=20

	      He said the foreign affairs committee, and other MPs
	      who had been calling for the Green Paper, had
	      expected it to herald legislation outlawing either
	      recruitment of mercenaries in the UK or companies
	      organising arms sales to mercenary companies.=20

	      Better regulation=20

	      "At the very least, we expected much tighter controls,"
	      he added.=20

	      Colonel Tim Spicer, the former Sandline head who now
	      runs Strategic Consulting International, said private
	      military companies would never be a substitute for
	      forces like the British Army.=20

	      "But there are certain circumstances where the quick
	      deployment of a private military company is going to
	      save lives and stabilise the situation," he said.=20
--------- End forwarded message ----------

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