Re: Life begins to copy GZG.....

Just saw this on the Webrpg.com T2K list.

2B^2

>From: Glenn M Wilson <triphibious@juno.com>
>Reply-To: gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu
>To: Stargrunt-Fullthrust@yahoogroups.com, gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu
>Subject: Life begins to copy GZG.....
>Date: Thu, 14 Feb 2002 19:06:58 EST
>
>--------- 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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