Throughout the Middle East, the use of private military contractors has significantly heightened, due to the call of attacks in these countries. PMC’s take up much cost for a country to fund, and the increasing rates are bringing drawbacks onto working citizens. However, there PMC’s are also vital in order for a country to maintain its armed security forces. On the other hand, mercenaries are people who take part in armed conflicts. The PMC’s hire these mercenaries to work under them in helping take part in hostilities, but receive benefits for their own gains. Recently, the United Nations Mercenary Convention (UNMC) has placed restrictions upon PMC’s in the use of mercenaries, in order to create specifications between commercial and government uses of these protection services. Sweden has very little support and funds for the use of these PMC’s, due to the lack of high military activity.
Current Issues: In the Middle East, and other countries active in their military uses, are raising high questions of controversy against whether or not PMC’s should be implemented at an international scale. After these countries in the middle east have been hit with attacks, there has been thought on how to promote entrusted security for the countries. However, the use of these PMC’s can lead to security faults in diplomatic officials, and can cause unstable regions throughout a country as we have seen happen in Libya in 2012. On the contrary, PMC’s can be ideal in post-war
The foreign, military and economic policies of states, the intersections of these policies in areas of change or dispute, and the general structure of relations which they create, are all analysed in terms of aspirations to achieve national and/or international security. Security is most commonly associated with the alleviation of threats to cherished values (Williams; 2008). However this is a definition that is undesirably vague and a reflection of the inherent nature of security as an ‘essentially contested concept’ (Gallie; 1962). Security in the modern day context has many key concepts associated with it: uncertainty, war, terrorism, genocide and mass killing, ethnic conflict, coercion,
Over the past twenty years, civilization has seen vast changes in which our society performs and operates. “Security sector is a broad term often used to describe the structures, institutions and personnel responsible for the management, provision and oversight of security in a country. These can include defense, law enforcement institutions, corrections, intelligence services, border management, customs, elements of the judicial sector, management and oversight bodies, civil society groups and other non-state actors, among other elements.
The topic for this paper will be to consider the role of civilian contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, and where applicable investigate how they were utilized in joint operations in both theaters. Also, the research will extend to the expectations for civilian contractors versus that of their military counter parts. The tentative title is, “Civilian Contractors and Their Impact on Joint Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.” This may need to be focused a bit more once exploration and study is done as the approach may be too broad, but only investigation and application of resources will determine whether the scope needs to be narrowed or not.
Security is based on military strength. The chief purposes of the nation’s foreign policy are protection of America’s security in an often hostile world. Today, American security policy is worried not only with the procedures of the other nations such as Nazi Germany 1940, soviet Russia 1980; but also with activities of terrorist groups and other hostile non-state actors. To defend the nation and to achieve this goal, united state has built a huge military
The report additionally concludes that the “Minister,” or President in the United States’ case, should be, “legally responsible,” for security and intelligence policies in these cases (Born and Leigh 2005). The United States’ system represents this framework in today’s practice as the National Security Act of 1947 and its amendments legislate the authority of the President to approve covert action. Referring once again to the earlier consensus that covet actions belong to the President, the legal responsibility of the executive is
The U.S. has a critical importance in regulating and protecting the supply of weapons in the Middle East. Martha McCoy, M.D., A.B.D., has studied extensively in the fields of political theory and
The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown: PMC’s in Iraq remains the title of one of the many articles debating the heavy controversy of PMC’s effectiveness. However the title itself hints towards a clear direction. The “bad and the unknown” immediately strikes us as readers, because what is worse than the not known, and the bad when in a political crisis? Contractors should not be given the opportunity to rise to the position of a soldiers’ job. Our lack of information about where these applicants are coming from as well as where their true loyalty lies make this company unreliable and suspicious. Along with this variability, contractors “rip” the rightful payment that should be directly given to the soldiers. This financial ruling allows for contractors
Christopher Ball, pointed out in his lecturer at Iowa State University, dated on August 2nd, 2002 that “One use of the term MIC refers to any set of relationships between military policy and industrial production” . There is a continuing argument between politicians and the military in general, because both of them look from different angle to achieve the national security. Military consider that the national security achieved through creation a military force which able to protect all the state institutions in different circumstances. On the other hand, Politicians believe that there are many other elements might protect the national security, and thus can be achieved by different ways, for example, a strong economy maybe contribute the achievement of national security. The debate and controversy began among politicians and military and economists. James Graham points out that throughout the history, military power has been paramount and economic power a luxury.
Another significant reason for the use of drones in the Middle East is because they have proven to be an invaluable way to keep our ground troops safe. According to Oestergaard, the MQ-1B Predator drone has a range of 777 miles and a maximum flight time of 40 hours while carrying two Hellfire missiles. The MQ-9A Reaper drone has a range of 1,151 miles and a maximum flight time of 30 hours. When it has a full payload of four Hellfire missiles and two laser guided bombs it has a maximum flight time of fourteen hours (Oestergaard 5-6). The lengthy flight time and catastrophic payload is a lifeline for our troops on the ground. These drones can be used for both surveillance and direct contact situations. For example, if a special forces team
Legal and moral and political-cultural constraints can be understood and given appropriate political and mission consideration as would any other strategic issues. However, SOF cannot operate so far out of convention that it is not acknowledged as a legitimate actor of the sovereign state. Special operations and SOF exist on the cutting edge of change and stability in the security environment. SOF, by virtue of the value of SOF power to national security in the emerging security environment, are logically policymakers’ preferred first responders to a vast range of traditional and nontraditional threats and choices. The emerging environment is characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) associated with great change. SOF can both deal with and manipulate these with special operations. However, such periods place a premium on strategic thinking and execution. In such circumstances, instructions provided, choices made, and actions taken may have extraordinary effects on security and in molding the future. Special operations must achieve the desired strategic effects and elude any undesirable second- or third-order effects. Special operations logically advocate changes and continuities within the setting of their operations, but always with a consideration of all the potential outcomes and the greater security concerns. SOF
The readings this week focused on the development programs and assistance regarding fragile states. Most of the articles focused on different eras of security development and fragile states and practical examples such as Afghanistan while the last article, by Stephen Baranyi and Themrise Khan, stepped away from Afghanistan and focused on other fragile states. There were many themes this week, but the ones I want to address in my paper is the western centric approach to stability and security and the disconnect between policy and on ground action due to bureaucratic barriers to securitization. Though there were other themes present in the articles, these three stood out to me as being the most relevant.
It spreads like an infection; whoever it kisses becomes … distorted. Twisting, transforming into something ugly and terrifying, black heart beating with ravenous predatory lust ...
Imagine stepping outside and there was a foreign military in control on the street that you live on. Having one 's home invaded by an unfamiliar person is a scary and traumatizing experience. It encourages a person to take more precautionary measures to ensure that their home is safe, but being watchful is not always a guarantee of safety. This concept reflects what the people of Okinawa experienced in the nineteen forties and still struggle with today. The beautiful island of Okinawa is located south of Japan and is composed of several small islands. Okinawa was its own Ryukyu Kingdom before it was annexed by the Japanese in 1879 (mainichi.jp). Today, the Japanese government itself does not truly treat Okinawa as an equal to mainland Japan. In fact, many of the Okinawans do not consider themselves to be Japanese and actively voice that their culture is starkly different than that of the Japanese people. The Japanese government is placing these bases on the Okinawan’s home without consulting them. It is an unfair act upon the locals because their home is being taken from and they can do nothing to stop it. The bases are not only disliked by the locals but it is also harming their marine life and polluting their environment. Mainland Japan is fully capable of housing the new military bases but they would rather throw it on the nonviolent island of Okinawa.
The essay will firstly discuss the Security Council’s (SC) role in maintaining international peace and security through Article 2(4) and whether terrorism allows for the use of force under self-defence. It will then explain how the use of force against a State can be balanced with the violation of a State 's territorial integrity through customary law elements. The other sources of international law that influence the justiciability of force against terrorism include jus cogens and
The traditional security paradigm is focused on physical and external security threats to states. It promotes that security should be state centred and national security is primary over other securities, such as human security. States must defend their territory and authority from external, foreign threats, by physical means, such as increasing the military or