Private Military Company or Private Security Company?
"We are trying to do for the national security apparatus what FedEx did for the Postal Service" is a quote from Blackwater USA founder and CEO Erik Prince, a former Navy SEAL. What I’m sure he meant by that statement is that he wanted to create a well-coordinated, well-trained, reliable security contractor. Their services include, but are not limited to: a training center, law enforcement and military personnel, a security consulting division led by a former CIA officer and co-founder of the company, maritime training for water-based operations, etc. Since 2003 the company has provided lucrative services to the CIA, even getting a $250 million dollar contract at one point, followed by a $92 million contract from Homeland Security and even a Pentagon contract for "intelligence, analyst support and material procurement" for NATO in the Afghan drug war. So it looks like Mr. Prince’s vision became a reality, but with such profitable contracts and worldwide presence, some things are inevitably going to go wrong. Blackwater Worldwide has played a substantial role during the Iraq war as a contractor for the United States government, and as such is no stranger to this kind of incidents.
A PMC or PSC is a private company providing armed combat and/or security services.
The United Nations considers PMCs which fight in an armed conflict to be mercenaries and prohibits them. The United Kingdom, Russia, China, and the United States are not signatories to the convention, and the United States has rejected the UN's classification of PMCs as mercenaries. It is for this very reason that some countries, such as Spain and Portugal, eschew the term “Private Military Company” for its negative connotations as a non-government sanctioned body capable of armed conflict for a profit. Contractors who use offensive force in a war zone could be considered unlawful combatants, in reference to a concept outlined in the Geneva Conventions and can lose their right to a prisoner of war status, since many EU based PSCs have a "civilians accompanying the armed forces" designation. A notable incident of such circumstances happened in 2007, where contractors of the above mentioned Blackwater were involved in a shooting in Baghdad, Iraq, where they were convicted of killing 17 Iraqi civilians. Blackwater lost its license to operate in Iraq and the contractors involved have been sentenced to 30 years in prison, some even life.
It would appear that no major difference, if any, exists between the term Private Military or Private Security Company. It is a difference in the perceived meaning of the terminology used. If a private company is a security one, that means it is used in a defensive capability, and there is nothing wrong with defending yourself. But if a private company is a military one, this means the government is paying mercenaries under the table to destabilize foreign governments and assassinate political opponents. The use of this kind of private companies has its benefits, and the lesson to be learned here is that the law has to be ready to sanction any and all infractions. [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]
