The Modern Mercenary : Private Armies and What They Mean for World Order

• Exposes the little understood yet crucially important world of private military contractors • Author's real-world experience lends a unique perspective to case studies from Liberia to Colombia to Afghanistan • Employs the concept of 'neomedievalism' to explain the way contract warfare will affect international relations It was 2004, and Sean McFate had a mission in Burundi: to keep the president alive and prevent the country from spiraling into genocide without anyone knowing that the United States was involved. The United States was, of course, involved, but only through McFate's employer, the military contractor DynCorp International. Throughout Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, similar scenarios are playing out daily. The United States can no longer go to war or carry out covert operations without contractors. In 2010, the Pentagon's budget for private contractors was seven times the entire U.K. defense budget. How did this state of affairs come to be? How does the shadowy world of military contracting actually operate? And what do trends suggest about the future of war and international relations? We simply don't know much about the structure of the industry, how private military companies operate, and where this industry is heading. Typically led by ex-military men, such firms are by their very nature secretive. Even the US government—the entity that actually pays them—knows relatively little. In __Private Armies__, former industry insider Sean McFate lays bare the opaque world of private military contractors, explaining the economic structure of the industry and showing in detail how firms operate on the ground. As a former paratrooper and private military contractor, McFate provides an unparalleled perspective into the nuts and bolts of the industry, as well as a sobering prognosis for the future of war. While at present the U.S. government and U.S. firms dominate the market, private military companies are emerging from other countries, and warlords and militias have restyled themselves as private security companies in places like Afghanistan and Somalia. To understand how the proliferation of private forces may influence international relations, McFate looks back to the European Middle Ages, when mercenaries were common and contract warfare the norm. He concludes that international relations in the twenty-first century may have more in common with the twelfth century than the twentieth. This "back to the future" situation, which he calls neomedievalism, is not necessarily a negative condition, but it will produce a global system that contains rather than solves problems. A decidedly non-polemical account (a rarity in this field), __Private Armies__ is the first work that combines a broad-ranging theory of the phenomenon with an insider's understanding of what the world of the private military industry is actually like. It was 2004, and Sean McFate had a mission in Burundi: to keep the president alive and prevent the country from spiraling into genocide, without anyone knowing that the United States was involved. The United States was, of course, involved, but only through McFate's employer, the military contractor DynCorp International. Throughout the world, similar scenarios are playing out daily. The United States can no longer go to war without contractors. Yet we don't know much about the industry's structure, its operations, or where it's heading. Typically led by ex-military men, contractor firms are by their very nature secretive. Even the U.S. government-the entity that actually pays them-knows relatively little. In The Modern Mercenary, Sean McFate lays bare this opaque world, explaining the economic structure of the industry and showing in detail how firms operate on the ground. A former U.S. Army paratrooper and private military contractor, McFate provides an unparalleled perspective into the nuts and bolts of the industry, as well as a sobering prognosis for the future of war. While at present, the U.S. government and U.S. firms dominate the market, private military companies are emerging from other countries, and warlords and militias have restyled themselves as private security companies in places like Afghanistan and Somalia. To understand how the proliferation of private forces may influence international relations, McFate looks back to the European Middle Ages, when mercenaries were common and contract warfare the norm. He concludes that international relations in the twenty-first century may have more in common with the twelfth century than the twentieth. This'back to the future'situation, which he calls'neomedievalism,'is not necessarily a negative condition, but it will produce a global system that contains rather than solves problems. The Modern Mercenary is the first work that combines a broad-ranging theory of the phenomenon with an insider's understanding of what the world of the private military industry is actually like. It was 2004, and Sean McFate had a mission in Burundi: to keep the president alive and prevent the country from spiraling into genocide, without anyone knowing that the United States was involved. The United States was, of course, involved but only through McFate's employer, the military contractor DynCorp International. Throughout the world, similar scenarios are playing out daily. The United States can no longer go to war without contractors. Yet we don't know much about the industry's structure, its operations, or where it's heading. Typically led by ex-military men, contractor firms are by their very nature secretive. Even the U.S. government - the entity that actually pays them - knows relatively little. In The Modern Mercenary , Sean McFate lays bare this opaque world, explaining the economic structure of the industry and showing in detail how firms operate on the ground. A former U.S. Army paratrooper and private military contractor, McFate provides an unparalleled perspective into the nuts and bolts of the industry, as well as a sobering prognosis for the future of war. While at present, the U.S. government and U.S. firms dominate the market, private military companies are emerging from other countries, and warlords and militias have restyled themselves as private security companies in places like Afghanistan and Somalia. To understand how the proliferation of private forces may influence international relations, McFate looks back to the European Middle Ages, when mercenaries were common and contract warfare the norm. He concludes that international relations in the twenty-first century may have more in common with the twelfth century than the twentieth. This back-to-the-future situation, which he calls neo-medievalism, is not necessarily a negative condition, but it will produce a global system that contains rather than solves problems. The Modern Mercenary is the first work that combines a broad-ranging theory of the phenomenon. In The Modern Mercenary, Sean Mcfate Lays Bare This Opaque World, Explaining The Economic Structure Of The Industry And Showing In Detail How Firms Operate On The Ground. A Former U.s. Army Paratrooper And Private Military Contractor, Mcfate Provides An Unparalleled Perspective Into The Nuts And Bolts Of The Industry, As Well As A Sobering Prognosis For The Future Of War. While At Present, The U.s. Government And U.s. Firms Dominate The Market, Private Military Companies Are Emerging From Other Countries, And Warlords And Militias Have Restyled Themselves As Private Security Companies In Places Like Afghanistan And Somalia. To Understand How The Proliferation Of Private Forces May Influence International Relations, Mcfate Looks Back To The European Middle Ages, When Mercenaries Were Common And Contract Warfare The Norm. He Concludes That International Relations In The Twenty-first Century May Have More In Common With The Twelfth Century Than The Twentieth. This Back To The Future Situation, Which He Calls Neomedievalism, Is Not Necessarily A Negative Condition, But It Will Produce A Global System That Contains Rather Than Solves Problems. Peace Through Profit Motive? -- Understanding The Private Military Industry -- A Co-dependency Problem -- How Did We Get Here? -- Why Private Armies Have Returned -- The Murky Side Of Private Force -- The Modern World Order: A Brief History -- Neomedievalism -- Neomedieval Warfare -- Military Enterprisers In Liberia: Building Better Armies -- Mercenaries In Somalia: A Neomedieval Tale -- Medieval Modernity. Sean Mcfate. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict Cover 1 Contents 8 List of Table and Figures 10 Foreword 12 Acknowledgments 18 Abbreviations 20 1. Peace through Profit Motive? 22 2. Understanding the Private Military Industry 29 3. A Codependency Problem 40 4. How Did We Get Here? 47 5. Why Private Armies Have Returned 62 6. The Murky Side of Private Force 71 7. The Modern World Order: A Brief History 82 8. Neomedievalism 93 9. Neomedieval Warfare 111 10. Military Enterprisers in Liberia: Building Better Armies 122 11. Mercenaries in Somalia: A Neomedieval Tale 152 12. Medieval Modernity 170 Annex A: IDIQ Contract 190 Annex B: Contract Amendment 200 Annex C: Liberia Military Program Timeline 206 Notes 212 Bibliography 230 Index 260 A 260 B 261 C 261 D 262 E 262 F 262 G 263 H 263 I 263 J 264 K 264 L 264 M 265 N 266 O 266 P 266 Q 267 R 267 S 267 T 268 U 268 V 269 W 269 X 269 Y 269 Z 269 "In The Modern Mercenary, Sean McFate lays bare this opaque world, explaining the economic structure of the industry and showing in detail how firms operate on the ground. A former U.S. Army paratrooper and private military contractor, McFate provides an unparalleled perspective into the nuts and bolts of the industry, as well as a sobering prognosis for the future of war. While at present, the U.S. government and U.S. firms dominate the market, private military companies are emerging from other countries, and warlords and militias have restyled themselves as private security companies in places like Afghanistan and Somalia. To understand how the proliferation of private forces may influence international relations, McFate looks back to the European Middle Ages, when mercenaries were common and contract warfare the norm. He concludes that international relations in the twenty-first century may have more in common with the twelfth century than the twentieth. This "back to the future" situation, which he calls "neomedievalism," is not necessarily a negative condition, but it will produce a global system that contains rather than solves problems."--Page 4 de la couverture