October « 2010 « Feral Jundi

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Industry Talk: Afghan Ban On Security Firms Delayed By 2 Months

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: Afghanistan, ban, inception, Industry Talk, Karzai, private military companies, private security companies, security companies, security contractors, timelines — Matt @ 10:34 AM

That’s a start. Although I wonder how much we had to pay Crazy Karzai for this two month extension? lol Lately I have been reading all the latest articles about this circus, and it is just dumb. It is obvious that Karzai is playing games. I mean this guy is talking with the Taliban, getting money from Iran, and at the same time jerking us around about PSCs in Afghanistan. He is using the ban on PSCs as a means of extortion and it is just dumb. It’s almost as if some agent was able to penetrate his brain and plant this idea, ‘Inception‘ style.

Because lets be real on this one. Karzai’s life was dependent upon private security during many of the years of his presidency. His family operated private security companies who made millions of dollars from contracts over the years. And all of these recent incidents involving kidnapping, attacks on facilities, and attacks on convoys all highlight how important security is. If there are not enough troops to do the job, then of course private security is the next step, and yet Karzai wants to ban them?

Also, if Karzai has an issue with companies, then instead of throwing the baby out with bath water, he could instead ‘fairly’ issue licenses (which they do, yet does not regulate or manage well ) and require them to be bonded. A bond could make it extremely expensive for companies that screw up, and give the offices an incentive to watch the industry. That would be one way for him to control and regulate companies.

The alternative is that he kicks out all of these companies, to include expat companies, and all of the programs they were tasked with securing will falter. Billions of dollars in aid designed to rebuild and infuse money into the local economies, will now be shut off because these programs do not have security. Not to mention investors will now have second thoughts about doing anything in Afghanistan, all because they are not allowed to use private security.

The logical way to reduce the numbers of contractors is through success in the war. As security increases, attacks and threats decrease, and the requirement for security will decrease. Actually this would be a great metric on how the war is going, and if security contractor use naturally decreases because of that classic market force called ‘a lack of demand’, then this would be an excellent indicator that things are getting better.

It is a lot like the timeline issue that I have talked about in the past. The enemy loves timelines, because it is a date for victory. Troops or contractors should leave not based on timelines but based on progress and success. –Matt

Press Release From The Office Of The President (Afghanistan)

October 27, 2010

Arg, Kabul – For a rapid implementation of Presidential Decree 62 on the dissolution of private security companies, President Hamid Karzai has ordered the establishment of a committee led by the Minister of Interior and participated by representatives from NATO-ISAF and major international donors.

The Committee will develop plans for the disbandment of the PCSs that provide security for development projects and report on progress to the President.

The phasing out of illegal PCSs and road convoy security companies continues on a priority basis as laid out in the Decree.

Recognizing the importance of maintaining the continuous delivery of critical development projects and programs funded by the international community, the Committee will prepare a timetable for the disbandment of the PCSs that secure development projects and submit it to the President on November 15th, 2010.

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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Industry Talk: International Stability Operations Association–IPOA’s New Name

Filed under: Industry Talk,United Nations — Tags: Doug Brooks, Industry Talk, IPOA, ISOA, private security companies, security contractors, UN, UN Global Compact — Matt @ 1:48 PM

Interesting change here. Also, ISOA has some exciting stuff coming up in the near future in regards to the Code of Conduct. But like the UN Global Compact, what will be the legal mechanisms or disciplinary mechanisms that will insure it has teeth and everyone abides by it? How does it interact with SOFAs, and the various constitutions and legal mechanisms throughout the world?

The proof of concept to me is what would happen to a contract guard or even employee of a company, if they committed a crime in a war zone of another country? How that code of conduct addresses this type of circumstance, as well as the other complex circumstances we have come up over the last nine or so years, is what I am interested in.

It is also important to address what the disciplinary measures will be when companies–both contracted and sub-contracted, do ‘bad things’ under that contract? These are the kinds of things that must be addressed if we want others to respect the effort. That respect could also translate into increased legitimacy and even increased business throughout the world, just because those who contract our services would know that there is such a process of control, legal accountability and regulation. –Matt

International Stability Operations Association: IPOA’s New Name

Oct. 25 , 2010

The association that represents the stability operations industry, formerly called IPOA, is now the International Stability Operations Association (ISOA). The new name and logo are designed to better reflect the broad industry that provides vital services and support to the international community in conflict, post-conflict and disaster relief operations.

“From the beginning, our goal has been to make international stability operations more successful by increasing accountability, ethics and standards within the industry,” said ISOA’s President, Doug Brooks. “For almost ten years we have grown as the ethical core of a unique and valuable international resource. Our new name reflects that evolution as an association and as an industry, and positions us for the future.”

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Industry Talk: UN Working Group Is Strangely Silent About The UN’s Use Of PSCs In Afghanistan

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk,United Nations — Tags: Afghanistan, IDG Security, Industry Talk, PSC's, security contractors, UN Working Group, United Nations, UNWG — Matt @ 12:19 PM

I wanted to do a quick criticism of the UNWG’s latest press release about US PSC’s in Afghanistan. Why would they criticize US oversight of PSC’s, and yet not take a critical look or even mention the UN’s use of PSC’s in Afghanistan?

UN experts call for stronger oversight of US private security contractors in Afghanistan and I would like to hear what the UN has as a means of accountability over a PSC like IDG Security? What if one of those guards committed a criminal act–what would the UN do with that individual? How about the vetting? Do they know that every guard is former Gurkha or has a clean background? How about the other contracted and sub-contracted companies the UN uses?

The other thing I was curious about is what happens to a contracted company the UN uses that violates their ‘code of conduct’ called the UN Global Compact? Do they prosecute the individuals in a UN tribunal, or do they just fire them and ‘hope’ that the home country is able to do something with them? Pfffft. Where’s the ‘teeth’, as they say?

It would seem to me that the UN is doing the exact same things as the US in terms of using PSC’s, but continues to only point fingers at others. I would classify that as ‘hypocritical’, don’t you think? By the way, if UNWG is curious at all, they should contact UN staff in Afghanistan and ask them about the ‘other’ companies they are using. Just so they can have all the information they need to make a report about the ‘UN’s use of PSC’s in war zones’.-Matt

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Press Release from UNWG

GENEVA (19 October 2010) – The UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries welcomed as “a step in the right direction” a recent report by the US Senate Committee on Armed Services into the role and oversight of US private security contractors in Afghanistan. “However, more should be done to address the problems raised in that inquiry,” said the Chairperson of the expert body, Alexander Nikitin. “In particular, there should be stronger oversight of US private security contractors in Afghanistan and elsewhere.”

“The findings of the US Senate report are consistent with those of the Working Group following its visit to Afghanistan* in April 2009,” said Mr. Nikitin, noting that the study shows the many problems raised by the absence of adequate oversight over the private military and security companies contracted by the US Government in Afghanistan.

“Because of the lack of effective vetting procedures, in particular, some of these companies employed individuals who may have been involved in human rights abuses in the past and continued to be involved in human rights violations while employed by these companies,” he said.

The Working Group noted during its visit to Afghanistan that former armed elements, whether considered to be warlords or anti-Government elements, were not effectively prevented from registering as employees of officially licensed private security companies.

Given the lack of systematic and effective vetting and training procedures, and the absence of adequate sanctions in case of violations, the UN expert body had recommended that Governments contracting private security companies in Afghanistan establish adequate oversight and accountability mechanisms.

Later that year, during the Group’s visit to the United States in July, it also recommended that the US Government establish a more vigorous vetting procedure before awarding contracts. “The problems faced in Afghanistan illustrate once again the importance of and the pressing need for a strong system of regulation and oversight of private military and security companies.” said Mr. Nikitin.

“The matters discussed in the US Senate report are too important to be left to self-regulation of companies,” the Group’s Chairperson stressed. “While voluntary codes of conduct for private contractors are welcome, they are not sufficient to ensure that States regulate and monitor the activities of the companies they contract to carry out State functions, and establish accountability mechanisms to address human rights violations.”

A draft text for a new convention on the regulation of private military and security companies was presented by the expert body to the Human Rights Council last month.The Council decided to establish an open-ended intergovernmental working group to consider the possibility of elaborating an international framework on the regulation, monitoring and oversight of the activities of private military and security companies, taking into account the principles and provisions for a new legally binding instrument proposed by the Working Group on mercenaries.

“The self-regulatory codes of conduct of the security industry have failed in the past ten years to establish effective accountability,” said Mr. Nikitin. “In this regard, we hope that all States, including the United States where many private military and security companies are established, will seriously consider participating in the process initiated by the Human Rights Council aimed at setting up an international regulatory framework for private military and security companies.”

The Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination was established in 2005 by the Commission on Human Rights. It is composed of five independent experts serving in their personal capacities:, Mr. Alexander Nikitin (Chairperson-Rapporteur – Russian Federation), Ms. Amada Benavides de Pérez (Colombia), Mr. José Luis Gómez del Prado (Spain), Ms. Najat al-Hajjaji (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) and Ms. Faiza Patel (Pakistan).

Link to press release here.

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Participant Information

IDG Security Pte Ltd.

• Participant since 2008/03/06

• Status Active

• Country Singapore

• Organization Type SME

• Ownership Private Company

• Sector General Industrials

• Letter of Commitment UN_Global_compact_Feb_08.pdf

• Website http://www.idg-security.com

Next Communication on Progress

IDG Security Pte Ltd. is required to communicate on progress by 2011/03/06.

Link to UN Global Compact website here.

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Afghanistan: PSC News–IDG Security Saves The Day In Attack On UN Compound, Herat

Filed under: Afghanistan,Industry Talk — Tags: Afghanistan, erinys, gurkha, IDG Security, Industry Talk, private security companies, security contractors, UN — Matt @ 11:48 AM

“In total four attackers have been killed. One detonated his explosives-packed vehicle at the gate, a second attacker was shot and killed outside the compound, and two other attackers have been shot and killed inside the compound,” he said.

The interior ministry said three security guards contracted by the UN were injured in the attack.

UN officials in Kabul and Herat confirmed the attack and that there were no deaths or injuries among UN staff, who had taken refuge in a safe bunker. –AFP

*****

This is cool. Lately I have been trying to get a hold of someone with the UN to talk about this attack and who was involved in the defense. I did and low and behold, a PSC called IDG Security was involved in the defense of this compound. What is significant about this is that the UN is using PSC’s in Afghanistan and they are saving lives, contrary to what Karzai or the media might have you believe.

IDG Security is a Nepalese staffed company, composed of former Gurkha and former British officers. Erinys also merged with IDG Security last year and so technically, kudos go to Erinys and their staff as well.

The other point to bring up is that this attack is an exact repeat of prior suicide assaulter type attacks in the past. Although in this case, the suicide assaulters were wearing burqas and pretending to be women. Thanks to the quick thinking of the defenders and effective defenses of the compound, these are now dead suicide assaulters! Do you think the assaulter’s last thoughts as they passed were ‘damn, I was just killed wearing a burqa’? lol

Bravo to IDG Security, and bravo to the UN for using a competent PSC for the defense. –Matt

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Taliban launch attack on U.N. compound in western Afghanistan

By Joshua PartlowSunday, October 24, 2010

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban launched a midday assault on the United Nations headquarters in western Afghanistan on Saturday, crashing a car bomb into a compound gate to create an opening for suicide bombers disguised as women, according to U.N. and Afghan officials.

The attack was a startling reminder of the Taliban’s readiness to strike at the symbols of foreign presence in Afghanistan, in this case a heavily fortified facility in the relatively peaceful city of Herat, near the Iranian border. Although two Afghan policemen were injured, the attack largely failed, as U.N. guards and Afghan security forces were able to kill the insurgents. No U.N. personnel were hurt.

A thinned-out weekend staff was manning the U.N. offices when the attackers launched rocket-propelled grenades at the compound just before noon and rammed a car bomb into the back gate, U.S. and Afghan officials said. At least three other insurgents, each hiding a suicide vest under a burqa, the head-to-toe cloak worn by many Afghan women, managed to get through the gate before being killed by either guards or police, the officials said.

“This is quite significant,” one U.N. official said. “There was no such direct attack here, as far as I know, for a long time.”

It was the most serious attack on a U.N. facility since October 2009, when insurgents stormed a U.N. guesthouse in Kabul and killed several members of the foreign staff there, prompting the mission to evacuate many employees, change housing arrangements and bolster security.

After Saturday’s violence, the U.N. staff plans to relocate until its offices can be repaired and fortified but said operations in Herat will be unaffected.

“The United Nations will continue to maintain its presence and programs in Herat for the benefit of the population in need and in support of the Afghan authorities,” the mission said in a statement.

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