I have received several emails and Facebook forwardings in regards to this particular op-ed, and I thought I would put it out there for folks to check out. I have never talked with Dr. Deane-Peter Baker, but he does have some credentials and a few books under his belt.
My personal view is that we should not get involved with Libya’s civil/tribal war. But going beyond opinions, I wanted to focus on the capabilities of PMC’s and if in fact they could have an impact on the ground in Libya. I think so, because like Dr. Baker presented, there is precedent for companies participating in offensive operations abroad and succeeding. The Flying Tigers and Executive Outcomes were mentioned below as companies that did such a thing, and I have my own list of folks that get an honorable mention (check my history section).
Now it has been established that companies have the potential to do this, but what is missing in the present is the legal will to do such a thing. Operations like this would require a blessing from the highest levels of government, and the license would have to give a company all the same freedoms and liberties that today’s militaries enjoy–and then some. If you want success out of a company, and you care to achieve victory in a war, you must give that company total freedom to do what it needs to do. You must also give it the assurance that they will not be turned into criminals for the warfare they wage, and this is very important.
That’s not saying that a company would want the freedom to commit atrocity and war crime. It’s just the company must know that it is legally authorized to do what it has to do in the context of the chaos and unpredictability of war. Of course that is why I keep harping on the Letter of Marque and Reprisal or similar type license that is approved and signed in blood by the highest authorities of that issuing country. Until that happens, the serious and most capable of companies will always default to the contracts that give them the happy medium of profit and legality.
Now of course a company can go off the grid and attempt to arrange a contract without anyone’s blessing. In a perfect world and free market society, this would work out just fine. But in today’s modern times, countries still rule the military and legal battlefields, and they will always exert control when it’s best interest is threatened or could be enhanced. If I had a dollar for every company that ‘wanted’ to provide a service in let’s say Somalia, and yet to be shut down or intimidated by any of the super powers or other authority… So yeah, the legal blessing is the key here. The money and everything else involved with war fighing else is just business, but the legal authority along with the moral/legal will of the issuing party, is the most valuable thing that a company could have if they wanted to go down this path. Just my two cents on the whole thing. –Matt
In Libya, fight mercenaries with mercenaries
By Deane-Peter Baker
March 29, 2011
It is time to state the glaringly obvious. Without at least some boots on the ground in support of the rebels, the conflict in Libya will in all likelihood settle into a grinding stalemate. The air cover provided by the United States and a slowly growing coalition has pegged back Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s forces, but it will take more than air cover to ensure a rebel victory. (more…)
