Contractors, also known as mercenaries or private military and security companies, play a significant role in the U.S security and foreign relations departments. One of their notable contributions is in the nation's peacekeeping missions in Iran and Afghanistan since 2003. Although they may seem to play a similar role to that of the U.S military, they differ in how they relate with the government, public, and local and international law. Often, contractors have been involved in roles that are not in line with the interests of Americans both locally and internationally. Thus, the use of mercenaries in the U.S.'s foreign security missions presents several challenges. However, the many benefits that they present cannot be ignored either. Therefore, the government should consider formulating ways to minimize the risks that arise with the use of private military security contractors (PMSCs) while taking advantage of their merits.
The major services of contractors revolve around military activities and related policing initiatives. According to Avant and de Nevers (2011), some of the roles of PMSCs include training police, supply of weapons, armed and unarmed security in conflict sites, and military training. They use officers from the U.S, the involved country, and other nations. Despite the significant role that PMSCs play in enhancing security in foreign lands, they pose several challenges, including their violation of human rights and the huge amounts of money they consume, evident through the scandals exposed during their operations in Iraq and Afghanistan (Cimini, 2018). However, the U.S government continues to use PMSCs in foreign military operations. It puzzles many that the U.S, which has the most powerful military forces globally, regularly outsources private contractors to enhance its operations.
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In conclusion, national military forces have insufficient capacity to meet foreign policy goals, pushing the U.S government to use private contractors to meet such goals. The government should come up with ways of dealing with the challenges associated with PMSCs. However, mitigating the barriers hindering the effectiveness of private contractors is quite difficult. Measures meant to enhance their accountability may limit the flexibility of private contractors, thus lowering their effectiveness. Besides, another appropriate action would be lower to implement professional and legal standards in the operations of PMSCs to minimize fraud and other unacceptable behaviors, which would also limit the use of locals. Therefore, tackling the challenges associated with the use of private contractors in foreign peacekeeping missions remains a puzzle.
References
Avant, D. D., & de Nevers, R. (2011). Military contractors & the American way of war. Daedalus , 140 (3), 88-99. https://doi.org/10.1162/DAED_a_00100
Cimini, T. (2018, August 2). The invisible army: Explaining private military and security companies. E-International Relations. https://www.e-ir.info/2018/08/02/the-invisible-army-explaining-private-military-and-security-companies/
