Abstracts

Abstract for: Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army by Jeremy Scahill
Blackwater was not always a major player in US military contracting. It was not until the Iraq war in 2003 that Blackwater’s fortunes changed, with the advent of the Rumsfeld doctrine. The Rumsfeld Doctrine was conceived as a way to make the military cheaper, and more effective by relying on market forces. The reality as it would turn out was far from the theory. Iraq is the major case study within this book of the effects of the US military’s vast privatization by companies such as Blackwater. The primary motive for private military companies is profit, and as such, many corners are cut to attain lucrative US government contracts in Iraq. The overall examination in this book shows the interplay between privatized military organizations, their lack of effectiveness and the surge in violence in military operations in Iraq.

Abstract for: Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry by P.W Singer

Private military corporations are seen by governments as a means of saving money. Their use on a whole has increased to unforeseen heights in the last decade. The book explores two sides of the private military coin. On one hand there are the perceived benefits, such as hiring privatized specialists for particular problems, ensuring that the job be done effectively if the government does not have the means. Another advantage can be seen in the use of private military firms being of use in ending small scale conflicts. The negative aspects explored are economic in nature and tend to overshadow the positive aspects. Contractual issues more often than not arise, leading to many unfinished operations, without regard to the military needs at that moment, as being private companies, their loyalties go to their shareholders first. An even bigger problem is losing military policy to private actors such as PMCs, which can lead to the further degradation of a state. The book’s examination aims towards finding possible solutions to the use of PMCs, and their possible regulation.