During the discussion of the bill the establishment in Russia of private military companies continually pops up the question of state control over them. Participants in disputes raise the question of the mechanisms of such control, and far from always answers are given to these questions.. In this regard, we decided to look into the history of PMCs and try to make out, how government agencies worked with these companies, exercising, so to speak, leadership and leadership role.
Yermak's squad as a Russian PMC
If we analyze the long-standing historical experience of the use of private military force by the state, then you can recall the conquest of America by the Spanish conquistadors (who received from the monarchs the right to receive a ransom on the conquered lands and the right to receive lands there). Or the capture of the colonies in India and Southeast Asia and their subsequent control by the British East India Company (as well as similar French and Dutch companies). Yes, and the Russian conquest of Siberia was also carried out by Yermak's "private military company" by order of the merchants Stroganovs. In all the cases cited, the interests of private military power not only coincided with those of the state, but also adjusted by government agencies.
When the world colonial system began to burst at the seams, the most far-sighted leaders of the colonial countries realized, that the optimal form of dependence of foreign possessions in changing conditions may be economic. And in order to create such a dependence, a special model was created, supplemented by activities in the abandoned territories of a private military force.
With an eye on Africa
Notably, that the creator of the world's first private military company - Watchguard International (WI) - became the creator of the famous British Special Airborne Service (SAS) David Stirling, entered into the highest offices of his country and never interrupted ties with his military leadership. WI has always worked with national governments (predominantly in Africa and Asia), allied to London.
AT 1981 PMC Defense Systems Limited was created with the financial support of British banks (LTD). This company worked in Africa mostly under contracts from the World Bank and the UN, which is impossible without lobbying high-ranking officials.
At all, the explosive growth in the number of British private military companies surprisingly coincides with the start of public funding of the country's foreign intelligence MI-6 in the mid-1990s. Prior to this, formally, this intelligence service was funded by private sponsors.. And many of the PMCs of this country were created by former MI6 employees, as well as SAS.
by the way, the famous creator and inspirer of the "new wave" of PMCs (started in the 90s) Tim Spicer, member of the Stirling clan, never hid his ties to British intelligence, nor with the British Foreign Office. AT 1992 Spicer began work under the patronage of former SAS commander Pieter de la Billiere., who became an adviser on the Middle East to the British government.
Then Spicer headed PMC Sandline International (AND). The company was active in Sierra Leone, where she trained units of fighters of the Mende tribe – participants in the civil war that broke out in the country. Britain is one of the main economic partners of this state, and London couldn't afford, so that during the war an unfriendly government comes to power. So when the scandal broke out, related to delivery with delivery to Sierra Leone bypassing the international embargo 35 tons of weapons and ammunition by the Spicer company, the case was gradually put on the brakes, despite a parliamentary inquiry. This is an investigation, by the way, revealed, that the deliveries were made by SI with the knowledge of the British High Commissioner in Sierra Leone and the US Department of State.
Despite the uproar, The State Department praised Spicer's work. And 2003 year, after the occupation of Iraq by US troops, Spicer's new company – Aegis Defence Servies (ADS) received a three-year contract 293 million dollars to provide local centers of the US Army Service for the design and implementation of contract work. It should be added, that one of the clauses of the contract was the collection of intelligence information for the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Instructions from the President
A striking example of state intervention in the activities of PMCs can serve as an episode in the activities of the company Northbridge Servies Group (NSG) - a joint venture of former British and US special forces. AT 2003 this year, this company recruited a thousand people to participate in the civil war in Côte d'Ivoire on the side of the opposition. However, only a few were sent to the conflict zone at that time - the intervention of the British government followed., who had his own interests in this African country, and the process was terminated.
Also noteworthy is the activity of the American company Military Professional Resources Inc.. (MRPI), created by high-ranking retired officers of the US Army. The then head of the Pentagon, William Perry, provided the MRPI with participation in the preparation of the Croatian army and the planning of operations of the Croatian army.. At the same time, in the course of its work, MRPI received direct instructions from US President Bill Clinton, and the military adviser to US Secretary of State Warren Christopher, General John Seval, acted as a liaison officer. It is worth noting, that it was the participation of the MRPI that allowed the Croats to change the balance of power in the region and ultimately win that conflict. At the same time, all subsequent claims against the US administration were formally groundless - the Americans were officially engaged in peacekeeping and did not seem to support any of the warring parties..
Of course, the mentioned examples of partnership between the state and PMCs are not the only ones. But they show clearly, that no country in the world, regardless of the socio-political structure, does not lose sight of the activities of officially registered organized armed structures. And this should be taken into account when developing the Russian law on PMCs.
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