BUSINESS IS BOOMING!

BUSINESS IS BOOMING! (Frazer Chronicles-Small Arms Survey)

Private security companies are booming across the globe, "the hell you say," that's right, I ain't kidding, and the industry is getting bigger. Anywhere from 19.7  to 25 million employees, war has taken over as the worlds biggest industry. Exotic names like AirScan, Custer Battles, Global Enforce, Obelisk International L.L.C. and my 2 favorites, Sharp End International and Red Star, are just a few of the companies. 

The United States, naturally, leads the world in security and private contract companies with a total of 25 that are based in the country, while "God" only knows how many companies are based in foreign lands with U.S. ties. These security companies provide all sorts of services to military forces throughout the world, from engineering, to construction, to airborne surveillance, security, logistics and maritime security.

The boom has been triggered mostly by terrorists threats,  insurgencies and drug wars throughout mostly the Middle east, . according to the annual 2011 Small Arms Survey which was recently released from it's Geneva offices.

Outside the war zones in  Asia and Africa, the Latin American region has the highest ratio of arms per employee, about 10 times higher then in Western Europe. In prisons, at airports, along borders and on the streets, security provisions is increasingly in the hands of private personnel. In foreign countries, whether this type of security is enhancing or impairing security is unclear.

The Geneva report points out that the 20 or so million private security force has doubled or even tripled over the past in the past 10-15 years. Governmental "outsourcing" of many security functions seems to be driving the boom in the business. Accounting mechanisms have not kept up with the rapidly expanding growth of the private security industry.

A United Nations Working group has been trying to rein in the widespread human rights abuses by these private military and security groups. A global discussion is underway with regards to surveillance, regulations, and to monitor these private security companies. A draft has been proposed, which spells out legislative oversight and judicial measures to punish private security firms for any unlawful acts.

Actually the "cat has been let out of the bag," and as private security companies assume more and more of the daily security duties in war zones, in security efforts, in surveillance, in food service and in training, the autonomy with which these companies operate can only increase. There is still a gray area with exactly who security companies in Iraq are beholden to with regards to oversight.

The conduct code for private security companies, according to a 1989 UN Convention, which was signed by only 32 non-aligned countries, deals little with the conduct of these companies. Another process is the "Montreux Document," basically a "summary" of states obligations with regards to international law.

What this basically means, with regards to private security companies is, they have little to fear with whatever they deem as necessary during the course of the daily operations and decisions. Human rights, kidnappings, murder, all done in the name of business as usual.

Included with this booming industry, "of course" are what is referred to as "light weapons,"  and the munitions that fuel them. These "small arms" include mortars, grenade launchers, recoilless rifles,  portable missiles and rockets. Despite the importance of light weapons to modern military operations and the potential threat to international security posed by excessive or ill-conceived light weapon transfer, "sales" the international trade in light weapons is significantly less transparent then the sale of other weapons.

The top  exporters of these types of weapons is.....surprise, the United States, who had 8641 recorded weapons contracts worth billions in 2010. A dollar figure is not attached with each transactions because some are spaced over many years and the rate of interest can be variable. The next closest to the U.S. was Russia with 6039 reported transactions.

The average beginning salary for a security contractor with the proper clearances is a little over $77 thousand dollars, about $20,000 more then a government employee with the same security clearances. Some private security companies that are operating in either Afghanistan, or Iraq require less clearances, or none at all and in some cases are paid cash. It is also the case with many private companies that they pay bonuses,  based on performances  in cash, which of course is untraceable.

With the United States having no military draft, and a portion of all military activity that is waged by the United States is in the hands of private security-military contractors, it is hard to imagine the United States cutting back on military activity. Congress seems unwilling, or somehow incapable of slashing the military budget, so until taxpayers revolts, somehow makes an impression on the government, war will remain a part of Americas society.

Maybe the United States should have  signs over every border entrance, "Open for Business," because it seems that the only business that is booming in this time of suggested austerity and joblessness is war and military conflict.