State-corporate crime & Private Military Companies: Current & Future Perspectives

• In Event: EUROC 2: State-Corporate Crime

Abstract

Authors
Stella Ageli

Panteion University of Social & Political Sciences

The extended use of private military companies (PMCs) in recent years, usually in conflict areas around the world, is not in dispute any longer. The US invasion in Iraq in 2003 where the ratio between US private soldiers / US army soldiers was 1 to 1 and the unprecedented presence of private armies in Afghanistan are both solid indicators of what the possibilities of this sector are. This development could lead us to the conclusion that the recruitment of private military companies has been normalized and has transformed this particular industry to a crucial partner in political, security and military affairs of a state. In the midst of this rapid growth of the phenomenon many concerns have been raised regarding the incidents of misconduct by these private actors that have been made public. A distinctive example is the killing of 17 civilians in 2007 in Nisour Square in Baghdad by four employees of the well-known US private military company, Blackwater, which provoked huge reactions and criticism towards PMCs. The illegal behaviour by PMCs has been studied by criminologists and has been characterised as a state-corporate crime. Moreover, very important has been the finding that in most cases these crimes remain unpunished due either to political unwillingness or to insufficiency of laws. This presentation aims to examine three main questions relating to the current situation of the phenomenon of PMCs. Are still atrocities taking place during PMCs’ activities? Are there any improvements as far as accountability is concerned? And finally the most important, if this rapid growth of PMCs continues then what do we have to expect?

Author

• Stell aGELI, Panteion University of Social & Political Sciences