Somalia
Author
Discussion

Stevenj214

Original Poster:

4,941 posts

258 months

Monday 20th June 2011
quotequote all
With enough money, could you (legally?) raise a private army and take control of Somalia?

MikeGTi

2,744 posts

231 months

Monday 20th June 2011
quotequote all
Stevenj214 said:
With enough money, could you (legally?) raise a private army and take control of Somalia?
Depends, if you received the backing of the TFG then I'd imagine that would give you a degree of legitimacy, however, I'm sure that there are some LOAC / UN rules / laws that would limit what you actually could do as you wouldn't be a sovereign force....

....Or not.

RedWhiteMonkey

9,208 posts

212 months

Monday 20th June 2011
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Go for it, after watching Panorama I don't think I'll be visiting Somalia any time soon.

Stevenj214

Original Poster:

4,941 posts

258 months

Monday 20th June 2011
quotequote all
Mods - can we go back to the lounge please? Hypothetically raising a private army to capture your own country is a little more light hearted than NP&E...

soad

34,706 posts

206 months

Monday 20th June 2011
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With almost unlimited funds, possibilities are near endless.
Legality? That's another matter.

browser07

100 posts

216 months

Monday 20th June 2011
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soad said:
With almost unlimited funds, possibilities are near endless.
Legality? That's another matter.
With unlimited funds wouldn't you create your own country so there for you can invade providing u declare war ??

op were you chewing on khat by any chance :P

Dan

anonymous-user

84 months

Monday 20th June 2011
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Wouldn't work anyway. To be legit, an army has to be working under the authority and direction of an internationally recognised government, otherwise it's just terrorism.

ChiChoAndy

73,668 posts

285 months

Monday 20th June 2011
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Can't we just call up Mark Thatcher and ask?

anonymous-user

84 months

Monday 20th June 2011
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How many members are there on PH, enough to form a large army? Hmmm, a country dedicated to good driving roads, we could keep some of the pirates on to keep the cash rolling in hehe

Night Runner

12,424 posts

224 months

Monday 20th June 2011
quotequote all
Stevenj214 said:
Mods - can we go back to the lounge please? Hypothetically raising a private army to capture your own country is a little more light hearted than NP&E...
Fun for you maybe, for some of us it's a business plan....

IanMorewood

4,309 posts

278 months

Monday 20th June 2011
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Yes you could subjugate the country if you so wished with a loyal private army, probably wouldn't be recognised by the world powers though as a legitimate regime change unless of course you killed all the opposition and then ran free and democratic elections. Oh and then of course you would be done for war crimes as soon as you left your new country.

Puggit

49,821 posts

278 months

Monday 20th June 2011
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America didn't have the stomach to do it (Black Hawk Down etc), so I doubt a private army would. There's precious little booty in Somalia to keep them going either.

IanMorewood

4,309 posts

278 months

Monday 20th June 2011
quotequote all
Puggit said:
America didn't have the stomach to do it (Black Hawk Down etc), so I doubt a private army would. There's precious little booty in Somalia to keep them going either.
Rules of Engagement; the Somali militia had none, US had plenty.

EDLT

15,421 posts

236 months

Monday 20th June 2011
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Crossflow Kid said:
Wouldn't work anyway. To be legit, an army has to be working under the authority and direction of an internationally recognised government, otherwise it's just terrorism.
We could start with buying an island, and declaring it a country. I bet this one would be cheap, and I think this one will be cheap, and the government needs the money:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitcairn_islands

davido140

9,617 posts

256 months

Monday 20th June 2011
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How is there anyone left alive in countries like Somalia?

Decades of war, murdering and killing one another indiscriminately, little or no infrastructure to speak of, non-existant health care, infant mortality must be horrendous, life expectancy (provided you make it into your teens) cant be much more than 30-something.

Surely the population must be in absolute nose dive?

Couldnt we just wait a bit and found PH Land when there's only a few dozen people left living there?



Blib

48,233 posts

227 months

Monday 20th June 2011
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Night Runner said:
Stevenj214 said:
Mods - can we go back to the lounge please? Hypothetically raising a private army to capture your own country is a little more light hearted than NP&E...
Fun for you maybe, for some of us it's a business plan....
hehe

IanMorewood

4,309 posts

278 months

Monday 20th June 2011
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CIA World fact book:
Infant mortality is about 10% average life expectancy is 50, there’s a large proven gas field that’s not being exploited, most of the countries GDP would come from farming.

Stevenj214

Original Poster:

4,941 posts

258 months

Monday 20th June 2011
quotequote all
Crossflow Kid said:
Wouldn't work anyway. To be legit, an army has to be working under the authority and direction of an internationally recognised government, otherwise it's just terrorism.
Could a private army legally work under the authority of the internationally recognised Somali government then?

Offer them 8,000 troops and you've instantly doubled their army.

Then, as per another post, instead of overthrowing the current regime, make sure your PR team has you viewed as a hero for the first democratic elections after the war.

Once in power, keep the democracy or transform it into a dictatorship/kingship as required (and as your popularity allows).

Puggit

49,821 posts

278 months

Monday 20th June 2011
quotequote all
davido140 said:
How is there anyone left alive in countries like Somalia?

Decades of war, murdering and killing one another indiscriminately, little or no infrastructure to speak of, non-existant health care, infant mortality must be horrendous, life expectancy (provided you make it into your teens) cant be much more than 30-something.

Surely the population must be in absolute nose dive?

Couldnt we just wait a bit and found PH Land when there's only a few dozen people left living there?
Breeding like rabbits with no contraception!

Mr Sparkle

1,936 posts

200 months

Tuesday 21st June 2011
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I'll join up - looking for something more exciting... What's the pay? I assume we get a complimentary fuel card (98ron or higher)?