Private Security v Mercenary
Discussion
On the back of the story:
"Two British nationals have been arrested in Afghanistan for carrying 30 unlicensed guns, police say.
The men were travelling with a local interpreter and driver on the Jalalabad road, east of Kabul.
They work for a private security company and were carrying AK-47 assault rifles - one of the most commonly used weapons in Afghanistan."
What's the difference between 'Private Security' and a Mercenary?
"Two British nationals have been arrested in Afghanistan for carrying 30 unlicensed guns, police say.
The men were travelling with a local interpreter and driver on the Jalalabad road, east of Kabul.
They work for a private security company and were carrying AK-47 assault rifles - one of the most commonly used weapons in Afghanistan."
What's the difference between 'Private Security' and a Mercenary?
It can be a thin grey line, but lets try some hypothetical examples:
Employed by a government or an NGO to guard an installation or act as a close protection officer? PSC.
Employed by a government or non governmental actor to engage in offensive operations against an enemy? Mercenary.
Mercenary is quite a broad and somewhat emotive term and no one in the industry uses it to describe themselves these days. Some people consider the French Foreign Legion or the Gurkhas to be mercenaries. They don't.
Some people called foreign volunteers fighting in the former Yugoslavia mercenaries. Yet funnily enough almost no one calls the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War mercenaries.
Employed by a government or an NGO to guard an installation or act as a close protection officer? PSC.
Employed by a government or non governmental actor to engage in offensive operations against an enemy? Mercenary.
Mercenary is quite a broad and somewhat emotive term and no one in the industry uses it to describe themselves these days. Some people consider the French Foreign Legion or the Gurkhas to be mercenaries. They don't.
Some people called foreign volunteers fighting in the former Yugoslavia mercenaries. Yet funnily enough almost no one calls the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War mercenaries.
Edited by BruceV8 on Wednesday 4th January 19:42
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