BOOKS & MORE: The PMC Story

Robert Young Pelton was in the right place at the right time as a world traveler and journalist. In the fall of 2003, he encountered a covert team of contractors on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The subject stayed with him, and even though a lot of time has passed since the first publication of the book in 2004, this book is still one of the best and helps us understand the emergence of the PMC theme in modern times.

And so the book advertises itself: "Step into the blood-soaked world of South African mercenaries and tribal fighters, supported by ruthless financiers. Visit Baghdad's Green Zone, strap on body armor, and take a daily high-speed ride with a desperate crew of a security company dodging car bombs and snipers just to get their cargo to the airport. Share a drink in a chic hotel bar with wealthy owners of private armies discussing how to best survive in war zones.

The license to kill applies on four continents and three years, leading us into the dirty wars of the CIA; the brutal Blackwater murders in Fallujah and the Alamo-like sieges in Najaf and Al Kut; the Deep South contractor training camps where former Special Operations soldiers and even small-town cops learn their trade."

The title of the book is as sensational as its blurb. And yet, Robert Young Pelton was there. What he describes, he has seen and experienced. And he is a precise and astute observer. The United States has promoted the use of the private sector in all areas of the War on Terror. With shocking clarity that can only be gained firsthand, "Licensed to Kill" painstakingly deconstructs this story and introduces the key players. A must-read for those interested in modern conflicts.

"Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror" by Robert Young Pelton, Broadway Books, USA 2007 (PB), 376 pages, Euro 15.50