Private War

Private contractors aren't under strict international oversight as soldiers and can be more prone to break the law, Ernst Uhrlau, the head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Agency (BND), said in a speech in Berlin.

While the German government does not employ private security firms in its peacekeeping missions, many western governments have grown dependent on the private sector for a variety of services, including food preparation, intelligence analysis and security.

Iraqis view Baghdad shooters as mercenaries

A scandal erupted after employees of the US security firm Blackwater were involved in a gunfight in a Baghdad neighborhood which killed 11 people on Sunday, Sept. 16.

Blackwater employees have been hired to provide security for US embassy officials in Iraq, but they have come to be seen by many Iraqis as lawless mercenaries, willing to shoot without provocation.

Iraq's Interior Ministry said it would revoke Blackwater's license and prosecute any employees believed to have acted unlawfully. The ministry will also review the status of all security firms operating in the country.

If Blackwater employees are prosecuted, "it will send a lasting signal to the industry and this lasting signal will be heard not only by the American government," Uhrlau was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

Private security firms do big business in war zones

About 125 private security firms are thought to be doing business in Iraq. Uhrlau noted that globally "there is an increasing reliance on private security firms."

He estimated the industry's value at $100 billion (70.9 billion euros).

Uhrlau called for international control over private security firms that operate in conflict zones.

"There is a broad consensus that an international oversight mechanism is needed ... to prevent abuse of human rights," Uhrlau said.

Governments lack control over private firms

Western governments have cut their soldiers' numbers and backfilled using private contractors. They are used to protect diplomats, train police and security personnel, run prisons and offer support for military operations, Uhrlau said.

Problems arise because the companies are not transparent and governments lack the ability to ensure sure they are not operating outside the law. While private contractors can bring a level of private-sector efficiency, they do not answer to governments but to their shareholders, Uhrlau said.

"The use of private firms enables a government to keep down official casualties and thereby reduce the public reaction," he said.

Uhrlau said there were some cases in which countries should consider using private security firms. Security firms can do a good job of providing short-term security which allows for reconstruction to take place in a war-torn area. But they should not be used in long-term conflicts which require a high level of diplomatic sensitivity, Uhrlau said.

"Germany has a different position on this," he said, adding that Berlin did not use private firms in foreign peacekeeping missions.