The Rise of the Private Military and Security Industry

... into any military chain of command. Due to these characteristics, PMSC personnel have often been described as mere mercenaries, an accusation that the companies themselves vehemently deny; understandably so, since mercenarism is illegal under existing international law. Some observers have supported the view that PMSCs and their personnel should not be classified as mercenaries in virtue of their corporate nature and the variety of services they provide to their clients, who have been anything from ...