Former Blackwater guard convicted for 2007 massacre of civilians in Baghdad

Not always illegal, but sometimes. It’s a very grey area.

For example, the British government’s use of mercenaries in Liberia is grey, being that it was to create regional stability. People were having their arms lopped off at random and worse, en masse. It had to stop.

Shell example, certainly illegal.

Typically, it’s to outsource military action, much like any service is. The difference being that the service involves killing people, and it would certainly be naive to think governments don’t do that.

The shocker comes when it’s discovered the businesses of a certain size, especially those in the exploitation of natural resources, do it, being that in order to control the natural resources, they have to control the land, large areas, that the resources are in.

The truly sad part is that nobody gives enough of a shit about those countries to kick up a loud enough fuss, and Western governments often give the nod that they won’t interfere because they need those companies to do business.

Fucked up shit.

/r/worldnews Thread Parent Link - theguardian.com