From Mercenaries to Market: The Rise and Regulation of Private Military Companies - Softcover

This book could not be better timed, given the subject, regulation of PMCs, and it makes a significant contribution to the academic literature on PMCs. (Journal of Modern African Studies)

The 15 chapters of the book present the complexity of the underlying issues well and offer a good overview into the normative contradictions...the expressly pragmatic approcah chosen by the editors is to be commended for its realism and search for relevance. Furthermore, the book's careful editing, its compact but helpful references, and the thorough index are laudable (Ebrahim Afsah, Max Planck Institute for International Law, Heidelberg)

For anyone interested in the role of Private Military Companied (PMCs) and the problems they raise in today's international environment, this book must find a place on their library shelf. (The International Spectator)

This is an impressive work, which advances both the research and policy agendas in its field...Drawing together contributions from across a range of disciplines and backgrounds, this volume encompasses a wide spectrum of opinions towards PMCs. Its thoughtful structure and insightful contributions also betray the significant foundation work upon which it is premised. (British Journal of Criminology)

...remains a pivotal volume in the field of study dealing with privatization of security and military affairs (ZaoRV Vol 1 2011)

Frequently characterized as either mercenaries in modern guise or the market's response to a security vaccuum, private military companies are commercial firms offering military services ranging from combat and military training and advice to logistical support, and which play an increasingly important role in armed conflicts, UN peace operations, and providing security in unstable states. Executive Outcomes turned around an orphaned conflict in Sierra Leone in the mid-1990s; Military Professional Resources Incorporated (MPRI) was instrumental in shifting the balance of power in the Balkans, enabling the Croatian military to defeat Serb forces and clear the way for the Dayton negotiations; in Iraq, estimates of the number of private contractors on the ground are in the tens of thousands. As they assume more responsibilities in conflict and post-conflict settings, their growing significance raises fundamental questions about their nature, their role in different regions and contexts, and their regulation. This volume examines these issues with a focus on governance, in particular the interaction between regulation and market forces.It analyzes the current legal framework and the needs and possibilities for regulation in the years ahead.

The book as a whole is organized around four sets of questions, which are reflected in the four parts of the book. First, why and how is regulation of PMCs now a challenging issue? Secondly, how have problems leading to a call for regulation manifested in different regions and contexts? Third, what regulatory norms and institutions currently exist and how effective are they? And, fourth, what role has the market to play in regulation?