Synopses & Reviews
The urgent truth about the privatization of Americaand#8217;s national security that exposes where this industry came from, how it operates, where it's headingand#8212;and why we should be concerned.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Thirty years ago there were no private military and security companies (PMSCs); there were only mercenaries. Now the PMSCs are a bona-fide industry, an indispensable part of American foreign and military policy. PMSCs assist US forces in combat operations and replace them after the military withdraws from combat zones; they guard our embassies; they play key roles in US counterterrorism strategies; and Homeland Security depends on them. Their services include maritime security, police training, drone operations, cyber security, and intelligence analysis (as Edward Snowden has famously revealed). Even the United Nations employs them.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;When did this happen? The turning point came when the US found itself in a prolonged war with Iraq, but without adequate forces. So the Bush Administration turned to the PMSCs to fill the gap. Private contractors and subcontractors eventually exceeded the traditional troops. The industry has never scaled back.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Ann Hagedorn profiles the members of Congress who recognize the dangers of dependence on PMSCs, but have been unable to limit them or even determine their true scope. She takes us to the exclusive club in London where the PMSCs were created, and she reveals the key figure in the evolution of the industry. She introduces us to a US Army general who studies new developments, such as PMSCsand#8217; drone operations, and worries about PMSCs potentially fighting American troops. andlt;Iandgt;The Invisible Soldiersandlt;/Iandgt; will inspire a national dialogue about a little-known international industry on which our security rests.
Review
and#8220;Why did Americaand#8217;s war in Iraq end in failure? One big reason was the decision to outsource so much of the warand#8217;s conduct to private security firms. Who and#8216;wonand#8217; the Iraq War? Those very same firms. Flooding the war zone with mercenaries, they walked away with vast riches, while leaving behind a legacy of corruption and ineptitude. Ann Hagedornand#8217;s coolly devastating book exposes the causes and assesses the consequences of this travesty.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Ann Hagedorn has given us a powerful and urgent analysis of our new military and security realityand#8212;the hiring of private warriors by governments and corporations for profit and plunder worldwide. As wars explode on every continent, and as these security companies operate in secrecy, shielded from public scrutiny or accountability, this brilliantly researched and vividly written book is essential reading.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;Hagedorn lucidly describes the long-range challenges to democracy caused by the privatization of security.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;A critique of the United Statesand#8217; fateful turn toward private military and security contractors as a consequence of the Iraq War. . . . A brisk, disturbing account that adds to the sense that liberties taken in the war on terror have created long-term liabilities for American society.and#8221;
Review
and#8220;The strength ofandlt;Iandgt; Invisible Soldiersandlt;/Iandgt; is the impressive depth of Hagedorn's reporting: copious interviews, generous use of sources, and a compelling narrative. . . .andlt;Iandgt; Invisible Soldiersandlt;/Iandgt; also reports on the people behind these private companies, some of whom are seemingly the stuff of fiction.and#8221;
Review
"Well-reported and eye-opening. . . . This thoughtful book should kick-start a long-overdue debate."
Synopsis
The urgent truth about the privatization of America's national security that exposes where this industry came from, how it operates, where it's heading--and why we should be concerned.
Thirty years ago there were no private military and security companies (PMSCs); there were only mercenaries. Now the PMSCs are a bona-fide industry, an indispensable part of American foreign and military policy. PMSCs assist US forces in combat operations and replace them after the military withdraws from combat zones; they guard our embassies; they play key roles in US counterterrorism strategies; and Homeland Security depends on them. Their services include maritime security, police training, drone operations, cyber security, and intelligence analysis (as Edward Snowden has famously revealed). Even the United Nations employs them.
When did this happen? The turning point came when the US found itself in a prolonged war with Iraq, but without adequate forces. So the Bush Administration turned to the PMSCs to fill the gap. Private contractors and subcontractors eventually exceeded the traditional troops. The industry has never scaled back.
Ann Hagedorn profiles the members of Congress who recognize the dangers of dependence on PMSCs, but have been unable to limit them or even determine their true scope. She takes us to the exclusive club in London where the PMSCs were created, and she reveals the key figure in the evolution of the industry. She introduces us to a US Army general who studies new developments, such as PMSCs' drone operations, and worries about PMSCs potentially fighting American troops. The Invisible Soldiers will inspire a national dialogue about a little-known international industry on which our security rests.
About the Author
Ann Hagedorn has been a staff writer for andlt;iandgt;The Wall Street Journalandlt;/iandgt; and has taught writing at Northwestern Universityand#8217;s Medill School of Journalism and at Columbia Universityand#8217;s Graduate School of Journalism. Her previous books are andlt;iandgt;Wild Ride, Ransomandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Beyond the Riverandlt;/iandgt;, and andlt;iandgt;Savage Peaceandlt;/iandgt;.