Headline Novmeber26,2012

''POP STAR WAGES IN GUNS FOR HIRE!''

I was about to title up as ''The Future Of Discontent!'' but then reality took over:
Andreas Carleton-Smith Managing Director of Control Risks continues to delight, ''We are brought in to solve knotty problems so we have to have out-of-the-box thinkers. We have over 650 employees worldwide ranging from lawyers, to investigative journalists, scientists and academics, as well as former soldiers and law enforcement experts.Twenty seven percent of them are between 30 and 50. This is not the kind of place for an old warhorse to finish off his career.''
Remarkable, Sire! Truly remarkable!!

The young guns like the idea of making it outside the restrictive pay grades and promotional prospects of a staid military career. They earn big money in war zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan, invest in property, or fly home why the malls in Dubai and Kuwait, with £30,000 in the Bank to pick up Fendi, Bang & Olufsen and and even the odd Ducati. A former Marine Pete Collins puts it best,'' It's probably not such a bad thing. You are switched on after leaving that you are like a Ferrari in a 20mph zone until you get through some retail therepy -whatever is it that you want to buy!''

The companies themselves are currently shopping as they seek to consolidate using the recent billions from the US Department of Defense. Only recently. British private Security company ArmorGroup was snapped up by Denmark's G4S, -the worlds's largest security company, but one that tends to put uniformed guards in buildings- but for a healthy £43.6 million.
For 4GS, the deal fitted with Chief Exec Nick Buckle's strategy of increasing the company's share of business in war and conflict zones, where contracts generally provide fabulous margins.

Recent scandals in Iraq, of some years ago though, over the actions of BlackWater -one of the world's largest private military organisations with its own fleet of helicopters, a vast training base in Virginia and extensive roles in Homeland Security, -have raised many many questions about how governments will use these contractors.

Charities such as War On Want are pushing truly and sincerely for the sector to be regulated.
''Private Military and Security Companies are now the second largest occupying force in Iraq behind the US, yet they remain by and large unregulated and unaccountable, leaving open the potential for human rights violations,'' said Ruth Tanner, senior campaign officer at the charity.

For any of the bigger companies, -however, such as Aegis, which had a $300 million contract with the Pentagon to oversee security in Iraq, or CRG, which later won the contract to protect British embassies in hostile areas -new areas of government work means the public sector is just beginning to expand.


''We see government business as the new frontier,'' said Aegis CEO. ''As governments get more relaxed about turning to organisations like us, it presents us with opportunities. There are companies that are capable of supporting the UN in resolving areas such as Darfur, for instance. I am not sure that the public are ready for that yet, but I can see a time when, say, EU felt compelled to intervene in a brutal civil war and found a private company the quickest way to get results.''

So to all this, Julian Roe of Delta Security gives a bright lifting touch,''The prospects for our industry are very positive. There will always be risk in the world, and as long as the private sector is willing to be entrepreneurial and push boundaries, then the future looks strong.''

Good Night & God Bless!