• AllAfrica.com http://allafrica.com/

Liberia: "Policy Think Tank or Exiled Political Mercenaries?" Opinion - Liberia Institute of Public Integrity's Policy Howler. By Patrik Solunteh, May 8, 2013 : TEXT

Liberia: 'Nothing to Do With Us' - Liberia Reacts to Reports of Renewed Cross-Border Attacks. At least six people, including two soldiers, were killed when an armed gang attacked the village of Zilebly in western Ivory Coast. By Massa F Kanneh, 16 March 2013: TEXT

Liberia Seeks Extradition of 'Mercenaries.' The Ivorian mercenaries are among 20 Liberians charged with "mercenarism" for their alleged involvement in cross-border raids into Ivory Coast. 31 December 2012: click here

Nigeria: Contractor Summoned Over Multi-Billion Naira Security Contract. Security agencies to quiz an Israeli defence and security contractor as part of the ongoing investigation into a multi-billion naira contract for the procurement of patrol boats for the Nigeria Army. By Tokunbo Adedoja, November 5, 2012: click here

South Africa: Addressing Mercenaries and PMSCS in the Defence Review 2012. For the second time in the history of South Africa's democracy, all segments of the society are once again engaged in the shaping of the country's defence policy. This process is spearheaded by the Defence Review Committee, which was constituted in July 2011. By Sabelo Gumedze (Senior Researcher, Conflict Management and Peacebuilding Division, ISS Pretoria Office), May 11, 2012: click here

South African Mercenaries in the Mad Dog's War. The murmurs of South African involvement in the botched escape of fallen despot Muammar "Mad Dog" Gaddafi are becoming too loud to ignore. Simon Allison sifts through the reports and rumours surrounding local guns-for-hire and their doomed Libyan adventure. By Simon Allison, November 4, 2011: click here

The United States and the Lord's Resistance Army. With the US announcing that 100 troops will be sent to help combat the Lord's Resistance Army, Gary K. Busch unpacks the history of US intervention in Africa - and points to recent oil discoveries in East Africa as the real reason for the military intervention. By Gary K. Busch, October 27, 2011: click here

East Africa: Soldiers of Fortune. Events playing out in Somalia in the past one month almost look like a sequel to Black Hawk Down, the harrowing tale of how an ill-conceived mission by an elite team of American special forces went bad. By Christine Mungal, December 27, 2010: click here

Equatorial Guinea: Govt Frees Mercenaries. The government of Equatorial Guinea has freed four South African mercenaries jailed for plotting to overthrow President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, South Africa's foreign ministry has announced. November 3, 2009: click here

Equatorial Guinea: The Trial of Simon Mann Opens in Malabo. The trial of British mercenary Simon Mann, allegedly having tried to overthrow the government of the oil rich African country Equatorial Guinea, in March, 2004, is on. By Alexander von Paleske, June 19, 2008: click here

Sierra Leone: More Revelations On 'Blood Diamonds.' Energem Resources which has just launched itself on the London stock market as a renewable-energy business is the same firm in which illegally traded diamonds were used to finance civil wars in Africa. By Tanu Jalloh, January 4, 2008: click here

Sierra Leone: Lessons Of Sierra Leone Intervention Still Being Debated. The use of a multi-national military force in Sierra Leone to reinstall the nation's elected government has renewed the debate about the nature and goals of such operations. Should they take sides? Should they impose military solutions when diplomatic efforts fail? By George M. Kraw, May 19, 1998: click here

Angola: US Forces Guard Angolan Oilfields. American forces are taking over where Executive Outcomes left off, in the oil-rich Angolan enclave of Cabinda, writes Al J Venter. October 10, 1997: click here

• Asia Times Online. http://www.atimes.com

Security firms eye African 'terror' bonanza. Some of these firms were virtually unknown before the war, including a small private British firm, Blue Mountain Group. The latter was responsible for guarding the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi which was torched on September 11 last year. By Ramzy Baroud, January 30, 2013: TEXT

Security for sale. In the South China Sea PMCs like Trident have taken on anti-piracy duties. Last year the Economist reported on two PMCs - Marine Risk Management and Satellite Protection Services (SPS) - that deploy airborne mercenaries to deal with piracy. By David Isenberg. August 14, 2012: TEXT

Armed contractors in firing line. A US Congress commission is to consider whether private contractors such as Xe Services, formerly known as Blackwater, should be allowed to continue to provide armed security. The bi-partisan commission will over two days cross-examine 14 witnesses from academia, government and the companies themselves. By Pratap Chatterjee, Jun 18, 2010: click here

Sex and security in Afghanistan. A report by the Washington, DC, Project on Government Oversight recently released publicly tells of the wild naked antics of members of ArmorGroup (AG). By David Isenberg, October 6, 2009: click here

An American 'foreign legion' emerges. By William Astore, 18 February 2009: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/KB18Ak04.html

Mercenaries at work. By Chalmers Johnson, 30 July 2008: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JG30Ak03.html

Escalation in Iraq by the numbers. By Tom Engelhardt, 15 August 2007: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/IH15Ak03.html

The Wild West of American intelligence. By Roman Kupchinsky, 2 June 2005: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GF02Ak02.html

Protecting Iraq's precarious pipelines. By David Isenberg, 24 September 2004: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FI24Ak01.html

War: Just whose business is it anyway? By William D Hartung, 10 March 2004: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/FC10Ak01.html

Security for sale. By David Isenberg, 14 August 2003:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/EH14Aa01.html

Congress urged to monitor foreign military training. By Jim Lobe, 16 May 2002: http://www.atimes.com/front/DE16Aa01.html

• Australian Broadcasting Corporation. http://www.abc.net.au/

Hostages killed in Algeria rescue attempt. Government forces moved against a militant Islamist group which had been holding a number of foreign workers hostage at a large gas plant. Most reports say a number of hostages have been freed, some have escaped, but others have been killed. The British prime minister says the country should prepare for bad news. AM - Presented by Tony Eastley, Mary Gearin. January 18, 2013: AUDIO (6min 42sec)

Questions raised over use of private maritime security guards in the Gulf. As merchant ships, operating in the Arabian Sea, increasingly depend on private security firms to protect them from pirates, concerns are being raised about their methods. By Thom Cookes, Newsline, December 18, 2012: VIDEO (7min 15sec).

Libya: Mercenaries thought to be helping Gaddafi's son Saif. PCC Chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said we're also receiving information that a group of mercenaries may be endeavouring to facilitate Saif al-Islam's escape from Libya. By Barbara Miller, November 3, 2011 18:30:00: TEXT | AUDIO

Tripoli a ghost town as Libyan mercenaries roam: local. Jon Faine speaks to Tripoli man Amairr for the second time in two days. "There's nobody outside, the markets are closed, everything's closed, the streets are empty." 24 February, 2011: TEXT | VIDEO

Private military contractors. The Law Report, ABC Radio National: Guests Ian Wing, Charles Sturt, Tim McCormack, Doug Brooks, Mary Picard, Researcher, Presenter Damien Carrick, 9 September 2008: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lawreport/stories/2008/2356879.htm

Australia's war unreadiness. Unleashed: Jim Molan, 4 August 2008, 10:00: http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2321798.htm

Australia accused of helping spark Fiji coup. 2 April 2008: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/04/02/2206163.htm

UN investigates Iraq security contractors. The UN has also singled out the American military operations, expressing concern that too many civilians are being killed, particularly by air strikes. Shootings by private security contractors have caught the UN's attention too. AM - Presented by Tony Eastley - Reporter: Kim Landers. 12 October , 2007 08:16:00: TEXT | AUDIO

Australia offers to remove Fijians from PNG's Bougainville. Australia Network, 24 November 2006: http://australianetwork.com/news/stories/asiapacific_stories_1796450.htm

Fears Bougainville heading towards civil war. AM, 18 March 2006 08:14:49. Reporter: Steve Marshall: http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2006/s1594378.htm

Fijiian mercernaries on Bougainville. The World Today - Friday, 18 November 2005 12:30:00. Reporter: James Panichi: http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2005/s1509837.htm

Privatising War. Radio National Broadcast (The National Interest), Transcript, 26 September 2004, 12:00, Peter Mares interviews Peter Singer: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/nationalinterest/stories/2004/1205326.htm

Burn, Oil, Burn. Radio National Broadcast, Transcript, 12 September 2004, 09:10. Produced by Stan Correy: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/bbing/stories/s1199802.htm

Singirok cleared of sedition charge. By Shane McLeod (PM Archive), 2 March 2004: http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2004/s1057428.htm

Gunship for Hire. By Mark Corcoran (Travellers' Tales), 28 September 2000: http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/stories/s229144.htm

• AFP (Agence France-Presse) . http://www.afp.com/

Entreprises ennemies d’internet: RSF dénonce les "mercenaires numériques". Gamma (Royaume-Uni), Trovicor (Allemagne), Hacking Team (Italie), Amesys (France) et Blue Coat (Etats-Unis) : les produits de ces 5 entreprises «ennemies d’internet», ont été ou sont utilisés par les autorités pour commettre des violations des droits de l’homme et de la liberté de l’information, indique RSF, dont le rapport est consultable à partir de mardi sur le site surveillance.rsf.org. Liberation, March 12, 2013: TEXT

Des milliers de clandestins africains détenus en Libye. Des milliers de migrants africains récemment arrivés en Libye sont bloqués dans des centres de détention du pays, l'utilisation par l'ex-dirigeant Mouammar Kadhafi de mercenaires noirs pour réprimer la révolution déclenchée il y a un an ayant renforcé le racisme à leur encontre. February 28, 2012: TEXT | PICTURE

Clinton sees smaller role for security contractors. 4 February 2009: click here

Private Armed Escorts in High Demand on Sea. By Karl Malakunas, 11 May 2005: http://www.warprofiteers.com/article.php?id=12241 http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/features/featuredetail.asp?file=mayfeatures102005.xml

• BBC News online. http://news.bbc.co.uk/

South Africa charges Democratic Republic of Congo 'rebels for coup plot.' Nineteen suspected Congolese rebels who belonged to the Democratic Republic of Congo's Union of Nationalists for Renewal (UNR) rebel group have been charged in a South African court with plotting a coup against President Joseph Kabila. February 7, 2013: TEXT

BAE Systems and EADS in talks over merger. "Both companies would operate as one group by means of equalisation and other agreements but would be separately listed on their existing exchanges." September 12, 2012: click here

Libya jails 24 'foreign mercenaries'from Ukraine who claim innocence. June 4, 2012: click here

Ukraine seeks Libya 'mercenaries' release. April 10, 2012: click here

Armed guards to protect UK ship. October 30, 2011: click here

US court case reveals CIA rendition detail. September 1, 2011 : click here

CIA defends Blackwater contract worth $100m. June 27, 2010: click here

Blackwater fined $42m for breaking US export laws. August 24, 2010 : click here

Afghan President Hamid Karzai 'to scrap private security firms in Afghanistan.' August 10, 2010: click here

Two former Blackwater guards charged with Afghan murder. 7 Jan 2010: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8446987.stm

UK hostages 'likely to be dead'. 29 July 2009: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8173653.stm | Hostage families appeal for release (video): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8175207.stm

Iraq releases three of five US contractors. 11 June 2009: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8094616.stm

Simon Mann sentenced for Equatorial Guinea plot. 7 July 2008: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7493717.stm

Yair Gal Klein to be sent to Colombia. 12 March 2008: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7291689.stm

Babcock to buy Devonport naval dockyard. 10 May 2007: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6641427.stm

South Africa's mercenary town. By Jonathan Charles, 9 November 2006: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/4946684.stm

MPs approve new South Africa mercenary bill. 30 August 2006: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/5297704.stm

Profile: French mercenary Bob Denard. 20 June 2006: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/5097580.stm

French 'dog of war' in coup trial. 20 February 2006:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/europe/4733494.stm

US investigates Iraq gunfire film. 10 December 2005:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/4515772.stm

Mercenaries 'fuel West African wars' . 13 April 2005: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4438497.stm

How many UK workers are in Iraq? 19 October 2004: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3676356.stm

UK firms in Iraq 'unaccountable'. 21 July 2004: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3914299.stm

Iraqi security in private hands. By Jeremy Scott-Joynt, 28 June 2004: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3842561.stm

Q&A: Private security in Iraq. 27 May 2004: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3747421.stm

Dogs of war into doves of peace. By Keith Somerville, 11 November 2002: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2403517.stm

Peacekeeping 'role' for mercenaries. 13 February 2002:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1817495.stm

• Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/

Pacific Command contractor charged with spying. Benjamin Pierce Bishop, 59, is accused of sending the woman an email last May with information on existing war plans. By Audrey McAvoy (AP), March 18, 2013: TEXT

Swiss Guards in central role in papal retirement of Benedict XVI. A look at the Swiss guards and their colorful history. By Victor L. Simpson (AP), February 28, 2013: TEXT | PICTURE

Private US firms take major role vs. cyberattacks. Kevin Mandia (from Mandiant), a retired military cybercrime investigator, decided to expose China as a primary threat to U.S. computer networks. By Anne Flaherty (AP). February 21, 2013: TEXT | PICTURE

Cuba sentences Spaniard to 4 years in car crash. Cuba calls the dissidents ‘‘mercenaries’’ and accuses them of trying to undermine the country’s Communist system. By Peter Orsi (AP), October 15, 2012: TEXT | PICTURE

Swiss government proposes ban on mercenary firms. Switzerland wants to banish mercenary firms and tighten the rules for private security companies based in the country in a bid to safeguard its tradition of neutrality. By Frederic Merat (AP), October 12, 2011: TEXT

Pakistan police raid security contractor- Firm helps protect the US embassy. By Nahal Toos and Munir Ahmad. 20 September 2009: click here

Military contracts have cost taxpayers $85 billion. By Kimberly Hefling, 13 August 2008: click here

Blackwater rehired to protect US officials in Iraq. By James Risen, 10 May 2008: click here

Suicide bomber kills contractors in Afghanistan. By Noor Khan, 6 December 2006: click here

Report says Halliburton subsidiary exploited regulations. By Anne Plummer Flaherty, 28 October 2006: click here

US contractors in Iraq face peril, neglect. By Farah Stockman, 16 October 2006: click here

Amnesty urges tighter rules for contractors. By Danica Kirka, 24 May 2006: click here

Union voices concern on Army base guards. By Pete Yost, 7 September 2005: click here

Contractors detained after Marines fired on. AP, 10 June 2005: click here

US security contracts draw scrutiny. Questions raised on bidding process. By Matt Kelley, 1 January 2005: click here

Zimbabwe seizes plane carrying suspected mercenaries. US says no sign of tie to aircraft, passengers. "The plane was actually carrying 64 suspected mercenaries of various nationalities," Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi said. By Cris Chinaka (Reuters), March 9, 2004: TEXT

A new twist on a long military tradition. By Doug Brooks, 19 October 2003: click here

The Enron Pentagon. By Peter W. Singer, 19 October 2003: click here

• Boston Herald. http://www.bostonherald.com

Pentagon gets cyberwar guidelines. Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn and others also say the Pentagon must more aggressively protect the networks of defense contractors that possess valuable information about military systems and weapons' designs. By Associated Press, June 22, 2011: click here

Ex-Blackwater president Gary Jackson denies excessive force. Two former Blackwater employees, Brad and Melan Davis, have accused the company's workers of using extreme force and improperly billing for travel costs. Blackwater has since changed its name to Xe. By Associated Press, January 29, 2011: click here

Blackwater founder Erik Prince training Somalis. Prince is involved in a multimillion-dollar program financed by several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, to mobilize some 2,000 Somali recruits to fight pirates who are terrorizing the African coast, according to a person familiar with the project. By Associated Press, January 20, 2011: click here

Taliban strike aid group, kill 4 security contractors. Taliban suicide attackers stormed a four-story house in Kunduz used by U.S aid organization Development Alternatives Inc in north Afghanistan yesterday, killing four people before dying in a fierce, five-hour gunbattle with Afghan forces. By Associated Press, July 3, 2010: click here