• The Guardian (UK)

Congo renews death sentence on Norwegian mercenaries. Joshua French and Tjostolv Moland face death penalty for a second time after a similar verdict last year was overturned. By Xan Rice, 10 June 19, 2010: click here

Security firm Stallion Security comes out fighting over World Cup [South Africa] pay dispute. By Press Association, June 18, 2010: click here

Ex-mercenary Nick du Toit tells of his five years in a 'living hell' and why he is ashamed of war. One of the two leading figures in the notorious coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea in 2004 has spoken for the first time of his shame at being involved in the failed plot and insisted that he only went ahead because he believed the British and South African governments had backed it. June 13, 2010: click here

Big business and security. In its haste to cash-in on the security boom, the EU has outsourced its research agenda to corporate self-interest. By Ben Hayes, 28 September 2009: click here

'Things went really bad' says British ex-soldier facing Iraq death penalty. Paratrooper turned security guard Daniel Fitzsimons tells of night in Baghdad that left him accused of shooting dead two men. By Martin Chulov, 21 August 2009: click here

Timeline: Simon Mann. The events that led to the British mercenary being jailed in Equatorial Guinea for plotting to overthrow the government. 17 June 2008: click here

Pleas for Iraq hostages mark year in captivity. By Duncan Campbell, 30 May 2008: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/30/iraq

Timeline: the hostage crisis (20 July 2008 update): click here

Former British intelligence chief moves to Canadian private security firm. By Richard Norton-Taylor, 16 April 2008: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/apr/16/gordonbrown.terrorism

The day the BearingPoint and GardaWorld hostages were taken. By Allegra Stratton, 5 December 2007: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,2222326,00.html

We must fight our instinctive distaste for mercenaries. The Iraq bubble has burst but the need for private security companies will not go away. They should be regulated by the state. By Max Hastings, 2 August 2006: http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1835067,00.html

Troops sent in as pay row shuts Baghdad airport. By staff and agencies, 9 September 2005: http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1566578,00.html

A rich country being stripped of its wealth: British firms among those to profit from energy bonanza in Equatorial Guinea: UK company involvement. By David Leigh, 2 June 2005: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,1497212,00.html

Pedigree Dogs of War. Some people who engage in foreign conflicts are called terrorists. Others are about to be licensed by the government. By George Monbiot, 25 January 2005: http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1397748,00.html / http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2005/01/25/pedigree-dogs-of-war-/

Big role predicted for security firms. By Richard Norton-Taylor, 7 December 2004: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1368004,00.html

Don't call us mercenaries, says British company with lucrative contracts and cheap labour. 17 May 2004: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,,1218422,00.html

Need a mercenary? Better not call Greenpeace. By Richard Norton-Taylor, 10 May 2004: http://www.guardian.co.uk/antiwar/story/0,,1213121,00.html

The Privatisation of War. By Ian Traynor, 10 December 2003: http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,11538,1103724,00.html

Private Firms Assist U.S. Military. By Jim Krane for AP, 29 October 2003: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3324736,00.html

Let mercenaries be licensed, says [British] Foreign Office. By Richard Norton-Taylor, 13 February 2002: http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,,649281,00.html

Send in the mercenaries if our troops won't fight. William Shawcross seeks to think the unthinkable in Sierra Leone. 10 May 2000: http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,219134,00.html

• Haaretz.com (Israel) [Beware, ehe website is overloaded with ads]

Death of a mercenary. By Yossi Melman, 15 April 2005: http://www.warprofiteers.com/article.php?id=12084
http://www.warprofiteers.com/article.php?id=12085
(http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/565225.html)

• Herald Tribune

L-3 files protest over lost contract. $4.65 billion deal was to provide translators to the U.S. military. By Donna Borak (AP), 29 December 2006: click here

• The Independent (UK)

Corporate footsoldiers pay the ultimate price. The deaths of two British hostages highlights the murky world of private security contractors. By Kim Sengupta, 23 June 2009: click here

Mercenaries join Mugabe's ruthless terror campaign. By Ian Evans, 15 July 2008: click here

Blair accused of trying to 'privatise' war in Iraq. By Kim Sengupta, 30 October 2006: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article1940825.ece

Conspiracy oil: A very British coup! The plotters intended to overthrow the government of an oil-rich African country and pocket lots of 'wonga'. But, as a new docu-drama reveals, the plot went horribly wrong. By Raymond Whitaker, 25 June 2006: http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article1096142.ece

Top 10 firms profiting from Iraq. 13 March 2006:
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/analysis_and_features/article350930.ece
http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=1009

Baghdad airport closed by 'unpaid' UK security firm. By Patrick Cockburn, 10 September 2005: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article311551.ece

The 5-Minute Briefing: Iraq's missing millions. By Rupert Cornwell, 6 May 2005: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article236936.ece

Britain's secret army in Iraq: thousands of armed security men who answer to nobody. By Robert Fisk and Severin Carrell, 28 March 2004: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article66415.ece

• The Independent Online (IOL - South Africa) [Very good network that we have somehow neglected even if we often read their reports]

South Africa: Cosatu 'embarrassed' by security companies. Police had to take over security at the stadium during a game between Italy and Paraguay after guards hired for the event walked out over wage disputes. June 16 2010: TEXT

SAPS defends decision to use private guards. The South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African Security Association (SASA) both came out in defence on Thursday of SAPS' decision to employ private security companies for guard duties at police premises. December 9, 2004: TEXT