US using illegal mercenary forces in Pakistan?
US using illegal mercenary forces in Pakistan?
The use of mercenaries or mercenary-like private armed forces by the US is forbidden by Anti-Pinkerton Act of 1893 (5 U.S.C. § 3108). See Weinberger v. Equifax, 557 F.2d 456, 462 (5th Cir. 1977), cert. denied, 434 U.S. 1035 (1978). The use of mercenaries is forbidden under international law by the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries.
However, the New York Times reports today that the US is making use of mercenary forces in Pakistan, including a group allegedly under the control of Duane “Dewey” Claridge, notorious for his alleged role in the Iran-Contra scandal: “One of the companies employs a network of Americans, Afghans and Pakistanis run by Duane Clarridge, a C.I.A. veteran who became famous for his role in the Iran-Contra scandal. Mr. Clarridge declined to be interviewed. ”
See:
International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries
U.S. Is Still Using Private Spy Ring, Despite Doubts
Copyright © 2010 Henry Edward Hardy
America, Land of the Un-brave, Home of the Un-free
America, Land of the Un-brave, Home of the Un-free
Yesterday I got on the 73 bus from Harvard Station. This bus goes toward Watertown where two of the “terrorist suspects” were picked up yesterday. Almost immediately the driver breathlessly got on the radio and reported a “suspicious person”. “He is watching all the buses and writing down something on a clipboard”.
I thought this interesting so I got off at the next stop (which the driver missed till I reminded him) and walked back. I sat down next to the “suspicious person” and observed him. Sure enough he had a printed form on a clipboard and was watching every bus and looking at everyone on board writing something down about it. He was mid 50ish, short greyish hair, light complexion, blue slacks and a green windbreaker.
I told him, “The driver on my bus called you in as a suspicious person so you might be getting a visit from the MBTA cops in a few minutes. I assume you work for the MBTA and are counting people on the buses to help them estimate usage?”
He sighed and said “Yes that happens a lot to me. I don’t mind the hassle personally, I can deal with it, but what bothers me is seeing my America turned into a police state. They keep announcing ‘if you see something, say something’, its like ‘1984’”.
I said, “This isn’t my America. My America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. And to the extent that we are no longer brave, we become no longer free. This is more like Communist China, where everyone is supposed to spy on everyone else.”
Previous Scanlyze stories on ‘terrorism’.
Copyright © 2010 Henry Edward Hardy
About Scanlyze
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Scanlyze is an online magazine of essays, commentary, satire, and analysis. Were we half as clever, for inspiration we would take Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, Swift, Montaigne, or Seneca.
“The men who create power make an indispensable contribution to the Nation’s greatness, but the men who question power make a contribution just as indispensable, especially when that questioning is disinterested, for they determine whether we use power or power uses us.”
John F. Kennedy, October 26, 1963
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