<http://web.aec.at/infowar/NETSYMPOSIUM/index.html>
http://web.aec.at/infowar/NETSYMPOSIUM/index.html
Mercenaries and Infowar
Private military companies - what we used to call mercenaries - are becoming
'vertically integrated' - they'll now train your soldiers, sell you
computers and guns, feed the refugees, and reconstruct your society. In the
modern corporate world, the 'soldiers of death' have spotted a market niche
as 'angels of mercy'.
Stan Correy: Besides Executive Outcomes and Defense Systems Limited, the
other big company is MPRI - Military Professional Resources Inc. They began
business in 1988, when a group of ex-Pentagon Generals decided to put their
expertise out for hire.
David Isenberg, of the Center for Defense Information in Washington: They
are a completely private sector organization, albeit with extensive contacts
with the public sector , the US military, government and defense
establishment. And I think the perspective on them is simply at this point a
lot of people don't know. They're really still a relatively new group, at
least insofar as their public profile, which they take great pains to keep
rather low fact. And they're squeaky clean, they don't do anything which
isn't fully vetted and scrutinized and approved by the relevant US
government agencies, and the US State Department.
[...]
David Isenberg: I joke about this, but only partly. Will a Microsoft
Corporation of information warfare hackers, organize their own group of sort
of if not mercenaries, at least for profit on temporary detail, or on loan
to other organizations, be able to teach people about becoming information
warriors, and break down computerized systems governing the infrastructure
of other countries? I don't know the answers to that question, but I know
there are people out there thinking of it, and I think certainly there must
be groups like MPRI, given the depth of expertise on the part of their
personnel, many of whom worked in these areas will probably be offering in
the future.
<http://www.mpri.com/welcome3.htm> http://www.mpri.com/welcome3.htm
We are pleased you have opted to spend some time with us. As you will
quickly note, MPRI is a very unique and special business. We are owned and
operated by retired senior military professionals and/or their families. The
things we do are exciting. We work throughout the United States and in
far-flung corners of the world, doing important things.
<http://www.eo.com/about/about.html> http://www.eo.com/about/about.html
Executive Outcomes (EO) was established in 1989 as a wholly owned and
registered South African company.
Since its establishment, EO's mission has remained largely unchanged - the
provision of sound military advice, training and logistical support - but,
as a dynamic company, EO's mission statement is continually reviewed to
ensure flexibility and survivability in a growing world-wide competitive
market.
EO has earned an indisputable reputation as a highly competent military
advisory company - a fact which even EO's fiercest critics acknowledge, and
has built a solid history of success, an achievement which is attributed to
its highly effective workforce.
During its brief history, EO has operated in support of Armed Forces, Law
Enforcement Agencies and Private Corporations in Southern Africa, West
Africa, South America and the Far East.
- Joe
Joseph S. Barrera III <joebar@microsoft.com>
<http://research.microsoft.com/~joebar/>
Phone, Office: (415) 778-8227; Home: (650) 588-4801
Microsoft Research (BARC), 301 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
The opinions expressed in this message are my own personal views and do not
reflect the official views of Microsoft Corporation.