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9780275996338

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As a careful, sober survey of PMCs, Shadow Force is a valuable contribution to the public debate about contracting...Isenberg's arguments are solid...His book should be on every activists' and researchers' shelf. - TimShorrock.com Without significantly scaling back US geopolitical commitments or vastly expanding the US military, private military contractors will remain a part of the forces deployed in US military commitments, argues the author, who on that basis surveys the major issues and lessons concerning the operations of private military contractors in the US occupation of Iraq, focusing on private security contractors, such as Blackwater, more than contractors that serve logistical functions, such as KBR. He surveys the major players in the industry and then discusses issue of control and accountability, particularly in reference to the Abu Ghraib torture scandal, conflicts between contractors and military commanders, and the problems of regulation and control in US domestic politics. - Reference & Research Book News ... thoughtful and thorough analysis of the rise of PMCs as actors in modern conflicts... Although much has been written about this topic, the balanced discussion provided by Isenberg is an essential read for those seeking to learn more about the role and implications of PMCs. - Journal of Peace Research Isenberg provides a detailed overview of the local situation with striking precision and figures. First, he outlines the origin and path of what he calls the 're-emergence of an old phenomenon,' explaining the long-term U.S. policy of military outsourcing and its often controversial nature. The author then examines the consequences of such a strategy during Operation Iraqi Freedom. - Journal of International Peace Operations

David Isenberg was among the very first serious researchers to recognize a unique industry among the many firms providing services to governments in conflict in post-conflict environments. While others dismissed the phenomenon or soon departed into populist conjecture, David grasped the history and recognized both the long-term value and sober implications of this maturing sector. His research and articles in the mid 1990s helped stimulate a cottage industry of scholastic and journalistic research on the topic-often more absurd than serious. No one else considers this topic with the same breadth of knowledge or rational understanding, and few are as good at discerning genuine areas of concern from great gobs of absurd speculation. -Doug Brooks, Founder and Director of the International Peace Operations Association

Author Information

David Isenberg is an independent analyst in national and international security affairs. He writes a weekly column on private security contractors for United Press International. He previously worked at the British American Security Information Council, DynCorp, and the Center for Defense Information. He lives in Arlington, VA.

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