ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the changes in power and accountability that have accompanied the proliferation of private military and security companies (PMSCs) during the past two decades. It provides an overview of the modern private military and security industry, describing the general nature of PMSCs, their main clients and the range of services that they provide. The chapter explains how the outsourcing of military and security activities can circumvent democratic constraints on the use of force. It argues that PMSCs can have significant effects on the states in which they operate. While some PMSCs work directly for the host state government, other companies may work for a foreign government, private corporation, non-governmental organization (NGO) operating in the host state. The scale, scope and sophistication of PMSC activities have been most evident in Afghanistan and Iraq. The US Department of Defense (DOD) effectively doubled its contingents in Iraq and Afghanistan through the use of private contractors, without any need for congressional approval.
