The reverberations against private security contractors (PSCs) continues on Capital Hill. on Thursday February 28th, Senator Hillary Clinton announced her intention to co-sponsor legislation to “Ban Use of Private Security Contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan.” You can visit her website for the specific press release.
We’re a long way away from any substantiative change with PSCs in Iraq and elsewhere but there’s no doubt that significant change is in the wind for PSCs. Readers of this blog will note that I questioned the long term use of PSCs last year. I have nothing against PSCs or those who work with them. I look at it from a pure economic standpoint. PSC were never intended to be long term solutions. Unfortunately the security situation in Iraq and Afghanistan continues to be precarious and as such still requires the use of PSCs.
I also reject comments that the military is not trained to perform these functions. It Second, there’s a huge difference between not wanting to do the mission and not being capable. The military does not want the mission and rightfully so. This is not a military mission given the already existing military constraints. Not wanting the mission is far different than not being capable.
I support a third alternative which is the formation of a paramilitary force under the auspices of the Diplomatic Security Service (DS). This division of DS would have the sole function of providing close protection to U.S. diplomats around the world. This would be a force distinct from DS Special Agents. Special Agents are criminal investigators and security specialists with a myriad of challenges and responsibilities. They also perform protective operations. However, they are needed at embassies throughout the world to work other missions.
The model I propose is very similar to the role of the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service except this branch of the Diplomatic Security would focus exclusively on protective operations, primarily abroad. There several instances of the successful integration of such forces in government particularly in the post 9/11 environment such as the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, a multi-disciplined protective force at the Pentagon. And what about the Marine Security Guards? They are also another model of a uniformed force successfully integrated into the State Department. Finally the U.S. Department of Energy uses a paramilitary force (Nuclear Couriers) to protect nuclear weapons and material during shipment through the U.S.
Anyway, regardless of whatever model is ultimately followed, “change is a blowin’ in the wind.”
