A huge contract. It was half a 1000000. 00 or just under that. And was just soon that one of the large big american companies would win it, but it didnt work out that way. I kind of him spies to hit the headline and again, during the ons to africa affair involving his old company, sand line. But general spies and now is developed as thriving business in private security. And he recently won that multi 1000000 pound contract. Well tim spices with me now. Tim. Good morning. Whats your summary of the situation in terms of Chaos Or Lauren order . I would advise people to go that if the measures in put in place for their protection, all sand me tracked in iraq to see the Communication And Coordination for all the private security companies on the graph. The, the need to make the work a general in charge of all of the private contracts. At that point the us military was the largest military presence in iraq. But i did get all the private military contract of spice in respect to be in charge. The 2nd largest on for me, the spicer is a fairly well known figure. And british political and media circles me but at the time of the award of the contract for iraq, it was awarded by a Logistics Contracting Sell in virginia. Not in iraq by a group of, you know, essentially acquisition bureaucrats who had no experience with the private military industry. No knowledge of the different players, and referred to him as a british guy. Me the the world of private security contracted when they heard that this company called aegis one this contract and that the people that were working for him were so africans, and not american. There was, there was a period when youre applying for these contracts. Your bid will include you and your business, his personal history. It doesnt say, you know, by the way, we were involved in this international controversy that almost costs a foreign ministers job. Beatrice prisons in iraq was relatively standard free. That was one video which was posted on youtube from the contract that who is following the gun while playing rock music, the money and the legal actions will take what do your weapons in this battle in iraq . For me its, its the ability to coordinate and, and continue to help the reconstruction effort. The very rapidly just became a huge company. And it made to spice me healthy majority of americans now think it was a mistake to go to war in iraq. Really in the iraq war, the president still before the enter, the mission accomplished 3 and a half years later, the debate is back over why the u. S. As in iraq, in the 1st place, public support for the war is falling. War americans want the troops to come home in a brief ceremony on a base on the edge of baghdad, the United States took down the flag of its command here to mark the end of the military mission. The u. S. Money was to be pulled out of the rocky field. Reparations and the industry had to go to a very complicated reset. The company had to realize that they werent going to that level of money. Again, i said i had to offer a different package of deals that they would have to hire cheapest soldiers. Ah when, when no, no, no, no. Ready i dont. Ready know whats. Ready ready going on as i go from there. Ok. After youre going to meant to call home after you did, you must not be any for drug use you i came not. You can watch anything. You hardly going. Sounds good. Anything i need to give you my also financial you know, let me try to buy one to mrs and no ones going to god. Thank you so much of an agenda and he says im going into the me when i was casual. Oh i, i. Busy oh oh. Busy i, [000 00 00;00] i i all work undertaken by ages is carried out to the high standards of professional competence and integrity. Our Track Record is expensive and our highly trained men and women are dedicated to supporting the mission and at hand with outstanding performance. When we 1st started into theater, we were briefed on peruvian and colombian guards, and the natural question you ask is, so what do you pay for these folks at the time . And im playing off memory self, but im pretty good at that. It was about 1000. 00 to 1200. 00. And then, oh, i dont know, 6 months a year ago, it became a garden guards at about 800. 00 a month. And wed ask the question of security companies because of the lowest price, technically acceptable. Rushed to the bottom, thats what some call it Y Y O gone. Its now vs provings in columbia. And so we dont have a chance to get the award unless we use a guidance because there are 2. 00 to 400. 00 less. And now on this most recent trip, the company that is winning all the awards that had this was 1st id heard of, well, well weve got a good strategy. Were using Sierra Leonean. So you asked the question so, so what are we paying forms . 250. 00 a month. You know, i guess rhetorically. I dont expect an answer. Can we go a little lower . Can we find someone . Its like, well do it for boarding room. You know, that has such a terrible country that maybe theyll just go out of the country and be a free security guard. I mean, thats pretty inexpensive. I say that it sounds facetious, but its real. Know you get what you pay for. Ah, i i the original goal was not to bring soldiers or soldiers from the poorest countries on earth, but the u. S. Meeting system requires that you pick the lowest bidder. So the became the Status Quo and iraq to have multiple layers of foreigners. I reckon his people for where they came from and who they fought for so. So that would be with the colombian marines. And its a to be with range in the you, again, as you know, came out of the, again, an army of the challenges that i was with when i spent a month and black water from pinochets private guard. And some of these countries are known for extremely brutal wars, whether its columbia severally own. And theres not a lot of discussion about where did your life so long as you are in the army and you meet certain criteria. And sometimes you dont have to be in the army to meet this criteria. So the u. S. System, and of course, any business is going to put out a specification. If you can, mass has specification and your cost is lower than you in the job. The the september, the 11th 2001 day that reshaped the modern world. I remember watching the World Trade Center burn on a tv at to ca, and i was standing there like this just looking at it. And a colleague of mine was standing next to me and he said, my god, do they have any idea what theyve done . Were going to kill everybody. Now. Everybody, the, the live locally to tv images, promote the us into declaring its war on terror. Theyve begun to bomb afghan villages and holmes and get people hurt and, and killed the main goal of destroying terrorism and then was it achieved . Yes. And no. Ok to essentially no longer exists good for us. But there are certainly other terrorist groups that are worse than i, so you cut your cost, you make more profit, you get the soldier that you want, but you also majorly dilute. The professionalism and the effectiveness of those of the company is Self Interest is different than national interest. Companies are problem, that is what they do. Thats natural, except here, were not creating toys for producing things that result in war. The what do you do if you have somebody from the philippines working for an american, having to try and company in afghanistan, who tell somebody what jurisdiction does that Person Fall under . We dont know international law such that it doesnt really have a category for arm civilians. The so several governments including the british and the government, decided to start creating international norms and standards of how these probably most likely should behave. Ready in Russia Kind of contact was instigated or started by switzerland and the international community a group of companies in n, joes and states got together. And they formulated a sort of a self regulatory car to contact these companies for companies with fine up to this code. Promising they would not violate it, they would not commit human rights atrocities or not commit war crimes, etc. So you can point to wow, representatives of a couple of nations. And oh, by the way, the private military themselves got around the table in switzerland and they agreed about good norms to aim for. Ready her to contact you not work. The idea that a company would voluntarily confess crimes. Its committed abroad. Just why would they do . The reality is that most golf clubs have more enforcement mechanisms than these kind of documents. I and about 15 countries, ive been involved in programs to reintegrate children who are served in armed forces or its a contradiction in terms on the one hand western countries have pump large sums of money into the reintegration of former child soldiers. But now we have governments like the u. S. Supporting the so called security companies that recruit people and continue their exposure to violence and cement their identities as perpetrators of violence as soldiers that make it impossible to ever reintegrate into civilian life. Ah, now i was in a few hours my drug professional drug is weapon. Ah, at one time when the kids came into account, a Killer Lot of pollution pharmacies and couple of looking down we had to exclusion is taking place. I think about learning when people are down on the Street Exposure and sticking all over the city. And ive anytime had gone to short had a bone all watch a explosion. I think about my going to what happens you know, before the 21st teams what iraqi, theyre more strict and intended for us. Yeah, sure. Money member, what happened is the people running into Gum Fighting for what that or like to watch and try to for the on you know, is not a good one because one i dont have as mix up issues. And they seem like an actor for well as not young people unfairly on have no jobs are desperate to feed themselves and their families and result is that it becomes harder and harder to ever find their way back into civilian life and a plant seeds of violence wherever they go, well we always remember wanting, im the my stuff, my wife when she, when i, when i have a web one, i should continue to work. Its a weapon because im full on turn off. Which mean i can do anything with the former child soldiers have been trained to take pride in their skill and their ability to, to kill people. I think its affection to claim that they are somehow stable, that they can self regulate as well known that young people who have extensive history of violence and being fed drugs and manipulated over time they develop problems of impulsivity high levels of aggression. I is very difficult to change the mindset me is spacious, to say that theyve been carefully selected or that theyre, that its safe to hand them a gun and expect them to do a quote, professional job. Ah, you know, i spend my life working to aid the rehabilitation and the regression of young people and it pains me see my own government supporting the behavior so called security companies. You know, we pride ourselves on being a moral people trying to do the right thing. What were doing is were exporting people using young people whove been child soldiers, deliberately sending them into the jaws of combat and further violence. Nothing could be worse for these young people. Nothing could be worse for security. Me as a close connection between this Industry And Policy makers, me private military firm. This really poach, retired general officers and admirals from the armed forces because they have connections in my case to recognize enemy. I formerly have measured by and i say that it shows its real when you get what you pay me. Ah, the Church Street will continue to act for government and youre going to see a private company between engaging in warfare me companies that are registering our company, the company on our money new companies that allows us to fund mentally. If youre new democracy and youll government take selection that you dont agree with, you can vote that Government Town Company or from your country doing something you disagree with the people carol lock wondering did soldier or did marine shows up in this country . Do we start to ask yourself, why did they die . Why do what were they fighting for . Nobody bothers stamps by the contractors. Oh, the who cares . Mean theyre is nobody going to die and come home in a Body Bag in denver, or over or whatever. Ah, every american who, sirs joins an unbroken line of heroes, am awed by their sacrifice. Ah, win and get them in the book. Im not food. I do anytime you have time coming it down. Youre committing behind, or who did he got it on the west in the godaddy. Ah, ah, no one is in the street, contractors kills ah, ah, peter still exercises is foreign policy. The use of Force And Violence in these 4 regions. It is using proxies. Contractors, 3rd country, nationals, and in obscuring their role. Oh, i knew that you didnt end up in a wreck, and somebody from Sierra Leone in an instant. Its really your money. Its your tax money. Doing it. But making sure the politicians are in trouble. I military contractors make a decision to go to war a lot easier. Ah, the part of ending a war responsibly . His standing by those who for the oh um ah, i me ah, me in me in on ah, ah, ah, me. I have often said Transfer Fee for the powerful receipt for the last bit about privacy. What people care about is power. Julian, a son just become a symbol of the battles of brevity, information is power. Thats whats going on, or a huge struggle with governments and corporations who want to keep information secret and others who think democratic rights should be pushed forward. And people have a right to know what to do. Watch houses help shift the conversation around transparency. See what that battle has done to him. I feel like julian life might be coming to an end. We are in a Conflict Situation with the largest and most powerful employer in such a situation. Its remarkable. Survive the this weekend, or the 20th anniversary of the 911 terror attack, the f. B. I released the declassified document into who carried out the atrocity with the files. So essentially repeating known facts, adding no information on possible saudi involvement. Support suggest the us mistakenly targeted an african Aid Worker and a Drug Strike killing 10 members of one family that we have from a former american drone operator. Who tells us that this own experience is killing innocent people. Every shot that we turn like theyre cheering their congratulating