Victory for Hire ─ Private Security Companies' Impact on Military Effectiveness

Private security contractors (PSCs) have had a larger presence in Iraq and Afghanistan than US troops. This book assesses the impact of PSCs, as distinct from other private military forms, and analyzes the ramifications of the use of PSCs for both tactical and long-term strategic military effectiveness. The book begins with an overview of the types of private military and security companies, then frames the problem in terms of theories of the state, military effectiveness, the democratic advantage, and the structure-identity dichotomy in the social sciences. The rest of the book examines different cases of modern and historical privatized force deployment, such as PSCs deployed alongside the national military during Operation Iraqi Freedom, PSCs hired in place of national militaries in Croatia and Sierra Leone, and the American Revolution. The book concludes with policy and regulatory recommendations and ways to prevent abuses. Dunigan is affiliated with the International Security Policy Group at the RAND Corporation. Stanford Security Studies is an imprint of Stanford University Press. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)