Miliband and the mercenaries
29 April 2009
Comment is Free
The government's refusal to regulate military companies opens the way to the privatisation of war
After a seven-year delay, the British government has finally revealed its plan for dealing with the private military industry. The plan, released to public consultation on Friday afternoon, blows apart the growing consensus that there needs to be strict regulation of private military groups operating overseas. In a dramatic about-face, the foreign secretary, David Miliband, has recommended that mercenary groups be left to sign up to a voluntary code of conduct through which they can police their own operations.
John Hilary is Executive Director of War on Want and writes regularly for the Guardian's Comment is Free blog
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