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Isenberg Video
- Here and There with Dave Marash, February 3, 2015
- Sep. 2, 2014 Al Jazeera English segment on Blackwater trial - Comment by David Isenberg
- Jan 2, 2010, Al Jazzeera (English), re Judge Urbina’s dismissal of charges against Blackwater contractors
- June 28, 2010. heard in “Controversy over CIA Blackwater contract,” The World
- August 17, 2010, on C-Span III, speaks on private military contracting
- Examining the role of the military contractor
- Has the Privatization of National Security Gone Too Far? The Future of Military Contracting, November 14, 2008, 9:30-11:00am, New America Foundation
- David Isenberg on PressTV - US contractor with poor ratings hired again
- Outsourcing War and Peace – Video
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Author Archives: David Isenberg
Russian Geo-Strategic and Economic Interests and Wagner Group’s Deployment in Libyan and Syrian Conflicts
Russian Geo-Strategic and Economic Interests and Wagner Group’s Deployment in Libyan and Syrian Conflicts Authors: Chibike David Obi; Frank-Collins Nnamdi Okafor; Onyebuchi Johnpaul Nduba Author Keywords: Russia, Wagner Group, Libyan conflicts,… You must be logged in to view this content. … Continue reading
Posted in Academic, Libya, Middle East, Russia
Tagged Academic, Libya, Russia, Syria
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Deconstructing Plausible Deniability and Attributing Responsibility for the Conduct of Private Military Companies
The analysis focuses on two primary legal avenues: state attribution under the International Law Commission’s (ILC) Articles on State Responsibility (ARSIWA) and corporate criminal liability. It demonstrates that these legal frameworks are fraught with difficulties, including a deep jurisprudential divide between the ICJ and ICTY on attribution standards and significant procedural hurdles for corporate prosecution. The Wagner Group serves as a case study. This study concludes that the core problem is not a legal vacuum, but rather a “compliance vacuum,” where states deliberately avoid their obligations. Overcoming this will require a more robust application of the law. Continue reading
Strategic Blindness in the Sahel: Russian Influence and EU Security
This article examines the evolving security dynamics in the African Sahel and their implications for European Union (EU) security amid the expansion of Russian influence since 2021. It argues that the displacement of EU and Western actors by Russia has reshaped the regional security environment, generating a condition of strategic blindness for the EU, characterised by reduced situational awareness, limited intelligence access, and diminished capacity to shape developments on the ground. The study identifies key transnational threats affecting the EU, including terrorism and violent extremism, irregular migration, organised crime, illicit trafficking, and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). The findings suggest that Russia’s growing presence has not stabilised the Sahel but has increased the opacity and complexity of these threats. The article concludes with policy recommendations to enhance EU resilience and strategic engagement in the region. Continue reading
Soldiers of Misfortune: Mercenaries and Digital Propaganda in Africa
Soldiers of Misfortune: Mercenaries and Digital Propaganda in Africa You must be logged in to view this content. Click here to subscribe
Responding to unjust vis: confronting unjust proxy warfare
The existing literature on jus ad vim is dominated by discussion of the potentially justifiable uses of such measures. However, measures of vis are often abused and used unjustly, including Russia’s use of the Wagner Group as a proxy in Africa and its ‘grey zone’ operations in Ukraine. How should liberal actors respond to unjust vis? This article focuses on this question in relation to the unjust use of proxies. It considers the ethical principles that should govern responses to proxies, such as the Wagner Group, given their use to reduce domestic political costs and maintain plausible deniability globally. It considers two issues: whether sponsors or proxies should be the primary focus of responses, and whether ‘tit-for-tat’ proxy warfare is justifiable. The article then draws on this discussion to highlight general considerations for the ethics of responding to unjust vis. Continue reading
Joana de Deus Pereira re UN Working Group on Mercenaries 2026 trip to Colombia
Joana de Deus Pereira Ph.D • 2nd UN Western Europe Mandate Holder on Working Group on Mercenaries | Team Leader of EU Thematic Trainings on Preventing Violent Extremim | TAIEX Expert… You must be logged in to view this content. … Continue reading
Visit to Colombia (16-27 March 2026) – Report of the Working Group on the use of mercenaries,
Human Rights Council Sixty-third session 7 September–9 October 2026 Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development… You must be logged in to view this content. … Continue reading
Wagner Group and Africa Corps
Wagner Group and Africa Corps Download Report The Wagner Group is a Russia-based private military company (PMC) comprised of a network of businesses and mercenary groups that operates across the globe.… You must be logged in to view this content. … Continue reading
More mystique than results: The legacy of Russia’s Wagner Group
More mystique than results: The legacy of Russia’s Wagner Group Ukraine By Travis Pike June 24, 2026 Wagner Group was one of the more mysterious and convoluted elements of the Russian… You must be logged in to view this content. … Continue reading
There’s No Conspiracy in the Sahel — There’s a Gap, and Bamako Knows How to Use It
There’s No Conspiracy in the Sahel — There’s a Gap, and Bamako Knows How to Use It By Sergey Eledinov and Konstantin Terentev September 21, 2026 0 A familiar claim keeps… You must be logged in to view this content. … Continue reading
Posted in Africa, Russia
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