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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
Private military companies and arms control challenges: The Wagner Group in Mali-
Private military companies and arms control challenges: The Wagner Group in Mali You must be logged in to view this content. Click here to subscribe
A Russian private military company founder faces charges over an alleged scam targeting recruits. Journalists list him among officers accused of executing their own men.
Alexey Marushchenko, the founder of the Russian private military company (PMC) “Yastreb,” and several of his associates are in pre-trial detention on charges of defrauding nearly 100 newly recruited contract soldiers, according to the Russian business daily Kommersant. Investigators say the victims paid the group in exchange for promises that they would serve not in regular Defense Ministry units, but in the PMC — where conditions would allegedly be easier. Continue reading
Privatization of War in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is increasingly relying on foreign contractors and mercenary networks to bolster the operational capacity of its armed forces, particularly in countering the advancing March 23 Movement (M23) rebels. Continue reading
Posted in Africa, Outsourcing/Privatization
Tagged Africa, Outsourcing/Privatization
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Erik Prince Launches “Air Defense As a Service” Startup With Swarmer
Guess who’s back, back again? Erik’s back, tell a friend.That’s right, folks. Erik Prince is back like he never left. This morning, the completely uncontroversial mercenary launched his latest venture, coming out of stealth with a new startup called Vectus that’s pitching a unique “air defense as a service” model. Continue reading
Russian Forces Kill 20 Brazilian Mercenaries Fighting for Ukraine
Russian Forces Kill 20 Brazilian Mercenaries Fighting for Ukraine North Atlantic Treaty Organization / www.nato.int Author: Alexey Khomyakov 02:42 21-08-2026 Russian forces killed 20 Brazilian mercenaries fighting for Ukraine, with recruitment… You must be logged in to view this content. … Continue reading
Posted in Casualties, Mercenaries, Russia, Ukraine
Tagged Casualties, Mercenaries, Russia, Ukraine
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Mali: Russia’s ‘Africa Corps’ Massacres Villagers
Russian government-controlled Africa Corps’ forces summarily killed nine civilians, including four children, and beat dozens of others in central Mali in early July 2026, Human Rights Watch said today. Continue reading
Posted in Africa, Casualties, Human Rights, Russia
Tagged Africa, Casualties, Russia
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Russian paramilitaries in Mali kill nine, including children: HRW
In a statement published on Thursday, HRW accused Africa Corps of carrying out the killings in the presence of Malian soldiers at the beginning of last month. Continue reading
Posted in Africa, Casualties, Human Rights, Russia
Tagged Africa, Casualties, Russia
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Trump’s Private Hacker Memo Is the Right Idea
The U.S. government’s plan to enlist private-sector hackers to target cybercriminals is controversial, but it addresses a real problem and is surprisingly measured. Continue reading
The Rise of Cyber Mercenaries: How Private Threat Actors Are Reshaping Global Conflict
The traditional monopoly of nation-states over advanced cyber-espionage and offensive digital operations has fundamentally collapsed. In its place, a lucrative, globally distributed marketplace of Private Sector Offensive Actors (PSOAs) and Commercial Surveillance Vendors (CSVs) frequently termed “cyber mercenaries” has emerged to redefine the parameters of modern conflict. This industry, estimated to be worth more than $12 billion worldwide, specializes in the development, packaging, and deployment of highly invasive intrusion suites to government clients. By democratizing access to military-grade cyber weapons, these commercial entities are reshaping geopolitical power dynamics, allowing middle-tier and authoritarian regimes to project asymmetric power, and introducing systemic instability to the digital ecosystem. Continue reading
Posted in Mercenaries, Outsourcing/Privatization
Tagged Mercenaries, Outsourcing/Privatization
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THE DORSAI CONTRACT
Gordon R. Dickson’s Dorsai novels (beginning with Dorsai! in 1959 and continuing across the Childe Cycle) construct a planetary society whose sole exportable good is elite soldiering, organized around a rigorously contractual ethic of service. This dossier argues that the Dorsai model is not merely a science-fiction invention but a distilled, idealized synthesis of institutional patterns that recur across the historical and contemporary mercenary trade: the economic logic by which resource-poor populations convert martial skill into an export commodity; the use of binding, honor-policed contracts as the organizing principle of loyalty; and the cultivation of elite-selection pipelines as a market signal of quality. Continue reading
Posted in Academic, David Isenberg, IISS Analysis, Mercenaries
Tagged Academic, David Isenberg, Mercenaries
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