The Book That Started It All
Search
Categories
Archives
-
Recent Posts
-
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
Recent Comments
- Joseph Burwell on Former student blasts military school for private defense contractors
- Gomes Castro on Families of slain and injured sue Ericsson over claims it funded Middle East terror
- A United States in Perpetual War Should Consider a Foreign Legion as a Pragmatic Solution | NextBigFuture.com on LEGITIMIZING A DE FACTO U.S. FOREIGN LEGION IN AFGHANISTAN: TRANSFER OF MISSION CRITICAL SECURITY OPERATIONS FROM PRIVATE CONTRACTORS TO U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL
- Resource curse alive and well in Afghanistan - Antony Loewenstein on $488 Million Investment in Afghanistan’s Oil, Mining & Gas Industry at Risk
- Il Boom dei contractors in Africa – SURIYA HABIBATI on Mozambique: Hydrocarbon companies deny security deal with Erik Prince – AIM
Tag Archives: Russia
Promised a Job, Sent to the Front: Four Kenyans and the Families Waiting for Them
An athlete. A security guard. A cook. A driver. Four Kenyans recruited into Russia’s war in Ukraine through different lies, by different people, at different times – all of them ending up in the same place: the front lines.
A documentary by Kenyan outlet Tuko, produced by journalist King Wangeshi, follows the families left behind and the one man who made it out alive. It puts names and faces to a crisis that the Kenyan government has acknowledged at scale: according to official figures, at least 200 Kenyans have joined Russian forces through deceptive recruitment. The government has described the situation as “extremely worrying.” Continue reading
Botswana warns of Russia coercing citizens to fight in Ukraine at ‘alarming rate’
It has long been reported that Russia uses African mercenaries in its war in Ukraine and that many of them were recruited under opaque procedures. Arrests have been made for the practice in other African countries, including Kenya, which has said at least 1,000 citizens have been recruited. Continue reading
Gazpromneft Security
Gazpromneft Security (officially Limited Liability Company Private Security Organization Gazpromneft Okhrana) is a private security organization established by Gazprom Neft, the oil-producing subsidiary of Russian state-controlled energy giant Gazprom. The company was formally authorized by a Russian government decree signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on February 4, 2023 .
The entity was registered with Russian authorities under Registration Number 1235500004960 and Tax ID No. 5501282179, with its registered address at prospect Gubkina, Omsk, 644065, Russia . Continue reading
Posted in Companies, David Isenberg, Russia
Tagged Companies, David Isenberg, Russia
Leave a comment
Tracing the Criminality of Russian Gray Zone Warfare
While designating Wagner successor groups as terrorist organizations enables broader prosecutorial powers, the organized crime label is more accurate to their manner of operating and the political context from which they developed. Therefore, the U.S. House should adopt the HARM Act 2.0 recognizing Wagner successor groups as terrorist elements but add nuance to prosecution and security postures by recognizing that these attacks are coordinated like organized crime. It should also go further and recognize these patterns and target responsible individuals at every level with sanctions and criminal charges when possible. Continue reading
Is someone’s mercenary another’s contractor: American, British, and Russian private security companies in US and UK parliamentary debates
Is someone’s mercenary another’s contractor: American, British, and Russian private security companies in US and UK parliamentary debates Matteo C M Casiraghi Eugenio Cusumanco International Relations 2025 Vol. 39(2) 273-300 You must be logged in to view this content. … Continue reading
Posted in Academic, Companies, Russia, UK
Tagged Academic, Control, Russia, United Kingdom
Leave a comment
Foreign mercenaries fighting against Ukraine on behalf of Russia
Foreign mercenaries fighting against Ukraine on behalf of Russia –PR expert 14 July 2026 4:34 am WAT By sunnews A Ukrainian Public Relations Expert, Artem Kovalenko, has said that foreign mercenaries… You must be logged in to view this content. … Continue reading
After Ukraine: The peace dividend Africa does not want
After Ukraine: The peace dividend Africa does not want The end of the Ukraine war would flood the global market with surplus weapons, fighters and drone expertise—much of which may end… You must be logged in to view this content. … Continue reading
Russian Fighters Could Pose Threat to Africa After Ukraine
Russian Fighters Could Pose Threat to Africa After Ukraine Weapons and mercenaries likely would pour into continent By ADFJuly 14, 20264 Mins Read The ever-evolving use of drones has been a… You must be logged in to view this content. … Continue reading
Russian Private Military Companies May Become a Security Threat to Their Hosts in Africa
As the U.S. reassesses its policy on foreign aid and takes a turn from value-based cooperation to trade-focused policy towards Africa, Russia’s repurposing of PMCs could influence African nations as they consider future governance options. Russian PMCs, now more aligned with the Kremlin’s agenda and less focused on profit and equipped with a full suite of subversive capabilities, could help steer their African hosts away from the U.S. and impede African progress toward economic prosperity. Continue reading
Wagner’s Opioid Empire: How Tramadol Trafficking Fuels Russian Mercenary Networks in Central Africa
Wagner’s Opioid Empire: How Tramadol Trafficking Fuels Russian Mercenary Networks in Central Africa July 13, 2026 The illicit tramadol trade linking India and the Central African Republic (CAR) has evolved into… You must be logged in to view this content. … Continue reading