Iraq: military involvement of private security services from EU Member States
WRITTEN QUESTION P-1953/04 by Tobias Pflüger (GUE/NGL) to the Council (31 August 2004)
Is the Council aware that private security services which have their registered offices in EU Member States are operating in Iraq? If so, can it indicate the nature and the scope of their activities and provide a list of the security services based in EU Member States that are currently or have been operating in Iraq since the invasion of the country by US and British troops? What is the Council's view of the obvious increase in the number of private security services in Iraq? Does the Council intend to take any action to prohibit the deployment in war zones of private security services based in EU Member States, or will it continue to allow private security services from the EU to take part in the Iraq war? Or does the Council in fact have an interest in a widening of the military involvement of private security services in Iraq?
This is a very urgent question, given reports in the German press. For example, the German daily newspaper the Hamburger Abendblatt reported on 21 August 2004 that the security sector had for some time been experiencing a "continuous trend" of involvement in the war in Iraq. The newspaper reports that, according to estimates, up to 20 000 people are employed by private security services in Iraq. Most of these are provided by large US firms such as 'Blackwater'. However, German firms such as the 'Baltic Safety Network' (BSN) based in Lübeck-Blankensee are also becoming increasingly involved.
The newspaper further reports that BSN already has dozens of employees in Iraq and is training new recruits all the time. According to the head of BSN, Björn-Michael Birr, demand is enormous. The training fee of EUR 5 000 could be paid by the German Federal Employment Agency. Birr states that a BSN security man can easily earn between USD 1 000 and USD 2 000 a day in Iraq. Yet the precise duties of the mercenaries remain unclear.
Reply (17 February 2005)
The Council would inform the Honourable Member that it does not have the precise information requested and that it has not discussed this issue.
It would also point out that it never comments on articles in the press.
Is the Council aware that private security services which have their registered offices in EU Member States are operating in Iraq? If so, can it indicate the nature and the scope of their activities and provide a list of the security services based in EU Member States that are currently or have been operating in Iraq since the invasion of the country by US and British troops? What is the Council's view of the obvious increase in the number of private security services in Iraq? Does the Council intend to take any action to prohibit the deployment in war zones of private security services based in EU Member States, or will it continue to allow private security services from the EU to take part in the Iraq war? Or does the Council in fact have an interest in a widening of the military involvement of private security services in Iraq?
This is a very urgent question, given reports in the German press. For example, the German daily newspaper the Hamburger Abendblatt reported on 21 August 2004 that the security sector had for some time been experiencing a "continuous trend" of involvement in the war in Iraq. The newspaper reports that, according to estimates, up to 20 000 people are employed by private security services in Iraq. Most of these are provided by large US firms such as 'Blackwater'. However, German firms such as the 'Baltic Safety Network' (BSN) based in Lübeck-Blankensee are also becoming increasingly involved.
The newspaper further reports that BSN already has dozens of employees in Iraq and is training new recruits all the time. According to the head of BSN, Björn-Michael Birr, demand is enormous. The training fee of EUR 5 000 could be paid by the German Federal Employment Agency. Birr states that a BSN security man can easily earn between USD 1 000 and USD 2 000 a day in Iraq. Yet the precise duties of the mercenaries remain unclear.
Reply (17 February 2005)
The Council would inform the Honourable Member that it does not have the precise information requested and that it has not discussed this issue.
It would also point out that it never comments on articles in the press.
Tobias Pflüger - 2005/03/08 19:02
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