United States: Why Not Mercenaries?
Bringing back a modern version of letters of marque would be a helpful new tool for the conduct of U.S. foreign policy.
Opinion Columnists International Relations
By José Azel Last updated Jun 3, 2019
Waging war is a very serious matter. Commendably, U. S. Presidents and Congress are very reluctant to authorize the use of the Armed Forces of the United States. And yet, the U.S. has enemies, and often the national interest requires the use of military force short of a formal declaration of war. Readers can insert here a contemporary hot spot of choice e.g., Iraq, Venezuela.
Fortunately, the Founding Fathers, with uncanny prescience, anticipated that there would be times when it would be necessary to enact retribution without engaging in a costly and expansive war. In Article I, Section 8, the Constitution provides the following powers to Congress: “To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water.†Essentially, a letter of marque and reprisal is a government license that authorizes a private entity to cross international borders to take some action in retaliation against an attack or injury.
Up to the 19th century, being granted a letter of marque was considered an honor that combined patriotism and financial gains. Today, we often think pejoratively of the mercenaries engaged in such activities. Nonetheless, there are numerous large and powerful private military companies for hire worldwide. These companies are mostly staffed by elite former Special Forces personnel. For example, in the U.S., Academi, and G4S are just two of the largest, in the U. K., Aegis Defence Services, and Control Risks are major firms. There are also large Australian, Russian, and South African private military companies.
Read more at: https://panampost.com/jose-azel/2019/06/03/united-states-why-not-mercenaries/
Interesting article mentioning the Letters of Marque, found in the constitution!
