Are mercenaries real?

Question

Are there really some extremely trained and skilled men out there who are hired by private companies to kill/fight in war.?

Or is that just some BS made up by movies and books?

Also, are mercenaries legal? The company that hires them??

Answer 1

Of course mercenaries are real. There are more now than ever before. The majority of American forces in Iraq were mercenaries.



Mercenaries are not necessarily well trained, much less "extremely trained" (whatever that means).



And no, they are not legal under international law. But since when has that stopped America from doing something!

Answer 2

Mercenaries? Well, private military contractors are real. Just like Academi, which was known before as Blackwater. They were hired to help the war in Iraq.

Answer 3

Yes they are real, that is what many of the Blackwater men are and those in Iraq Afghanistan Libya, Mali Syria etc



Some are legal others aren't. There have been hundreds of them over the centuries, Technically the Swiss Guard that protect the Pope are mercenaries from a country that is based on that.

Their is the French Foreign Legions and the Gurkha's Regiment it Britain

H-man

Answer 4

Yes they are real, but they are not Jason Bourne.



In the West they are kind of rare, more like private security. usually ex-soldiers. In Africa and other places with simmering wars they are more common. Where does a paid thug end and a mercenary begin?

Answer 5

You're thinking of contractors.



Academi. Formerly known as Blackwater. They're probably the most well known group. The US government uses Academi all the time. The guys hired by Academi are mainly former US military/law Enforcement. Generally guys with a lot of experience. Their website claims that 80% of the people working for them are former US military/law enforcement.

Answer 6

Most mercenaries aren't these "extremely trained" ex SAS/Delta guys. They are mostly hired to support and protect diplomats. Some PMCs are legal, while others aren't and break laws.



Yes, I'd say 90% of your assumptions of PMCs is BS. They are rarely highly trained Spec Ops operators. Make no mistake though, there are a lot of them.

Answer 7

Mercenaries are real, but the organizations who hire them are not always legal or entirely visible to the public.

Answer 8

Yes, yes, no they're not made up, yes they're legal, the state department hires them to protect diplomats and they do lots of other stuff. Blackwater is the main one but they changed their name after a bunch of civilians got killed.

Answer 9

Yes. Very legal. Many are on the payroll of the State Dept. & many NGO's for security.

Answer 10

Of course mercenaries are not real. They are just delightful little pixies. :D

Answer 11

yes they are, they have been around for years, some are private companies like Blackwater or whatever they changed there name to and some are private and "black market".

Answer 12

yes mercenaries are real, they are often employed in 3rd world countries. some are well trained (such as executive outcomes in the early 90s), but the vast majority have no training and are just cannon fodder that are hired by whatever drug lord in africa or what not. no they are not legal according to the UN mercenary convention



and for the idiots claiming that blackwater and other contractor companies hired by the state dept are mercenaries- no, they are not. to quote the UN's definition of a mercenary (speaking of which, it is funny that someone even mentioned the UN mercenary convention without having the brains to actually read it)

1. A mercenary is any person who:

(a) Is specially recruited locally or abroad in order to fight in an armed conflict;

(b) Is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar rank and functions in the armed forces of that party;

(c) Is neither a national of a party to the conflict nor a resident of territory controlled by a party to the conflict;

(d) Is not a member of the armed forces of a party to the conflict; and

(e) Has not been sent by a State which is not a party to the conflict on official duty as a member of its armed forces.



2. A mercenary is also any person who, in any other situation:

(a) Is specially recruited locally or abroad for the purpose of participating in a concerted act of violence aimed at:

(i) Overthrowing a Government or otherwise undermining the constitutional order of a State; or

(ii) Undermining the territorial integrity of a State;

(b) Is motivated to take part therein essentially by the desire for significant private gain and is prompted by the promise or payment of material compensation;

(c) Is neither a national nor a resident of the State against which such an act is directed;

(d) Has not been sent by a State on official duty; and

(e) Is not a member of the armed forces of the State on whose territory the act is undertaken





blackwater and other PMCs involved in iraq and afghan do not fit into the first category because

-they are nationals and residents of a state in the conflict

-they are not hired to participate in hostilities. they are hired to provide security.



they do not fit in the 2nd category because

-they do not conduct activities described by section a

-they have been sent by a state on official duty

Answer 13

yes ,they're real but,they're not the jason bourne type either...they r just like any other human being