Swiss Blackwater Employee investigated for being mercenary

Source: NZZ

Translation of originally german article:
The Swiss Army Judical Branch is investigating a Swiss citizen Blackwater employee.
Does working for a security contracter count as mercenary service?

A Swiss citizen worked several month for the american security contractor Blackwater in Iraq. The Swiss Army Judical Branch has started a preliminary investigation.
The man is not accused of war crimes. He was not present during the infamous Bagdad massacre which left 17 civilians dead.
The preliminary investigation focuses on illegal mercenary service.





"Militärjustiz ermittelt gegen Schweizer Blackwater-Angestellten
Gilt Arbeit für die Sicherheitsfirma als Söldnerdienst?

Ein Schweizer hat mehrere Monate für das umstrittene amerikanische Sicherheitsunternehmen Blackwater im Irak gearbeitet. Die Militärjustiz hat eine militärische Voruntersuchung eingeleitet. Dem Mann werden keine Kriegsverbrechen oder andere schwere Straftaten vorgeworfen. Als Blackwater im September durch ein Massaker in Bagdad mit 17 toten Zivilisten ins Zwielicht geriet, war sein Einsatz längst abgeschlossen. Die Voruntersuchung läuft aber wegen illegalen Söldnerdiensts."

Read more: http://nzz.ch/nachrichten/schweiz/aktuell/blackwater_schweizer_soeldnerdienst_1.580505.html

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Switzerland has laws ensuring its citizens do not engange in army duty for a foreign nation and against mercenary service.
The only exception being if you hold two nationalities in which case you can choose for which nation you want to do your military service (usually people choose the country with volunteer army service and thus don't do any army service).

The important point in this investigation will be:
The judges will now have the decide whether Blackwater counts as security contractor or is it actually a mercenary unit.
The outcome of this might be the first official record of Blackwater as a being a mercenary unit.
Thus working for them would be punishable in Switzerland.

Here's hoping. K&R!
:dem:

a mercenary army?

Quick google of 'United Nations Blackwater mercenary' finds a slew of articles, including these:

Private security firms lack supervision in wars: UN
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL0638178020071106?sp=true

U.N.: Blackwater contractors are ‘mercenaries.’
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/11/06/un-blackwater-contractors-are-mercenaries/

U.N. Panel Says Mercenary Ranks Growing
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/un-panel-says-mercenary-ranks-growing/index.html?hp


Thanks for the heads-up, malaise. :thumbsup: I either missed or skimmed over the significance of that.

Here's the part where I'm really living under a rock - I had no idea how many foreign nationals were recruited by Blackwater.


Mercenaries 'R' Us
http://www.alternet.org/story/18193/

"We scour the ends of the earth to find professionals -- the Chilean commandos are very, very professional and they fit within the Blackwater system," Gary Jackson, the president of Blackwater USA, told the Guardian....

Apart from Chile, the other popular source for military recruits is South Africa. The United Nations recently reported that South Africa "is already among the top three suppliers of personnel for private military companies, along with the UK and the US."
_

Color me duh, I thought most of them were ex-U.S. military. This makes the tanks rolling down the street in NOLA all the more chilling. I can't stand this 'company' - it has got to go.

mercenaries work for money.
period.

Figures that Chileans (Pinochet) and S. Africans (white?) would be be hired such a neo-fascist organization.

And while there is NO limit to how many Vatican Guards the Vatican can have, in recent years it has been limited to one company (99 "Halberdiers" and 135 "other ranks"). Mostly for traditional and ceremonial purposes.

For more see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Guard