International Private Security Firms Are Growing Up And Planning For The Future

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http://www.businessinsider.com/international-private-security-firms-are-growing-up-and-planning-for-the-future-2012-10



WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On a rooftop terrace blocks from the White House, a collection of former soldiers and intelligence officers, executives and contractors drink to the international private security industry.

The past decade - particularly the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - provided rich pickings for firms providing private armed guards, drivers and other services that would once have been performed by uniformed soldiers.

But as the conflicts that helped create the modern industry wind down, firms are having to adapt to survive. They must also, industry insiders say, work to banish the controversial image of mercenary "dogs of war" that bedevil many firms, particularly in Iraq.

"This industry has always gone up and down," Doug Brooks, president of the International Stability Operations Association (ISOA), told Reuters on the sidelines of its annual conference in Washington. "What we're seeing now is that it is becoming much more mature - and much more responsible."


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/21/us-usa-arms-contractors-idUSBRE89K02B20121021#ixzz29we0g58n

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1. and much more responsible."