LONDON - A humanitarian group called Monday for government regulation of private security companies in combat zones, saying "mercenaries" often operate with impunity inThe London-based War on Want delivered a list of recommended regulations for the private security industry to Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, calling for increased scrutiny of allegations of human rights abuses by private security staff.
The demand comes as a conference of British defense firms working in Iraq and Afghanistan was set to open Monday in London.
Both the British government and private security companies agree that regulation is needed. But the companies say an independent ombudsman — rather than government regulation — would be more effective.
In a report, War on Want called for details of government contracts with defense companies to be made public and proposed restrictions on lawmakers and civil servants taking jobs within the sector after leaving office.
"We want the revolving door between government and the private defense industry to slam shut," War on Want spokesman Paul Collins said.
Andy Bearpark, director general of the British Association of Private Security Companies, an industry-funded lobby group, said government regulation was unworkable.
He said his members would instead urge Beckett to appoint an independent ombudsman to oversee their operations.
"The way we work is across international boundaries, so regulation or prosecutions through national laws would be complex," Bearpark told The Associated Press in an interview.
He said security companies "support 100 percent" moves to regulate the industry.
Britain's Foreign Office said a review of options for regulating the industry had begun, but there was no timetable for putting proposals to parliament.
"There is an agreement that there should be some form of regulation," said a Foreign Office spokesman on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Bearpark, former director of operations and infrastructure for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, said British security contractors earned about $1.88 billion a year.
War on Want claims the total value of the industry worldwide topped $100 billion in 2004 and has estimated there are 48,000 private security contractors working in Iraq.
The U.S.-led coalition and private Western groups operating in Iraq have come to rely on contractors for many security duties, including guarding facilities and some highways.
At least 300 contractors are reported to have been killed in Iraq. Some Iraqis have complained that the private security workers have used excessive force.
Collins said his group recognized the need for private security, but believed the industry urgently required tighter regulation.
"What we want to see is the proper investigation and prosecution of human rights abuses being perpetrated by mercenaries," Collins said.
The War on Want report claims civilian contractors — including men named in U.S. military reports as having carried out abuses at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison — have repeatedly escaped prosecution for crimes. Two workers employed by private defense companies CACI International Inc. and Titan Corp. were "either directly or indirectly responsible for the abuses at Abu Ghraib," a 2004 report by U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba stated.
The demand comes as a conference of British defense firms working in Iraq and Afghanistan was set to open Monday in London.
Both the British government and private security companies agree that regulation is needed. But the companies say an independent ombudsman — rather than government regulation — would be more effective.
In a report, War on Want called for details of government contracts with defense companies to be made public and proposed restrictions on lawmakers and civil servants taking jobs within the sector after leaving office.
"We want the revolving door between government and the private defense industry to slam shut," War on Want spokesman Paul Collins said.
Andy Bearpark, director general of the British Association of Private Security Companies, an industry-funded lobby group, said government regulation was unworkable.
He said his members would instead urge Beckett to appoint an independent ombudsman to oversee their operations.
"The way we work is across international boundaries, so regulation or prosecutions through national laws would be complex," Bearpark told The Associated Press in an interview.
He said security companies "support 100 percent" moves to regulate the industry.
Britain's Foreign Office said a review of options for regulating the industry had begun, but there was no timetable for putting proposals to parliament.
"There is an agreement that there should be some form of regulation," said a Foreign Office spokesman on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Bearpark, former director of operations and infrastructure for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, said British security contractors earned about $1.88 billion a year.
War on Want claims the total value of the industry worldwide topped $100 billion in 2004 and has estimated there are 48,000 private security contractors working in Iraq.
The U.S.-led coalition and private Western groups operating in Iraq have come to rely on contractors for many security duties, including guarding facilities and some highways.
At least 300 contractors are reported to have been killed in Iraq. Some Iraqis have complained that the private security workers have used excessive force.
Collins said his group recognized the need for private security, but believed the industry urgently required tighter regulation.
"What we want to see is the proper investigation and prosecution of human rights abuses being perpetrated by mercenaries," Collins said.
The War on Want report claims civilian contractors — including men named in U.S. military reports as having carried out abuses at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison — have repeatedly escaped prosecution for crimes. Two workers employed by private defense companies CACI International Inc. and Titan Corp. were "either directly or indirectly responsible for the abuses at Abu Ghraib," a 2004 report by U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba stated.