Article
Time to Put Private Security Contractors Under the Gun
[Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Blue Mountain Group to respond. Blue Mountain Group said they have no comment; previous Aegis Defense Services response provided below] On the night of the attack [on US consulate in Benghazi, Libya], a group of heavily armed militants approached the compound which was guarded by five U.S. diplomatic security agents, two local militia men, and five unarmed Libyan guards hired by the private security contractor Blue Mountain Group. As the attackers approached, the Libyan private security contractors were said to have abandoned their posts. The men had received hardly any screening or training before being deployed to safeguard Ambassador Stevens' life. Even other firms and the Libyan government questioned whether Blue Mountain Group was up to the task. The questions raised by these reports only add to the call for greater scrutiny around the use of private security contractors, their effectiveness in conflict areas, and, importantly, who they are accountable to for their actions. [refers to Aegis Defense Services, Sandline International, Blackwater]