Britain to lose 'dogs of war'

The language of this London Times article screams hypocrisy. At a time when the world must get control of rogue military, Britain is fighting an effort by South Africa to finally clamp down on their legendary reputation as a breeding ground for mercenaries.

SEVEN HUNDRED South Africans serving in Britain’s Armed Forces will have to abandon their careers or surrender their citizenship under draconian new anti-mercenary legislation being enacted by South Africa’s Parliament.

The new Bill, designed to scotch South Africa’s reputation as a rich recruiting ground for “dogs of war”, was approved by 11 votes to one by the Parliament’s defence committee this week despite an impassioned appeal from Paul Boateng, the British High Commissioner.

Most countries actually require conscripts to hold citizenship, but Britain has always been the military opportunist, cribbing from former colonies at will.

The reputation of these South African rogue forces goes back to the 1950's and doubtless beyond.

In the sixties 'Mad' Mick Hoare and his mercenaries set the scene for years of turmoil in the former Belgian Congo, turmoil which still destabilizes that country.

One of Hoare's successors, Tim Spicer of Sandline, an 'International Security' firm, has carried on the tradition in Africa and the Pacific, notably Papua New Guinea.

There must be no place in this world for these armies for sale or even for individual troops.

The danger of using foreign nationals in this way is the likely ability in which 'host' countries can use them for, essentially, illegal operations.

Let's face facts, our countries leaders are showing increasing willingness to do just that.