(by Andrea Pinto) The aim was to establish a well-trained group of "mercenaries"To be recruited preferably from newly retired military and policemen. Target? Fighting in Yemen on behalf ofSaudi Arabia. The judicial and police authorities, with the collaboration of the intelligence services, managed to tighten the circle and arrest two former German soldiers following a raid in the city of Munich and in the southwestern district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, close to Switzerland. A government press release partially disclosed their names "Arend-Adolf G. " And "Acim A.". The accusation is heavy: "terrorism", next week there will be a preliminary hearing.
German government prosecutors argue that the two mercenary chiefs were negotiating with the Saudi government over the salary of the mercenaries, about 45.000 dollars a month for their services. A negotiation that however attracted the attention of military counter-intelligence. The two former soldiers headed an organization that involved the recruitment of an army of at least 150 men with previous military or police (special forces) experience. Their ultimate goal was to serve the kingdom ofSaudi Arabia in carrying out illegal actions in the Yemen.
The practice of using mercenaries to carry out non-legal operations is now widespread in all conflicts in the world, a way to hide the principals who often identify themselves with states and nations of the Western sphere who sit on the UN Security Council. An example of all is the involvement of the Russian private company Wagner (many argue in the pay of the Kremlin) in most unstable areas of the world, from Syria to Libya via Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Belarus. Not least are the private stars and stripes companies, the best known is there Blackwater whose soldiers were convicted in 2014 for the killing of 14 civilians in Baghdad in 2007.
Conflict in Yemen
Saudi Arabia has been embroiled in the Yemeni civil war since 2015. Riyadh's involvement aims to support the country's Sunni-dominated government against Shia-majority Houthi separatists. The Yemeni government is also supported by the UAE and Qatar, the United States also contributed to the Saudi effort in the region. The Houthi movement is believed to receive assistance from Iran. Over 100.000 people, most of them civilians, have died so far in the war, which began in 2014.
The use of contractors
The reasons why a state decides to rely on private military companies are different. The main reason is the intrinsic lowering of the political cost of a war or a single operation. Even just combining the military personnel of a country with contractors allows to reduce the use of regular soldiers and, consequently, also the number of possible losses among the latter.
Large-scale campaigns, such as the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, have led the US government to hire private military companies to support its forces and thereby reach the number of personnel needed for military operations.
Il The main advantage, however, is constituted by the possibility of denying one's involvement in the event that the missions operated by the contractors should fail, or simply go wrong.