The Invisible Soldiers: How America Outsourced Our Security

Hagedorn, Ann

ISBN 10: 1416598804 / ISBN 13: 9781416598800

Published by Simon & Schuster, New York, New York, U.S.A., 2014

About this Item

Stated First Simon & Schuster Hardcover Edition With The Number Line Indicating A First Printing. Includes Index, Bibliographical References And Chapter Notes. The Book Is Bound Within Boards With Green Paper Over One Quarter Black. Red Lettering On The Spine. The Unclipped Jacket Has Some Creasing At The Lower Edge. This Is The Story Of The Privatization Of America's National Security And The Rise Of A Bold New Industry Of Private Military And Security Companies-How And Why It Happened And Why All American's Should Be Concerned - Front Flap.

Seller Inventory # 045419

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Invisible Soldiers: How America Outsourced Our Security
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster, New York, New York, U.S.A.
• Publication Date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1416598804
• ISBN 13: 9781416598800
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Political Science/Law

About this title

Synopsis

The urgent truth about the privatization of America’s national security that exposes where this industry came from, how it operates, where it's heading—and why we should be concerned.

Thirty years ago there were no private military and security companies (PMSCs); there were only mercenaries. Now the PMSCs are a bona-fide industry, an indispensable part of American foreign and military policy. PMSCs assist US forces in combat operations and replace them after the military withdraws from combat zones; they guard our embassies; they play key roles in US counterterrorism strategies; and Homeland Security depends on them. Their services include maritime security, police training, drone operations, cyber security, and intelligence analysis (as Edward Snowden has famously revealed). Even the United Nations employs them.

When did this happen? The turning point came when the US found itself in a prolonged war with Iraq, but without adequate forces. So the Bush Administration turned to the PMSCs to fill the gap. Private contractors and subcontractors eventually exceeded the traditional troops. The industry has never scaled back.

Ann Hagedorn profiles the members of Congress who recognize the dangers of dependence on PMSCs, but have been unable to limit them or even determine their true scope. She takes us to the exclusive club in London where the PMSCs were created, and she reveals the key figure in the evolution of the industry. She introduces us to a US Army general who studies new developments, such as PMSCs’ drone operations, and worries about PMSCs potentially fighting American troops. The Invisible Soldiers will inspire a national dialogue about a little-known international industry on which our security rests.

About the Author

Ann Hagedorn has been a staff writer for The Wall Street Journal and has taught writing at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Her previous books are Wild Ride, Ransom, Beyond the River, and Savage Peace.