Newsletter 27 : 6/7 – Private Military and Security Companies In Iraq

by Corporate Watch / Arms Trade, Iraq, News / 05 Jan 2006

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All companies listed below, based on the latest information, are believed to be operating in Iraq, and include British senior management and/or UK offices.

Aegis Defence Services
www.aegisdef.com/
118 Piccadilly, London WI 7NW [1]

Has £225m contract from the US government to oversee all private military personnel in Iraq.[2] Headed by Tim Spicer, formerly of Sandline, and friend of Equatorial Guinea coup-plotter Simon Mann.

AKE Group
www.akegroup.com/
Head office: Mortimer House, Holmer Road, Hereford, HR4 9TA

London office, Gallery 4, Lloyd’s Building, 12 Leadenhall Street, London, EC3V 1LP

‘Formed by Andrew Kain after he left the UK’s SAS in 1991′(Pipeline Magazine (September 2005).[3]

ArmorGroup
www.armorgroup.com/
25 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LD

Has ‘over 1400 employees in Iraq’ (Iraq Development Program, 2004).[4] Chairman is former Foreign Secretary and Minister of Defence Sir Malcolm Rifkind.[5] The ‘sole security provider to Team Bechtel.’ (ArmorGroup press release, November 2005)[6] Also guards British Embassy.[7]

Control Risks Group
www.crg.com/
Head office: Cottons Centre, Cottons Lane, London, SE1 2QG

Control Risks Screening Divison, Cambridge House, Cambridge Grove, Hammersmith, London W6 0LE [8]

‘Protects UK Foreign Office officials as well as those from the Department for International Development’ (Financial Times, September 2003).[9] Sir Michael Rose, former commander of the SAS is a director.[10]

Erinys
www.erinysinternational.com/
25 Grosvenor St, London, W1K 4QN

Has a $50m contract to guard the US Army Corps of Engineers, and their corporate sub-contractors in Iraq.[11] Their directors include a former director of British special forces, as well as the former head of security for BP in Colombia and Brazil[12].

Genric Security
www.genric.co.uk/
Hereford House, East Street, Hereford, UK HR1 2LU [13]

Founded by ex-SAS and SBS (special boat service) members. In partnership with Kuwaiti company Arab Orient Group, has set up ‘Al-Amnelkhass Group’, to runs security for corporate and government figures in Iraq.[14]

Global Risk
www.globalrisk.uk.com/
Millennium House, 7 High Street, Hampton, Middlesex, TW12 2SA

Provides security for sites including Baghdad airport. Has about 2, 000 personnel in Iraq.[15]

Hart Group
www.hartsecurity.com/index.asp
No postal address found

Founded by Richard N. Bethell, now Lord Westbury, after he left another PMC, Defence Systems Limited, in 1999.[16] In 2004, ‘the largest security company operating in Southern Iraq’ (Hart profile on Iraq Development Program site, 2004).[17] Richard Bethell, formerly of the SAS, seems to be descended from a nineteenth century Lord Chancellor.

Henderson Risk Limited
www.hendersonrisk.com
7 Barton Buildings, Old King Street, Bath BA1 2JR

Subsidiary HRL Iraq ‘provides security risk management solutions to companies, institutions and private clients’ (‘Security Companies Doing Business in Iraq’, US Bureau of Consular Affairs).[18]

International Security and Surveillance Limited
No website found

Unit 4, Progress Business Centre, Whittle Park Way, Slough, Berkshire SL1 6DQ

Registered Office: 2 Lansdowne Row, Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London W1X 8HL

‘[O]wned by ex-Special Air Service regiment operatives’. (ISSL profile, Iraq Development Programe, 2004)[19]

Janusian
www.riskadvisory.net/
Russell Square House, 10-12 Russell Square, London, WC1B 5EH

Provides security for multinationals, in partnership with a wealthy Iraqi family.[20]

Kroll Associates
www.krollworldwide.com/
10 Fleet Place, London EC4M 7RB

Protects the USAID mission in Iraq.[21] A US-based company, but Aldwin Wight, a former head of the SAS, is chief of their operations in Iraq.[22]

Olive Security
www.olivesecurity.com
PO Box 44780,London SW1X 7YH

Have worked for Bechtel, Great Lakes Dredging, Titan Salvage, SSA and GE (formerly General Electric).[23] Their chief of operations is Harry Legge-Bourke, a former aide-de-camp to chief of defence staff Sir Charles Guthrie, and brother of former royal nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke.[24]

Pilgrims
www.pilgrimsgroup.co.uk/psp/conutinuity.html
Pilgrims House, PO Box 769, Woking, Surrey GU21 5EU

Offers ‘security support’ and also security training. All security advisors are ex-SAS and ex-SBS.[25] Has operated in Iraq since 2003.[26] Past clients include Costain and the BBC.

Rubicon International
www.rubicon-international.co.uk
70 Upper Richmond Road, London, SW15 2RP

Handled UK recruitment for Erinys,[27] and has recently (October 2005) merged with AEGIS[28]. ‘Hires mostly from the SAS’ (Sourcewatch profile, February 2005). Bob Hodges, former commander of land forces in Northern Ireland, is a director [29]

TOR International
www.torinternational.com/
PO Box 226, Weybridge, KT16 0WL

‘Works with USAID and USAID sub-contractors’ (‘Security Companies Doing Business in Iraq’, US Bureau of Consular Affairs).[30]

References
[1] www.aegisdef-webservices.com/defaultContactUs.aspx, www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Aegis_Defence_Services

[2] http://corpwatch.org/article.php?id=12711

[3] www.pipelinedubai.com/feat/2005/security.htm

[4] www.iraqsupplier.com/docs/profiles/armor/home.htm

[5] www.armorgroup.com/viewNews.asp?alert=29

[6] www.armorgroup.com/viewNews.asp?alert=65

[7] www.pipelinedubai.com/feat/2005/security.htm

[8] www.crg.com/default.aspx?page=292

[9] http://amsterdam.nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-l-0309/msg00169.html; http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1059480202976&p=1012571727126

[10] www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Control_Risks_Group