Robert Young Pelton first became aware of the phenomenon of
hired guns in the War on Terror when he met a covert team of
contractors on the AfghanistanPakistan border in the fall of 2003.
Pelton soon embarked on a globe-spanning odyssey to penetrate and
understand this shadowy world, ultimately delivering stunning
insights into the way private soldiers are used.
Enter a blood-soaked world of South African mercenaries and
tribal fighters backed by ruthless financiers. Drop into Baghdad’s
Green Zone, strap on body armor, and take a daily high-speed ride
with a doomed crew of security contractors who dodge car bombs and
snipers just to get their charges to the airport. Share a drink in
a chic hotel bar with wealthy owners of private armies who debate
the best way to stay alive in war zones.
Licensed to Kill spans four continents and three years, taking us
inside the CIA’s dirty wars; the brutal contractor murders in
Fallujah and the Alamo-like sieges in Najaf and Al Kut; the Deep
South contractor training camps where ex–Special Operations
soldiers and even small town cops learn the ropes; the contractor
conventions where macho attendees swap bullet-punctuated tales and
discuss upcoming gigs; and the grim Central African prison where
contractors turned failed mercenaries pay a steep price.
The United States has encouraged the use of the private sector in
all facets of the War on Terror, placing contractors outside the
bounds of functional legal constraints. With the shocking clarity
that can come only from firsthand observation, Licensed to Kill
painstakingly deconstructs the most controversial events and
introduces the pivotal players. Most disturbingly, it shows that
there are indeed thousands of contractors—with hundreds more being
produced every month—who’ve been given a license to kill, their
services available to the highest bidder.
From the Hardcover edition.
關於作者:
Robert Young Pelton is a journalist, filmmaker, and explorer.
He is the author of The World''s Most Dangerous Places, Come Back
Alive, The Adventurist, and Three Worlds Gone Mad. Pelton has
worked for National Geographic, Discovery, 60 Minutes, the ABC
Investigative Division, and CNN. He is also a contributing editor
and columnist for National Geographic Adventure.