Aegis Defence Services

Aegis Defence Services is a London, U.K.–based private military company with overseas offices in Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kenya, Nepal and the United States. Aegis provides specialist security and risk management solutions to counter extreme threats. Its services are tailored for international clients including governments, international agencies and the corporate sector. It is a registered and active UN contractor, a major security provider to the U.S. government and security adviser to the Lloyds Joint War Risk Committee.

In 2004 the International Peace Operations Association, an industry body, asked Aegis to apply for membership, but the application was rejected by a British competitor. It is a founding member of the British Association of Private Security Companies (BAPSC), a body lobbying for the regulation of the British PSC sector. [ [http://www.warprofiteers.com/article.php?id=12829 Phinney, David. "From Mercenaries to Peacemakers?: Scandals Confront Military Security Industry"] . "CorpWatch", November 29 2005] It is also a member of the Private Security Company Association of Iraq.

ub-divisions

Aegis has three sub-divisions:
* "Aegis Research and Intelligence" provides a wide range of geopolitical information, real-time & predictive threat assessments and investigative reports for corporate, institutional and government clients.
* "Aegis Technical Services" specialises in security audits and reviews, technical security training, asset and key personnel tracking, surveillance and counter-surveillance capability and physical security enhancements.
* "Aegis Security Operations" provides a range of pre-emptive and responsive security measures for governments and the corporate sector to help mitigate geopolitical upheaval and to counter fraud, corruption, terrorism and organised crime.

Aegis in Iraq

In Iraq, Aegis is under contract (worth $293 million over three years) to the U.S. Department of Defense to provide security support services to the [https://www.rebuilding-iraq.net/ Project and Contracting Office] (PCO), responsible for managing the reconstruction program. These services include::a. providing static and mobile security details for the PCO and United States Army Corps of Engineers;:b. maintaining situational awareness of logistical movement and reconstruction security operations;:c. facilitating intelligence–sharing between security forces and reconstruction contractors; and,:d. providing continuous information on the viability of road movement throughout the country.Through its [http://aegisfoundation.aegisiraq.com Charitable Foundation] Aegis conducts a self-funded civil affairs programme to facilitate reconstruction in areas where there are gaps in mainstream projects. It also provides expatriate–led and Iraqi–manned "Reconstruction Liaison Teams" to monitor the progress of reconstruction work subcontracted to Iraqi building companies.

In separate contracts, Aegis is engaged in providing security protection to the inquiry into alleged corruption in the Oil for Food program. It provided security support to the UN Electoral Assistance Division (UNEAD) and the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) facilitating both the constitutional referendum to proceed in October 2005 and the General Election in December 2005.

Trophy videos

On October 27 2005 a number of "trophy" videos showing private military contractors in Baghdad firing upon civilian vehicles without clear reason sparked two investigations after they were posted on the internet. The videos were linked unofficially to Aegis Defence Services. Both the US Army and Aegis conducted investigations into the video; while the Aegis report is closed for client confidentiality reasons, the US Army enquiry concluded that the contractors involved were operating within the rules for the use of force. More 4 News broadcast extracts of the videos in March 2006.

On April 6, 2006 More4 News, reporter Nima Elbagir, identified disaffected former Aegis contractor, Rod Stoner, as responsible for posting the videos on the [http://www.aegisiraq.co.uk website] . Aegis would not confirm that its contractors were involved in the incidents shown in the videos, but obtained a High Court injunction to have Stoner's website closed down. In the same More4 program, Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn insisted that the Pentagon's contract with Aegis Defence Services should be suspended until the matter had been properly investigated and fully reported upon.

Acquisition

On October 28, 2005 Aegis acquired Rubicon International Services Ltd, a longstanding provider of corporate and otherwise executive private security services. The public announcement was made on November 4, 2005. John Davidson, managing director of Rubicon, joined the Aegis board and became director of operations.Aegis chief executive is Lt Col Tim Spicer (who was CEO of Sandline International) and the chairman of the Aegis board of directors is former Chief of the Defence Staff, Field Marshal Peter Inge.

References

External links

*Pelton, Robert Young. "Licensed to Kill, Hired Guns in the War on Terror". Crown. Sept 1, 2006. ISBN 1-4000-9781-9
* [http://www.aegisworld.com/ Aegis corporate website]
* [http://www.bapsc.org.uk/ British Association of Private Security Companies website]
* [http://www.aegisworld.com/downloads/aegis_rubicon.pdf/ Rubicon Acquisition] in Adobe PDF
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/27/wirq27.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/11/27/ixworld.html 'Trophy' video exposes private security contractors shooting up Iraqi drivers]
* [http://www.channel4.com/more4/news/news-opinion-feature.jsp?id=204 More 4 TV exposé]
* [http://www.channel4.com/more4/news/news-opinion-feature.jsp?id=214 Aegis close down website]
*http://www.rainews24.it/ran24/rainews24_2007/inchieste/19042007_affari_guerra/default_eng.asp
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMdHKOUm7NM 'Trophy' video showing private security contractors shooting up Iraqi drivers]
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