Foreign Office material on Iraq mercenaries released

I paid a visit to the US Cryptome website today as a result of this story in the Guardian.

Whilst there I came across some interesting Freedom of Information material on the Foreign Office guidelines for relations with Private Military companies in Iraq.

One minute on PMCs notes that:

1.      There is continuing Parliamentary and media interest in the handling of ELAs and work of PMCs/PSCs in Iraq , and potential for HMG’s contact with, and support to, such companies to be scrutinised by Parliament, the media, foreign governments and in legal proceedings. Recently, there was some media interest in the US decision to award the PCO security contract to Aegis in Iraq, owing to the naming of Aegis’ Chairman and CEO Tim Spicer in the Legg report into the Sandline affair in 1998.  (FCO)

There is also a list of meetings with Private Military companies, including Tim Spicer’s Aegis Defence Services.

Aegis:

·         June 2004 with Security Strategy Unit, British Embassy

·         17 June 2004 –  with British Embassy officials

·          17 July 2004  –  with British Embassy officials

·         19 July 2004 – with British Embassy Officials, Republican Palace, Baghdad.

·         26 September 2004  -with British Ambassador – all at British Embassy, Baghdad.

·        9 March 2005 –  with British Embassy officials & Security Strategy Unit, British Embassy (FCO)

More details of FOI releases can be found on the Foreign Office website.