Why is it wrong to hire mercenaries in wartime?

Question

As in, against the Geneva Convention? Most people throughout history have hired them to fight wars. Why not just give foreigners uniforms and pay them to serve? Why must we only use American soldiers?

Answer 1

Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries



These, in the day when heaven was falling,

The hour when earth's foundations fled,

Followed their mercenary calling,

And took their wages, and are dead.



Their shoulders held the sky suspended;

They stood, and earth's foundations stay;

What God abandoned, these defended,

And saved the sum of things for pay.



A.E. Housman

Answer 2

Mercenaries hired by the Government, like the French Foriegn Legion are covered by the Geneva conventions.
Contract Employees like the Blackwater Mercenaries are not.

Answer 3

We hired German mercenaries to help us fight the American Revolution. But then...there was no Geneva Convention.

Answer 4

Being a mercenary is a valid company. have you ever heard of Blackwater and thier operations in the middle East? They concentration thier commercials on valid customers (i.e. the federal gov't) so no, you ought to not assume to work out commercials for mercenaries on your community classifieds. maximum folk who artwork as mercenaries were once in the protection rigidity, and for this reason have already been educated in the abilities the corporate needs. as far because the using procedure, i could not allow you to comprehend.

Answer 5

Speaking as a military member, I don't want a person who is not governed by American laws to have the chance to get hold of American classified material. The G.C. was based upon this, among other things.

Answer 6

think about it, would a soilder that has nothing that he is willing to fight and die for, something other tahn himself that he has to protect fight until his death, would a non-american soilder that has experinced 9/11 and knew someone that died fight the ame way and stand gaurd of his post and shoot and fight while bullets are whizzing around him? no, they would stay down, they have nothing thet feel obligated to protect and/or give their lives for so why would they fight till the last man and be a true soilder? if u fighting against a war you belived in that american started, would u fight the same way if bosnia started a war? would u risk your life and proudly die knowing you did what you had to do for the better ment of other? self explanitory

Answer 7

There is nothing wrong with it. And companies also get hired to do personal protection etc. for DOD. We also have hired "professional soldiers" in pretty much every war ever, including the one that won our freedom and rights as a country. And to the person that said we "murder" they are an ignorant pig. There is a major difference in between fighting for something you believe in war etc and murder. .................Shadow Stalker Oh and PS to work for black water etc 99% of their operators are ex US soldiers and all of them need security clearances etc they are not just people we dig up in a desert town and hand rifles to sorry!...................Shadow Stalker

Answer 8

If America wants to start a war, its only right that Americans pay the price

Answer 9

So much for patriotism....murder for hire? it's a mighty slippery slope boys.

Answer 10

You dont know who they'll turn on.