ARMED FORCES MANPOWER “OUTSOURCING”
If enlisting “foreign”
soldiers, not mercenaries, in one’s own armed forces becomes a trend setter, as
it seems to be in certain regions of the globe, it will have a consequence on
the outcome of future conflicts, because it will change the way current armies are
structured and run. It will also bear challenges for the intercultural
communication within the armed forces. New evolving geopolitical scenarios will
require armies to change their current attitudes towards recruiting criteria
which traditionally focus on citizens without immigrant background as well as
men and women who are of the predominant faith of the country. Even ISRAEL is currently
debating of drafting orthodox Jews as well as ARAB ISRAELIS for compulsory military
service.
THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES is
seeking to enlist 3,000 COLOMBIAN soldiers in the oil-rich ARAB country's armed
forces, weekly Semana reported Sunday.
According to the weekly,
842 COLOMBIAN soldiers and retired soldiers have already joined the UAE army
which is paying salaries up to ten times what the COLOMBIAN state pays the
members of its armed forces.
HIGHER SALARIES ABROAD ARE DRAINING THE
ARMY OF ITS BEST MEN AND WOMEN.
The transfer of soldiers
to the foreign army is causing unease among COLOMBIA’S military commanders
because the military fears the higher salaries abroad are draining the army of
its best men and women.
"They have
recruited soldiers with a lot of combat experience, valuable men with years of
service in which the Army invested a lot in terms of training," an anonymous
general told Semana.
"Without a doubt,
this is a loss for the army, but there isn't much we can do because it is by no
means illegal," the military official added.
NOT BLACKWATER MERCENARIES - DIRECT CONTRACT WITH THE
GOVERNMENT OF THE UAE
According to the weekly,
the COLOMBIANS are making in between $2,800 and $18,000 in the UAE depending on
the rank. In COLOMBIA, a soldier earns $530 a month on average.
The New York Times reported in May 2011 that the UAE hired Colombian soldiers as mercenaries through a
company ,
led by Erik Prince, the founder of
controversial private security company Blackwater. Note by Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring: The company in question is called ACADEMI http://www.academi.com
According to a COLOMBIAN
former colonel -- now in charge of recruiting compatriots for the UAE Army --
the 800 Colombians currently active in the ARAB peninsula are not part of a
mercenary army, but hired directly by the armed forces.
"What is happening
now is different than before. We are no mercenaries. The contract of the people
who travel is directly with the government of the [UNITED] ARAB EMIRATES,"
the anonymous colonel said.
The COLOMBIAN
ex-official said the UAE are investing in their military defence because the
government "noticed that several threats have made them vulnerable."
AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITIES: POSSIBLE BORDER
CONFLICT WITH IRAN
According to the former
colonel, the COLOMBIANS' responsibilities "range from urban defence
against terrorist attacks to the control of civil uprisings and even being
prepared for a possible border conflict with IRAN."
The UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
is one of the few countries in the MIDDLE EAST that has not been affected by
the "ARAB SPRING," a wave of revolutionary social unrest that forced
four rulers in the region from power.
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