Securing a niche among Quebec's business elite: Stéphan Crétier

Stéphan Crétier, once a guard at The Bay, now heads one the world's largest security firms. The hard-driving Crétier, who is CEO and chairman of Garda, at 43 sits atop one of the Canada's fastest-growing companies, which expects to rake in $1.4 billion in revenues next year, started with four employees and a cramped, ramshackle office in 1996.



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Private Military Contractors Count On Crowell Partner

When the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on what it calls "War Profiteering and Other Contractor Crimes Committed Overseas", David Hammond, the lead partner handling Iraq liability issues at Crowell & Moring, was there. He represents top military contractors operating in Iraq such as Blackwater USA, Triple Canopy, DynCorp International, and Erinys.



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MoD shunned chance to hire more helicopters

The desperate lack of air transport in Afghanistan could have been resolved if ministers had agreed last year to an offer from Security Support Solutions Ltd to provide four Mi17 Hip helicopters and an Mi26 Halo transporter, capable of carrying 20 tons. But the deal foundered because the MoD was reluctant to fly troops in Soviet era helicopters.



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In the news: Security Support Solutions

The current ground-based threats and the uncertain nature of world events have led many Governments, NGOs, corporate clients and individuals to seek effective helicopter solutions for secure travel arrangements. Helicopters provide a bespoke, cost-efficient, fast, safe form of travel.

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Army surgeon tells of delay in flying wounded to hospital

A senior army surgeon has said that British troops injured in fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan faced delays of up to seven hours before reaching a field hospital, more than the time it took US soldiers in Vietnam to be evacuated 40 years ago. He made his comments in an article for the Royal Army Medical Corps Journal after a tour of duty.



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SUDAN: Call for urgent deployment of hybrid Darfur force

The UN Security Council should ensure that the Sudanese government's acceptance of a hybrid force consisting of UN and African Union (AU) troops for Darfur is matched by immediate action to protect civilians and end abuses, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.



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Supporting Britain’s Public and Private Security Personnel

Sir Christopher Bland, chairman of BT Group until September 2007, and Patrick Snowball, head of Norwich Union until the end June, although not strange to boardroom and outdoor pursuits found themselves in strange surroundings and heading unusual gatherings on 4-5 July. They were visiting Basra, in south-east Iraq, while helping to launch a campaign to encourage business leaders to support the reserve forces on behalf of SaBRE: Supporting Britain’s Reservists and Employers.

There are about 41,000 registered reservists, comprising members of the Territorial Army, the Royal Naval Reserve, the Royal Marines Reserve, and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Since early 2003, over 13,000 reservists have been called up for full-time service in either Iraq or Afghanistan, leaving jobs and family behind for six-month stints in addition to pre-training and post-operational leaves of absence. Insecurities inherent in a highly competitive business environment add up to the dangers of field work in Iraq and Afghanistan to make this campaign noteworthy and highlight the bravery of the reservists –six of whom have been killed so far. As of the end of May 2007, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) reports 5,500 military personnel deployed in Iraq. Mr. Snowball noted that “It’s absolutely vital if you look at the fact that currently six percent of the troops in theatre are reservists”.

Established in October 2002, SaBRE is an MOD marketing and communications campaign aimed at gaining and maintaining the support of employers for reservists. If an employer, be that a public or private company, understands that field work enhances personal attributes and further results in the development of new skills by reservists, the support for the reserve forces might be greater at a time when they are systematically needed but their number has stalled. Over 100 of UK’s top employers have signed up the SaBRE initiative, including Asda, Barclays, Jaguar, Marks & Spencer, Motorola, and Stagecoach. Firms such as Network Rail, Iceland, Travelodge, and 02, on the other hand, have failed to endorse a formal commitment.

Indirectly, SaBRE highlights the fact that a number of the people involved in the support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are not regular soldiers, but private personnel. For it is important to realize that war efforts henceforward involve an amalgamation of formal and informal public and private partnerships. In these partnerships, private security companies (PSCs) play an important role, one as commendable as that played by the reservists. A not minuscule number of PSC employees have died in Iraq and Afghanistan while serving for the same cause. Indeed, the time might come when there is a Supporting Britain’s Private Security Personnel and Employers campaign.

In the news: SaBRE

Supporting Britain's Reservists and Employers (SaBRE) is a Ministry of Defence (MOD) campaign. For employers, it is a one-stop source of advice and information on the benefits and practicalities of employing Reservists.

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DynCorp Dynamite On New High

hile greed may be good, war is better. Security contractors have benefited from a dangerous world: one with non-stop news coverage of military campaigns and casualties. One company that has done especially well is DynCorp, which turned in financial results Thursday morning that blew by Wall Street expectations.



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Big names back our reserve forces

BT's chairman is in Basra this week to underline the commitment of British firms to support employees with a vital second role. As the only remaining FTSE 100 chairman to have done National Service, Sir Christopher Bland seems fairly well qualified to put his name to a campaign for business to support Britain's Reserve Forces.



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We’re here to make a difference, say contractors who risk life in Baghdad.

Mortar bombs, rockets and the threat of kidnapping are daily risks faced by hundreds of Western consultants in Baghdad who offer advice and expertise to the fledgling Iraqi Government. Far from the promise of a fat pay cheque, many of these people say they choose to do the job because they believe their input can make a difference.

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Snatched without a shot: seized in a secure government building in Baghdad

War is the hardest place to make judgments. Last Tuesday morning four armed British security guards protecting a British computer expert, who had the misfortune to be working inside the finance ministry building in one of the most dangerous parts of Baghdad, had to make a snap judgment: whether to shoot first or to surrender.

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In the news: GardaWorld

We are proud to be a part of the Garda family of companies, which offers clients a comprehensive suite of consulting and investigation, physical security, cash logistics, and background screening services. Garda employs 50,000 professionals and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

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