Mercenaries???
three UNARMED security guards are "Mercenaries"
A mercenary is a person who takes part in an armed conflict, who is not a national or a party to the conflict, and is "motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that promised or paid to combatants of similar ranks and functions in the armed forces of that Party" (Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Convention of August 1949).[1][2]
If they are unarmed they are not mercenaries. period.
This is not a ARMED CONFLICT this is a bunch of criminals playing pirates no government is running this.
Even if the security guard were armed they would not be Mercenaries under international law.
Even Blackwater in Iraq is not Mercenaries because they are citizens of one party in the conflict. IE US Citizens
if i went to work for a shipping company as a armed guard on a ship and shot up a group of pirates i would not be a Mercenary.
(one) it would not be a WAR. because there are no governments claiming the pirates as troops.
(two) it happens in international waters out side the control of any one country.
(three) these are criminals.
(four) no actions of theses pirates comes under the Geneva Convention of August 1949
www.icrc.org...
in fact these pirates are in violation of the Geneva Convention of August 1949. and are not protected by it.
NOW explain why you use the term Mercenary in this tread.
All these UNARMED security guards are is stupid for trying to take on heavy armed pirates without weapons. mercenary they are not.
I know a few real mercenaries.
The funny part they were from your country of South Africa.
[edit on 4-12-2008 by ANNED]
