‘Hidden Costs: US private military and security companies and the risks of corruption and conflict’ catalogues conflict and corruption around the world – harm caused by leaving the privatisation of national security to grow and operate without proper regulation.

This report paper documents dozens of cases. The Saudi operatives responsible for the savage murder of the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi received combat training from a US security company. 

One year on from Afghanistan, exploitation of global conflicts is becoming a bloodier business. Most private military and security firms are registered in the US, so we are calling on Congress to take a leading role in pushing through meaningful reforms under its jurisdiction when draft legislation faces review in September. The time has also come for accreditation standards to be enforced rather than only encouraged, at both a national and international level.