Mercenaries

At 9:40 PM 9/17/96, William Knowles wrote:
>On Tue, 17 Sep 1996, Michelle Thompson wrote:
>
>> Interesting information from a friend of mine-
>>
>> >An american can not serve for pay for a position in another military
>> >that could be filled by local populace.  I may have my jurisdiction
>> >wrong tho, this could be an international law not a US law.
>> >Basically, you can't go be a grunt or an assasin in another country,
>> >because they can find their own,

As to Michelle's point that Americans cannot serve for pay in other
militaries, there are all sorts of waivers and "look the other way"s
involved. For example, the retired American officer who became the top
military man in Estonia (or one of the Baltic States)--while still
retaining his U.S. citizenship.

>What about the French Foreign Legion? or the Volunteers for Israel,
>which isn't really a fighting force, but Americans can help keep
>the Israeli army at a ready state.

Israel is one of several states which the U.S. allows dual citizenship
with. For political reasons, because of America's extermination of the Jews
in WW II (Whoops, we were on the other side...so why do we have such a cozy
deal with Israel, but not with, say, France? Beats me. Politics.)

Brian Davis, our former Prosecutor, can tell us how likely it is that any
person would be charged and brought to trial for being a paid mercenary for
some small country in the Third World. The CIA is often behind such
mercenaries, so national security issues could make the issue murky.

But the real reason such prosecutions are rare is that the government
realizes how Orwellian it sounds to say:

"You are being prosecuted because you were a mercenary for Oceania in its
war with Eastasia. While Oceania was once our ally in our battle with
Eastasia, and we endorsed and financed your role as a mercenary, we became
allies with our great friend Eastasia and are now in a state of war with
the tyrants of Oceania."


>Explicit isn't a dirty word, Or is it?

AOL has declared "explicit" to be a Banned Word, along with "pissant,"
"craps," and "cock," and numerous other such ordinary words. (So much for
mentioning their pissant policies, a game of craps in Las Vegas, or a male
chicken.)

--Tim May

We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, I know that that ain't allowed.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^1,257,787-1 | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."

On Wed, 18 Sep 1996, Timothy C. May wrote:

> At 9:40 PM 9/17/96, William Knowles wrote:
> 
> >What about the French Foreign Legion? or the Volunteers for Israel,
> >which isn't really a fighting force, but Americans can help keep
> >the Israeli army at a ready state.
> 
> Israel is one of several states which the U.S. allows dual citizenship
> with. For political reasons, because of America's extermination of the Jews
> in WW II (Whoops, we were on the other side...so why do we have such a cozy
> deal with Israel, but not with, say, France? Beats me. Politics.)
> 
> Brian Davis, our former Prosecutor, can tell us how likely it is that any
> person would be charged and brought to trial for being a paid mercenary for
> some small country in the Third World. The CIA is often behind such
> mercenaries, so national security issues could make the issue murky.

Exceedingly unlikely.  A variety of practical problems.  If you came up 
to a U.S. Attorney to show him your picture on the cover of The Zaire Daily 
News as mercenary of the week and spit in his face, you'd get prosecuted.

For spitting in the prosecutor's face.

On a slightly more serious note:  you'd only get prosecuted in someone at 
Main Justice (i.e. in Washington) wanted you prosecuted.

EBD


> 
> But the real reason such prosecutions are rare is that the government
> realizes how Orwellian it sounds to say:
> 
> "You are being prosecuted because you were a mercenary for Oceania in its
> war with Eastasia. While Oceania was once our ally in our battle with
> Eastasia, and we endorsed and financed your role as a mercenary, we became
> allies with our great friend Eastasia and are now in a state of war with
> the tyrants of Oceania."
> 
> 
> >Explicit isn't a dirty word, Or is it?
> 
> AOL has declared "explicit" to be a Banned Word, along with "pissant,"
> "craps," and "cock," and numerous other such ordinary words. (So much for
> mentioning their pissant policies, a game of craps in Las Vegas, or a male
> chicken.)
> 
> --Tim May
> 
> We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, I know that that ain't allowed.
> ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
> Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
> tcmay@got.net  408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
> W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
> Higher Power: 2^1,257,787-1 | black markets, collapse of governments.
> "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."
> 
> 
> 
> 
>

Timothy C. May sez:
> 
> As to Michelle's point that Americans cannot serve for pay in other
> militaries, there are all sorts of waivers and "look the other way"s
> involved. For example, the retired American officer who became the top
> military man in Estonia (or one of the Baltic States)--while still
> retaining his U.S. citizenship.

But at the loss of his pension, as I recall.
 
> Israel is one of several states which the U.S. allows dual citizenship
> with. 

Not true at all. Read Rich Wales Dual-Cit FAQ.

-- 
A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com
& no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX
Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433
is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433

Wed, 18 Sep 1996, Timothy C. May wrote:

> As to Michelle's point that Americans cannot serve for pay in other
> militaries, there are all sorts of waivers and "look the other way"s
> involved. For example, the retired American officer who became the top
> military man in Estonia (or one of the Baltic States)--while still
> retaining his U.S. citizenship.

General Aleksander Einseln had some problems with US authorities because
of working as the head of Estonian Army, I am not sure if he lost his US
pension or not, at least that was what the US promised to do.

He is having problems in Estonia right now BTW, some days ago the security
police took him to interrogate him in the defense forces headquarters
weapons smuggling case. That happened some days after he announced his
consent to stand as the candidate for President of Estonia. This kind of
bad attention did not allow him to set up his candidacy. 

No relevance to CP, I know :)

Jüri Kaljundi
AS Stallion
jk@stallion.ee