tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post276991860258389614..comments2024-02-06T08:33:52.695+02:00Comments on Eeben Barlow's Military and Security Blog: MANY THANKS…Eeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-41356952926468517192018-08-19T15:11:30.477+02:002018-08-19T15:11:30.477+02:00Apologies for missing this Klein Erre.
I will be l...Apologies for missing this Klein Erre.<br />I will be launching my book in the Cape on 1 September 2018. If you let me know, I will being you a copy of the video/DVD when I come that way.<br />Rgds,<br />EebenEeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-26921059142803551242017-09-21T10:22:43.610+02:002017-09-21T10:22:43.610+02:00Good afternoon. I was hoping someone might be able...Good afternoon. I was hoping someone might be able to help me. I'm looking for a copy of executive outcomes's angolian songs video.please let me know. Kind regards <br />Renier van der merweklein errehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05678406229568713905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-43732214322004948142009-12-23T06:30:07.814+02:002009-12-23T06:30:07.814+02:00Thank you Bathmate and please keep visiting the bl...Thank you Bathmate and please keep visiting the blog.<br /><br />Rgds,<br /><br />EebenEeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-44963836778099923382009-12-22T23:08:52.837+02:002009-12-22T23:08:52.837+02:00Thank you for your fantastic posting
BathmateThank you for your fantastic posting<br /><br /><br /><a rel="nofollow">Bathmate</a>bathmatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08828026417866333107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-55622115156746984402009-10-30T06:03:11.294+02:002009-10-30T06:03:11.294+02:00I am not personally in touch with any PMCs, klein ...I am not personally in touch with any PMCs, klein erre, but I know that you will often find such companies advertising jobs on www.feraljundi.com and www.privatemilitaryherald.com Perhaps some of our friends on this blog may be able to help you out and give better advise.<br /><br />I shall keep my ear to the ground and if anything comes up let you know.<br /><br />Good luck and rgds,<br /><br />EebenEeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-13017291124296279522009-10-29T18:57:19.414+02:002009-10-29T18:57:19.414+02:00thanx for your concern,and this is truely the road...thanx for your concern,and this is truely the road i want to follow,not only because my father did it,and it pays bills but because this is a passion. The main reason why i joined this blog,was to ask if you might be able to help me,or atleast give me a contact number of a trust worthy company wich i could apply for in the fight to achive this dream...klein errehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05678406229568713905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-66548196756907052202009-10-29T14:00:35.204+02:002009-10-29T14:00:35.204+02:00The life of the infantryman is never easy, klein e...The life of the infantryman is never easy, klein erre, but I can understand you leaving the SA Infantry Corps as it is sadly just a shadow of its former self.<br /> <br />I wish you well in your search for greener pastures. Just be careful of some PMCs out there. There are good and bad and you will have to decide which is which.<br /> <br />I still watch the old EO videos and still enjoy them. Some bring back good memories and some not so good.<br /> <br />Rgds,<br /><br />EebenEeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-54776501566189747172009-10-29T12:55:26.027+02:002009-10-29T12:55:26.027+02:00thanx, I also joined the infantry corps,but recent...thanx, I also joined the infantry corps,but recently left to seek greener grass in this field of work.iv been watching the executive outcomes video where they were all still there,and where you were playing guitar,singing songs of freedom,dogs of war,and nog n dubbel red heart rum.wish those days could still be here as for me wanting to be part of that.klein errehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05678406229568713905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-37049030157634091792009-10-29T07:35:43.758+02:002009-10-29T07:35:43.758+02:00Your dad was a great guy, klein erre, and his loss...Your dad was a great guy, klein erre, and his loss was devastating to the company and to those of us who knew him. The media-hype when he went missing in Angola was a bitter pill for us (especially me) to swallow but we could not alter the fact that he and his two colleagues had been taken by UNITA.<br /> <br />I am truly sorry for your loss. However, he was an outstanding soldier doing what he wanted to do. You can be very proud of him. <br /><br />I wish you well with the road you wish to follow.<br /><br />Rgds,<br /><br />EebenEeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-20960746076950332892009-10-28T22:02:16.491+02:002009-10-28T22:02:16.491+02:00good day,this is the first time using this blog an...good day,this is the first time using this blog and would like to speak about things,seeing myself wanting to follow my father/renier van der merwe s footsteps,who worked for executive outcomes.klein errehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05678406229568713905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-30147242140865833992009-10-27T05:44:39.002+02:002009-10-27T05:44:39.002+02:00Thanks, Sonny.
I often find that when one enters...Thanks, Sonny. <br /><br />I often find that when one enters the realm of controversy, it is regarded as conspiratorial. I believe that one should take note and see if and when a pattern emerges.<br /><br />The Chinese have definitely made a large impact on Africa and who knows, it may just get bigger.<br /><br />I am looking forward to Bridge 14 and hopefully meeting some who came from my past.<br /><br />Rgds,<br /><br />EebenEeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-81272511424905890702009-10-26T18:34:23.224+02:002009-10-26T18:34:23.224+02:00Hi Eeben
Welcome back for the second time now.
Re ...Hi Eeben<br />Welcome back for the second time now.<br />Re your comments dated 06 October 2009. I am only one phone call away.<br />Re Tango and "Make Love not War" He should learn to be prepared for both.<br />Perhaps he should read up on the Iluminati and Dan Brown's books.<br />I don't want to avocate "Conspiracy Theory" but here and there it makes sense who is the driving force behind war, money, Capitalism, Communism and now Muslim aggression!<br />The Chinese are the next force to reckon with in Africa.<br />Speak to you soon.<br />By the way, Tango will be at Bridge 14 with us......Sonny Coxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14757382346848706440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-80931516997956553192009-10-26T06:11:11.460+02:002009-10-26T06:11:11.460+02:00Many thanks for this, Alex. I do enjoy David’s wor...Many thanks for this, Alex. I do enjoy David’s work as he is very active in publishing articles. This one was probably the most objective account on EO I had ever seen. <br /><br />Good luck with your essay.<br /><br />Rgds,<br /><br />EebenEeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-59004533518080093372009-10-21T14:14:55.757+02:002009-10-21T14:14:55.757+02:00Hi Eeben,
Hope your latest trip went well. I'...Hi Eeben,<br /><br />Hope your latest trip went well. I'm still working on my essay, and recently came across this section from an article published in 'Foreign Policy' in 1998 by David Shearer. The wider article does reference EO in several places, but he also included this section specifically on the company which I thought may interest you, if only because it seems to me to take a less condemnatory tone than most of the stuff floating around out there. I'm sure there are things you would dispute with him but I'd be interested to hear your opinion, if you have one, on his version of events.<br /><br />'Portrait of a Private Army'<br /><br />In its promotional literature, Executive Outcomes (EO) describes itself as a company with a "solid history of success" thanks to the efforts of its "highly effective work force". This work force is essentially a demobilized army for hire. Based in South Africa, the company was established in 1989 by Eeben Barlow and is staffed almost exclusively by veterans from the former South African Defence Force. EO claims to be able to draw on over 2,000 personnel and forces, all of whom are assembled on a contract-by-contract basis and recruited chiefly by word-of-mouth, This policy has not only ensured quality control but a preexisting military hierarchy of highly experienced troops. EO personnel have distinguished themselves from other companies by entering into combat, claiming that accompanying the clients' troops increases their effectiveness and confidence.<br />EO's first major contract was in Angola in May 1993 to rescue the Soyo oil fields in the north from the rebel National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). The Angolan government then hired over 500 personnel from September 1993 to January 1996 for an estimated $40 million a year (including weaponry) to train nearly 5000 soldiers. EO's arrival, coinciding with the lifting of the arms embargo on Angola, helped reverse the course of the war, and UNITA suffered significant defeats. EO's second contract, this time for the Sierra Leonean government in May 1995, lasted 22 months and cost $35 million- about one-third of the country's defense budget. EO, working with local civilian militias, battered the Revolutionary United Front into submission. In February 1997, EO was subcontracted to the British military company, Sandline International, to train and plan military operations against the Bougainville Resistance Army in Papua New Guinea.<br />EO's military effectiveness testifies to its expertise in low-intensity conflict. It has planned its operations closely with government officials and uses government equipment, although it has arranged the purchase of weaponry. Its hallmark has been its highly mobile operations using MI-17 helicopter troop carriers, on occasion supported by MI-24 helicopter gunships and Soviet-made ground attack aircraft. But EO's biggest strength has been its use of intelligence capabilities, particularly through the cultivation of local populations, augmented with night-sighting and radio intercept devices. Casualties have remained relatively light: EO acknowledges that 11 of its personnel died in Angola, with seven still missing, and four killed in Sierra Leone. Two others died from accident and sickness.<br /><br /><br />Anyway, I hope this was of some interest. Not quite a whole book backing up your version of things but seemingly the closest I've found so far!<br /><br />Regards<br /><br />AlexAlexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00570878230707886483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-3200568248916897022009-10-11T14:43:55.573+02:002009-10-11T14:43:55.573+02:00A pleasure, Alex. Good luck with your studies.
If...A pleasure, Alex. Good luck with your studies.<br /><br />If you find that book, please buy it for me and send it on.<br /><br />Rgds,<br /><br />EebenEeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-81928865071457620972009-10-11T14:32:32.271+02:002009-10-11T14:32:32.271+02:00Thank you so much for your response (and the speed...Thank you so much for your response (and the speed with which you gave it). It will certainly add some interesting juxtaposition to my work. Although I intend to retain a more or less neutral tone in my essay (generally the safest path in undergrad academia) your statements certainly make more sense than anything else I've read, and of course the evidence, for anyone who cares to look for it, will back you up (of course you don't need telling that but it's certainly something I'll mention).<br /><br />I had come across the Kamajors in my reading before, and I can well imagine what an asset they'd be (I remember you mentioning how terrified the RUF were of them in your book). Handy how the term 'militia' can be used to paint so many people with the same brush. I remember also reading of US Special Forces pursuing a similar strategy with the Montagnards of Vietnam and finding them to be a huge boost to their operations.<br /><br />Anyway, thank you again for your assistance, I really do appreciate it. If I ever find an article or book that seems to address EO in a manner which tallies at all with what you say (i.e. what seems to have actually happened) then I'll let you know, it will be a novelty in my experience.<br /><br />Regards<br /><br />AlexAlexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00570878230707886483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-40042259076094203502009-10-11T14:15:45.666+02:002009-10-11T14:15:45.666+02:00Alex, Deborah Avant’s article is about as factual ...Alex, Deborah Avant’s article is about as factual as the WMDs of Iraq. She misses the point completely, a hallmark of poor to no research. EO never had a stake in any mine so Ms Avant does not only do no research, she lies under the guise of research. Nor was EO a British firm – poor Ms Avant...she couldn’t even get that right. <br /><br />EO went to Sierra Leone when the West had turned its back on that country and the UN was cowering as far away from there as possible. Embassies had shut down and those that remained were likewise preparing to flee the country. EO’s contract was to win the war asap, restore peace and stability and train the army. As the rebels were getting their funding out of selling diamonds, illegally mined, the only sensible strategy was deny them their flow of finance and then destroy them. This would prevent them of being able to re-establish, re-arm and continue with their destruction. Ironically, the claim that EO was being paid in diamonds was something the diamond cartels punted around. Any logical thinking person will know that to run a company, you need cash – not diamonds of unknown value and quantity to try to sell. <br /><br />Yet, although this very strategy was followed in Angola to defeat the rebels there (UNITA) and the same claims were made, we never had any stake in anything. Again, one simply needs to look at which diamond cartels were suddenly bleeding when the rebels lost control of that resource and then see where the origin of the rumour was. Again, you don’t need rocket science to work that out. <br /><br />The militias she refers to are the Kamajors, a local tribe that lived in the remote jungles and close to the areas where the rebels were holed out. Any sensible soldier will realise that such people hold enormous value if trained and led correctly. To do this, we had to obtain permission for the SL government and military – something they gave. <br /><br />Sadly, she conveniently forgot to mention that the tensions between the “militias” and the army that arose happened after EO left and the UN (finally) arrived. I wonder why? <br /><br />Ironically, some people seem to want the conflicts to continue, the maiming and destruction to increase because then they have something to think up stories about. <br /><br />At the end of the day, it is relatively easy to see who is lying and who is not. All Ms Avant has to do is bring me a single shred of proof of these “stakes” EO had in diamond (or any other) mines and I shall publically apologise for calling her a liar. <br /><br />Rgds,<br /><br />EebenEeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-38128199509660507492009-10-11T13:43:18.687+02:002009-10-11T13:43:18.687+02:00I wondered if I could now take you up on your offe...I wondered if I could now take you up on your offer of an opinion to add some depth to my essay. In one of the articles given to us for reading I found a reference to EO in Sierra Leone on which your input would be very valuable. The article is written by Deborah Avant entitled 'Mercenaries' and discusses point by point various accusations, rumours and other bits of information which are thrown around with reference to the use of modern military contractors. The section I direct your attention to is as follows:<br /><br />'"Contractors value profits more than peace"<br /><br />Not always.<br /><br />Although many critics argue that military contractors have an economic interest <br />in prolonging conflict rather than reducing it, <br />employees of private military companies rarely <br />have been accused of aggravating conflict inten- <br />tionally to keep profits flowing. Indeed, many <br />human rights advocates regard such organizations <br />as a way to hasten interventions that Western pow- <br />ers might otherwise avoid, such as the 1994 geno- <br />cide in Rwanda. <br />Yet contractors sometimes worsen the condi- <br />tions for long-term stability. In 1995, when British <br />security firm Executive Outcomes (eo) helped Sier- <br />ra Leone’s army defend its capital from rebels, the <br />contractors found the army undependable in retak- <br />ing the country’s diamond mines. The mines were <br />key to eo’s payment, and the mining companies <br />employed eo subsidiaries. Because eo’s stake in the <br />mines was so high, the firm turned instead to local <br />militias, inadvertently strengthening a parallel force. <br />Tensions between the local army and the militias <br />contributed to a coup, and the militias spoiled sev- <br />eral iterations of peace negotiations that followed. <br />Although eo helped with short-term security, its <br />activities did not enhance the conditions for long- <br />term peace. This example also demonstrates how <br />countries with natural resources or wealthy nonstate actors are privileged in the security market.'<br /><br /><br />To me this seems to tally with some of the things I've heard before both in your book and on the blog but also throws some other things into the mix, such as the same old accusation that EO had stakes in the diamond mines (the facts of which I'm afraid I can't remember from when I first read your book), and the use of militias. As you stated, you can only give me your own opinions and thoughts on these matters, but if you could address in some way the issues of the mines and the use of militias by EO stated in the article it would be hugely helpful to me.<br /><br />As I've said I don't want to take up much of your time so please don't feel the need to write an essay of your own! However, simply having your thoughts as a counterpoint to the article's claims would add some real depth to my work. I'm sure these are the same sorts of statements you've dealt with for years from various commentators and media sources but I'd be both fascinated and grateful to get your take on them.<br /><br />If you'd like the whole article to add context to the claims about EO I'd be happy to send you a copy.<br /><br />Regards<br /><br />AlexAlexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00570878230707886483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-48757959026173674222009-10-09T08:33:25.965+02:002009-10-09T08:33:25.965+02:00Thank you for republishing your review on the EO b...Thank you for republishing your review on the EO book, Martin. It is highly appreciated. I saw it on EVOLVER when Galago alerted me to it and thought it to be very good. My thanks on that score as well.<br /><br />No problem with using that picture on your blog. My only regret is that I don’t read German very well but you seem to cover some interesting topics. <br /><br />Rgds,<br /><br />EebenEeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-1831615307607242452009-10-09T06:06:45.334+02:002009-10-09T06:06:45.334+02:00If you send me the questions you would like answer...If you send me the questions you would like answered, along with your email address, I shall respond to you, Inquisitively Curious. As you may appreciate, I do not post my email address on the blog.<br /><br />Rgds,<br /><br />EebenEeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-67244078171031330242009-10-09T05:05:48.492+02:002009-10-09T05:05:48.492+02:00Hello
I would like to know a little bit about EO d...Hello<br />I would like to know a little bit about EO during the time it was in angola. But Particularly on one of the Employees that worked for EO but i would prefer to send you an E-mail pertaining to these topics.<br /><br />inquisitively<br />curious.curioushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18314762460464630124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-74496048956147111862009-10-08T22:52:31.807+02:002009-10-08T22:52:31.807+02:00Dear Mr.Barlow,
in my blog at:
http://martincompar...Dear Mr.Barlow,<br />in my blog at:<br />http://martincompart.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/gute-soldner-jenseits-von-blackwater/<br />I´ve published again my "review" on AGAINST ALL ODDS (you may have seen it at EVOLVER.AT two years ago). I´ve used your picture from your blog. I hope, that is okay with you.<br />All the best,<br />Martin Compart<br />Germanycomparthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272491517303021824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-65058510922522906962009-10-08T09:37:40.612+02:002009-10-08T09:37:40.612+02:00I saw this, Robby and must admit that it took me b...I saw this, Robby and must admit that it took me by surprise. Whereas I do not doubt the competence of the officers who planned and led this invasion, I do wonder if they forgot the old adage “know your enemy”? But, it is as always easy for me to sit here and cast a jaundiced eye at what is happening. <br /><br />Rgds,<br /><br />EebenEeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-60829824751109722792009-10-08T09:33:19.609+02:002009-10-08T09:33:19.609+02:00An interesting comment, Alan. For those who don’t ...An interesting comment, Alan. For those who don’t know what a “koffiemoffie” is, it equates to “jam stealer” or “ration thief” ie, someone who is not directly in the firing line.<br /><br />Rgds,<br /><br />EebenEeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955273524757178757.post-2048063062969182492009-10-08T09:30:18.033+02:002009-10-08T09:30:18.033+02:00I have noticed your company spotlight, Matt – a ni...I have noticed your company spotlight, Matt – a nice idea and a good move. I shall visit POGO and take a look. Thanks for that info.<br /> <br />Rgds,<br /><br />EebenEeben Barlow's Milsec Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08942119485068301545noreply@blogger.com