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Edition: U.S. Article Comments (2) Save Email Print Reprints Most Popular Most Shared Hong Kong film hopes to break new ground with 3-D porn 16 Aug 2010 Analysis: China and U.S. playing risky game on the high seas 2:45am EDT Special report: Flipping, flopping and booming mortgage fraud 9:46am EDT Obama campaigning, ties Republicans to big business 2:36am EDT UPDATE 1-India gives mobile operators deadline on BlackBerry 2:22am EDT Analysis: Running with the bulls: a rosy view of China in 2020 16 Aug 2010 Profits, takeover bid boost Wall Street 11:26am EDT Heat probably killed thousands in Moscow: scientist 10:50am EDT Afghanistan orders ban on private security firms 8:50am EDT Axl Rose's Twitter page hacked 12:51am EDT Hong Kong film hopes to break new ground with 3-D porn 16 Aug 2010 Special report: Flipping, flopping and booming mortgage fraud 9:46am EDT Strange and unusual 12 Aug 2010 Nuclear waste issue could be solved, if... 10:02am EDT Israeli in Facebook storm defends prisoner photos 8:09am EDT Pakistan flood relief 16 Aug 2010 BHP Billiton bids $39 billion for Potash Corp 10:00am EDT Axl Rose's Twitter page hacked 12:51am EDT UPDATE 1-India gives mobile operators deadline on BlackBerry 2:22am EDT Analysis: Running with the bulls: a rosy view of China in 2020 16 Aug 2010 Commentary Iraq, America and hired guns In the often perverse logic that has driven America’s war in Iraq, as U.S. soldiers are withdrawn the number of private security contractors is set to rise, writes Bernd Debusmann. Commentary Afghanistan orders ban on private security firms Digg This Tweet This Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook Related News Karzai condemns stoning of Afghan couple for adultery 7:55am EDT Related Topics World » Afghanistan » Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks during his visit to the Civil Service Institute in Kabul August 7, 2010. Credit: Reuters/Omar Sobhani By Paul Tait KABUL | Tue Aug 17, 2010 8:50am EDT KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai issued a decree on Tuesday setting a deadline of four months to disband private security companies, less than a week after Washington expressed some reservations about the plan. The decree said the private security firms were being banned to avoid the misuse of weapons which had caused "horrific and tragic incidents." It was issued just hours after Karzai met influential U.S. Senator John Kerry, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The decree said the order to disband the companies, which employ up to 40,000 people working mainly for Western enterprises in Afghanistan, was being issued "to prevent irregularities." "I am signing the dissolution of all local and foreign security companies within four months," said the decree, issued by the presidential palace. The decree includes an exemption for firms whose guards work inside compounds used by foreign embassies and international non-government organizations, even though Karzai's office said last week there would be no exceptions. Firms being disbanded could either sell their weapons to the Afghan government or take the equipment with them as they leave if the companies were properly registered. Unregistered firms would have their weapons confiscated, it said. The visas of their employees would also be terminated. Karzai, whose government faces September 18 parliamentary elections, has been trying to assert his independence from his Western backers and stepped up criticism of the firms last week, saying they were too costly and were "daily creating miseries." The swiftness of the ban appeared to catch some by surprise, especially as it was issued so soon after Karzai met Kerry. SCANDALS Karzai has long called for the disbanding of such companies, which compete for contracts worth billions of dollars, and said last week that time was running out. The push to scrap the firms is linked to his ambitious 2014 timetable for Afghan forces to take over all security responsibility from foreign forces, who number almost 150,000. The decree said eligible Afghan employees of such firms could volunteer to join the Afghan security forces within the four-month period. Private security companies, which are not accountable to the Afghan government, have long been an irritant for Afghans and for U.S. and NATO forces in the country after a series of scandals. The U.S. military also employs some of them and the Pentagon said last week it was in talks with Karzai's government to address its concerns while at the same time ensuring the needs of the U.S. military would be met. Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan said last week it was his impression Karzai had not yet made a decision to scrap all such firms but acknowledged a need to do so over time. Many Afghans see such firms, most of which are not registered, as operating with impunity, their heavily armed guards forcing their way through traffic a common sight on Afghan streets. A senior spokesman for the NATO-led force in Afghanistan acknowledged at the weekend the firms were "a concern" and said they should be properly registered and have binding rules. Karzai's government tried unsuccessfully last year to register the firms, find out the amount of arms they had and where they came from, and how much money the industry was worth, an Afghan security source has said. The U.S. State Department said last year it would review its use of contractors at overseas embassies after a scandal over sexual hazing by security guards at its Kabul mission. (Additional reporting by Hamid Shalizi; Editing by Nick Macfie) World Afghanistan Comments See All Comments (2) | Post Comment Aug 17, 2010 8:32am EDT GOOD! These freakin’ roving deployments of hired Mercs should be shot on sight. (Here in the US and abroad). Irritant is too easy a word. Its been suggested that these corporate armies are more likely the cause behind 85% of civilian casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan. CommonDude Report As Abusive Aug 17, 2010 9:41am EDT Ah well Karzai wont last long now he’s pissed off Dr Strangelove AKA Cheyney. Fred_UK Report As Abusive See All Comments (2) Add a Comment *We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language or appear to be spam and review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Reader Feedback Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Analyst Research Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts Venture Capital Journal International Financing Review Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week FindLaw Reuters on Facebook Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. 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