October 3, 2007 (LPAC)--Like the Roman Empire on which it is modeled, the Felix Rohatyn- and George Shultz-sponsored Revolution in Military Affairs is recruiting foreign mercenaries in large numbers to take the place of sovereign nation's armies.

Of the estimated 30,000 contractors employed by private military firms in Iraq, nearly 10,000 come from countries other than the United States and Britain--predominantly from the neo-colonies of Central and South America. No less than 1,200 Chileans, 1,000 Peruvians, 700 Salvadorans, and hundreds each from Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, among others, have taken up security work in Iraq.

When the security firm Triple Canopy landed a U.S. government contract in 2005 to provide security in the Green Zone, it recruited security personnel almost exclusively from Ibero-America.

Worsening economic conditions in Ibero-America have stimulated the flow of mercenaries willing to work at lower wages than their U.S. or British counterparts. In many countries, rising crime levels and undermanned police forces have created a booming domestic market for private security provision. In addition, Ibero-America is known for its close military and security relationships with the United States. A variety of private security firms are already in contract with the U.S. military in the region, so U.S.-based firms have an established presence there.

Like all of Rohatyn and Shultz's schemes, this one is not only suicidal, but it is done at cut rate.