The ISF is not accountable in this manner and a client has no right to dictate what the ISF should carry, how they should act, how they should drive, in short how they must carry out every aspect of their operational support. The ISF is simply not compatible or configured to integrate and perform a highly specialised personal security service. They are not trained for this so why ask them to do it, it would be like asking a truck to be a race car. It would finish the race but would never win.
The commercial aspect is also a factor. When a client is looking for security support it distributes a Request For Proposal (RFP), which encourages several PSC’s to tender for that contract. The client then chooses the best approach, balanced with value for money and in doing so receives a service, which incorporates high productivity for an agreed budget. Its tactical responses have been evaluated, its community liaison has been studied, its logistical support has been verified, the concept of operations has been agreed upon and finally once it has been fully audited and found compliant in every aspect, will it begin providing support.
The support is provided based on expectations by the client and a contractual agreement that provides remedy to the client should these expectations not be met. Performance bonds that run into millions of USD can be taken from the PSC, contracts can be terminated and all manner of legal non-performance punishments can be enacted if the PSC gets it wrong.
RT: Your company have a significant presence in the Akkas gas field project. When we look at oil projects in Iraq, if a project is friendly to the local people it is normally safer (eg. hiring locals etc.) Akkas has the support of the local council in Anbar and should in theory benefit the locals. Do you think that the Akkas area is your most dangerous area of operations? Maybe urban areas are sometimes more difficult?
HA: Each region in Iraq poses its own specific difficulties. Cities by their very nature are cultural melting pots of individual ideologies whereas remote areas such as Akkas are collective in their thinking because of little or no opposing views. Baghdad for example has many hundreds of ‘ethnic fault lines’ where people of opposing views and beliefs are living with the one-another working with each other, and this will always produce conflict. It would in any city in the world, but with Iraqi cities the consequent result is much more severe
Akkas is a very challenging region to operate in without a doubt, the security situation, terrain and logistical support are all problematic to any operation. Referring back to question 1, in the case of Akkas, the ISF have been supporting tactical operations by placing units to form an outer secure cordon around the general vicinity of commercial security operations, allowing us to concentrate on safeguarding our clients and providing the levels of support required. This style of coordinated protection with military and commercial sectors working together to develop regional industry is currently working very well, and we hope it will serve as a model for other remote areas where development could occur given the correct levels of field security.
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