Normalising Private Military Force: US Media Discourse and the Legitimization of Private Security Companies in Iraq

This book examines the normalization of Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs), and analyses US media discourse around the Nisour Square incident in Iraq as a pivotal case.

States are increasingly relying on PMSCs to meet security needs. As a sign of ongoing normalization, these companies are now increasingly targeted by soft law or self-regulation. Rejecting the common claim that ‘mercenaries have always been with us’, this book sets out to analyse the underlying conditions that ha...