The Afghanistan War’s Legacy: The Reimagining of the Outsourcing of War and Security

Abstract

The two decades of war in Afghanistan left a mark on the American armed forces and redefined the American ways of war-making. One of this war’s legacies is the reimagining of the role of private military and security contractors in contemporary warfare. Due to the massive involvement of the private sector in the American war machine, this industry transformed from a marginal participant into a central partner. The privatization of military and security functions became a norm, an integral part of security architecture and military operation. In this study, I provide a brief review of this development and its implications.

Perspectives on the Afghanistan War: Commentaries on a Misadventure

“…The final set of articles focus on a few of the many consequences of the 20-year misadventure. In “The Afghanistan War’s Legacy: The Reimagining of the Outsourcing of War and Security,” Ori Swed (2022) examines how the Afghanistan experience expanded and transformed the role of private contractors in contemporary warfare. He sees this as a disturbing trend with long-run consequences across militaries of the world.…”