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VersionSend to a FriendSend to a Friend   Most nations are
understandably nervous about trusting foreigners to run their
armed forces. Yet mercenary troops have long been a logical way
for rulers to control their subjects while avoiding revolution
spawned in the local military barracks. Often, mercenaries are
hired because it’s cheaper, or not enough citizens are willing,
or able, to be effective soldiers. The Iraq war reminded
Americans that the United States was also a user of mercenaries.
This has been the case for centuries, although it became more
common in the 20th century as the U.S. became more involved with
foreign nations.   The war in Iraq saw extensive use of
mercenaries mainly because the Iraqis with the most security and
military experience, the Sunni Arabs, were the least reliable.
It was safer to bring in foreigners (non-Iraqis) for security
work. You could use soldiers for this, but the troops were
needed for more dangerous and co