BBC News: It’s very difficult to get exact numbers for the private security industry operating in Afghanistan, says Sorcha MacLeod from the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries, which also looks at private security companies. Information is difficult to access because client governments can withhold it on national security grounds. It’s also because of the complex nature of the industry – there are parent companies, sub-contractors and joint ventures working there. There have been calls for a bigger role for private companies in the Afghan war. Click here to read more (external link).