The men, all British citizens, were taken from the city’s foreign ministry just before noon yesterday. Gunmen are said to have posed as police in order to breach security at the building.
“GardaWorld is cooperating with local and international authorities to determine the facts of this incident and supporting recovery efforts”, the statement reads.
“We are working diligently with all appropriate personnel to bring positive resolution to the matter. At this stage the corporation neither disclose nor confirm any personal information, including names, ages, and where they are from in the UK. This position will not change overnight (Tue 29th May), and GardaWorld will not comment any further.”
Montreal-based GardaWorld are used to working in danger zones. Recently they have worked to protect Baghdad’s Anglican vicar, Canon Andrew White and his organisation, The Foundation for Reconciliation in the Middle East.
Armed security guarding is big business in the Middle East. Jobs include the protection of those working for private companies and non-government organizations in the region. While the Pentagon estimates that there are 20,000 armed security guards in Iraq, most observers suggest that number could be as high as 44,000- constituting what the US senate has described as the ‘largest private army in the world’.
Armed security guards in the Middle East are largely ex-military, attracted to the job by large salaries of up to $1,000 per day. An estimated 21,000 guards in Iraq are British- around three times the number of British troops currently serving in the country.
