From the WSJ:

More than 20 private security firms are expected to sign an international code of conduct next month, as the controversial, fast-growing industry responds to a series of damaging setbacks.... Deborah Avant, a professor of political science at the University of California, Irvine and an expert on privatization of armed force, said the document was a "first step" toward better oversight. And she said it reflected a recognition within the international community that private contractors were now a feature of the landscape in conflict zones. "Ten years ago, there wasn't even agreement with regards to the need for regulation of these companies," she said.

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