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109-466: The magazine focused primarily on the series Sgt. Frog , containing features, promotions and a new manga. The manga saw Keroro and his allies sent to an alien world which resembles feudal Japan. They are tasked with attempting to bring order to it. The magazine's secondary focus was Gundam. Similar to Sgt. Frog , the magazine contained much promotion of its related merchandise and four of the comics running were Gundam titles. These included an adaptation of

218-568: A war zone may be considered unlawful combatants in reference to a concept that is outlined in the Geneva Conventions and explicitly stated by the 2006 American Military Commissions Act . Private military companies carry out many missions and jobs. Some examples have included military aviation repair in East Africa, close protection for Afghan President Hamid Karzai and piloting reconnaissance airplanes and helicopters as

327-675: A ceasefire was declared. At the same time, Stirling was cultivating his contacts in the Iranian government and exploring the chances of obtaining work in Africa . The company eventually operated in Zambia and in Sierra Leone , providing training teams and advising on security matters. Stirling also organised deals to sell weapons and military personnel to other countries for various privatised foreign policy operations. Contracts were mainly with

436-516: A coherent and standardized framework from which to oversee such organizations and activities. Over the last decade there have been a number of initiatives to regulate the private security industry. These include the ISO/PAS 28007:2012 Guidelines for Private Maritime Security Companies and the ANSI / ASIS PSC.1 and PSC.4 standards. Founded in 1955, American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS)

545-567: A collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature to forcibly reduce the illegal poaching and smuggling of elephant tusks in various countries of Southern Africa . Other groups formed by ex-SAS servicemen were established in the 1970s and '80s, including Control Risks Group and Defence Systems, providing military consultation and training. In 1989, the United Nations Mercenary Convention banning

654-420: A comparatively much more serious tone, with stories that link to the original TV series. A series of character CDs based around the concept of being a message to the character from the cast member who plays them will be released, starting from Setsuna 's on August 13, 2008. Three original soundtracks and five singles, featuring the theme songs used throughout the first season, have also been released. After

763-561: A former Celestial Being observer who plans to make use of the chaos and destruction created by Celestial Being to rule a reconstructed world, subsequently takes over Veda, Celestial Being's supercomputer which is believed to be located in the moon somewhere. Without the tactical aid from the organization's artificial intelligence , Celestial Being is easily overwhelmed and overpowered by the GN-X units and their superior numbers. The United Nations Army initiates Operation Fallen Angels to destroy

872-715: A larger part of it through activities on board trading ships, this could be a low estimate. PMC presence in Somalia is an example of two violent non-state actors at sea engaged in combat with each other. On April 5, 2005, Jamie Smith, CEO of SCG International Risk announced the expansion of services from the traditional roles of PMCs of protection and intelligence to military aviation support. SCG International Air would provide air support, medevac (medical evacuation), rotary and fixed-wing transportation, heavy-lift cargo , armed escort, and executive air travel to "any location on earth." That marked an expansion of services to rival

981-501: A new crisis. A derelict Jupiter exploration ship, abandoned 130 years ago, has left its orbit and is approaching Earth. The ESF has also begun to exploit the power of Innovators through Descartes Shaman. The world's exposure to GN Particles has resulted in many people awakening as True Innovators. Realizing the military benefits of such individuals, the Earth Sphere Federation has begun to research Innovation and exploit

1090-443: A paramilitary operation." Later on October 21, 2007, Carl Kimlinger of Anime News Network remarked that "its political flavour ... is distinctly post-9/11 ", noting the political and cultural similarities between the series and our modern society. Critics have praised the series for the smooth, detailed visual effects and animation. "As for the production values, they're top-notch: the mecha and character designs are attractive, and

1199-643: A part of Plan Colombia . According to a 2003 study, the industry was then earning over $ 100 billion a year. According to a 2008 study by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence , private contractors make up 29% of the workforce in the United States Intelligence Community and cost the equivalent of 49% of their personnel budgets. Modern PMCs trace their origins back to a group of ex- SAS veterans in 1965 who, under

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1308-694: A pivotal moment for private military companies at sea and directly led to the first contract between Blackwater and the US military. Blackwater, and private military contractors in general, became notorious in the 21st century after their usage by the United States government in the American occupation of Iraq . Since the late 2000s, PMCs have become increasingly involved in anti-piracy measures in Somalia and other regions. PMCs remain active in this region, mainly providing security for private shipping through

1417-506: A preview of the 00 Gundam. Blu-ray disc collections were released on August 22, 2008. A series of compilation films with new animated sequences and re-recorded dialogue, titled Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Special Edition , was also released. The first volume was released in Japan on October 27, 2009 in the DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and UMD format. While the first compilation film covered the first season,

1526-410: A sneak preview of Gundam 00 on September 1, 2007, Anime News Network remarked on "striking parallels" between the series and an earlier installment of the metaseries , Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (1995): "Like Gundam Wing, Gundam 00's main story begins with hyper-powerful Gundam units appearing at various locales to execute slightly-less-than- Dynasty-Warriors -level mayhem in synchronized phases of

1635-423: A television viewer rating of 4.85% and peaked at 6.1%. On a more positive note, Gundam 00's average rating was higher than the other previous Gundam shows set in alternative universes such as Gundam Wing (which averaged 4.3%) and G Gundam (which averaged 4.1%). The viewer ratings for the second season of Gundam 00 had improved, reaching ratings as high as 6.3%. The series was also a commercial success, with

1744-529: Is 16-year-old Setsuna F. Seiei , a taciturn Gundam pilot who grew up in the war-torn Middle Eastern Republic of Krugis (which seems to be based on the territory of Kurdistan ). Unable to counter Celestial Being's superior technology, the three major powers eventually unite into the United Nations Army in order to counter Celestial Being's armed interventions. In order to fight the Gundams ,

1853-650: Is a private company providing armed combat or security services for financial gain. PMCs refer to their personnel as " security contractors " or " private military contractors ". The services and expertise offered by PMCs are typically similar to those of governmental security , military , or police but most often on a smaller scale. PMCs often provide services to train or supplement official armed forces in service of governments, but they can also be employed by private companies to provide bodyguards for key staff or protection of company premises, especially in hostile territories. However, contractors that use armed force in

1962-483: Is a Japanese anime television series, the eleventh installment in Sunrise studio's long-running Gundam franchise comprising two seasons. The series is set on a futuristic Earth and is centered on the exploits of the fictional paramilitary organization Celestial Being and its efforts to rid the world of war and conflict with a series of unique and extremely advanced mecha mobile suits known as " Gundams ". Unlike

2071-620: Is a society of individual security professionals dedicated to increasing the effectiveness and productivity of security professionals by developing educational programs and materials. ASIS is an ANSI -accredited Standards Developing Organization, and within ASIS, the ASIS Commission on Standards and Guidelines works with national and international standards-setting organizations and industry representatives to develop voluntary standards and guidelines for security professionals. With funding from

2180-522: Is safe from change – or death." He concludes that the "culmination of this season does give me all that I like from a Gundam series as it tries to change the world and then throws you for a loop by moving everything ahead four years." Ross Liversidge of the UK Anime Network gave the first season a 9/10 score, concluding that it is "Everything Gundam should be – huge cast, lots of politics and big battles. Fans should be pleased." Mamoru Miyano ,

2289-575: The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . In total, they have activities in 34 different countries. Russian PMCs are involved in oil and mining operations in 19 countries in Africa. By the end of 2012, the number of contractors who had died in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait had reached 3,000. Scholars have studied whether contractor deaths have an effect on the public's "casualty sensitivity" when substituted for military fatalities. Casualty sensitivity refers to

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2398-773: The British Special Air Service , the US Special Operations Forces and the Canadian Joint Task Force 2 . The Center for Public Integrity reported that since 1994, the Defense Department entered into 3,601 contracts worth $ 300 billion with twelve US-based PMCs, specifically during the initial response after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans . Domestic operations are generally under

2507-604: The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative in widespread international operations, there has also been a move within the PSC and contingency contracting industries to call for accountability and to implement a code of ethics for the retention of services and operations of such service providers. Existing credible accountability initiatives form a skeleton for governing the conduct of contractors, but much remains to be fleshed out to form

2616-511: The Gulf States and involved weapons supply and training. The company was also linked with a failed attempt to overthrow Colonel Muammar Gaddafi from power in Libya in 1971. Woodhouse resigned as Director of Operations after a series of disagreements and Stirling himself ceased to take an active part in 1972. Stirling also founded KAS International (aka KAS Enterprises) and was involved in

2725-612: The Gulf of Aden and at times contracting to aid UN efforts . PMCs were hired to deter pirates from attacking vessels and taking the shipping crew and their transport hostage. While a large variety of international naval missions with the same goals such as the EU's Atalanta , NATO's Ocean Shield , and Combined Task Force 150 are and were active in this region, it is still necessary for the shipping companies to have security personnel on deck. Due to their decentralized nature, it can be difficult for

2834-597: The Iraq War "; founder Erik Prince sold the company and departed soon thereafter. The Russian Wagner Group have been deployed in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , fighting alongside the Russian Armed Forces since early 2022. In February 2023 it was reported that Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree which allowed Gazprom to launch "a mercenary army". Several other mercenary groups have been in evidence, such as "Redut" and

2943-579: The Montreux Document on Private Military and Security Companies , detailing international legal obligations and specific recommendations related to PSC services procurement practices and operational oversight, as well as clarifying the obligations of states pertaining to the hiring of such entities during armed conflicts. As of December 2018, fifty-four states had signed the Montreux Document. As revealed in 2009 by Stoddard et al. ,

3052-764: The Myre Seadiver was arrested in October 2012 while in Nigeria. Oleg Krinitsyn heads the RSB-Group , reportedly in 2013 Russia's largest PMC. The Moscovite MSG was the focus of attention in 2013 for its failed and bloody Syrian involvement. It contracted employees through the Slavonic Corps shell company owned by Vadim Gusev and based in Hong Kong to work for the régime of Bashar al-Assad , but

3161-569: The Nintendo DS , was released on March 27, 2008. This game follows the anime's plot with slight variations, but lacks the introduction of the GN-X, ending with the entrance and introduction of Team Trinity instead. A second video game, titled Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Gundam Meisters and developed by Yuke's for the PlayStation 2 , was released on October 16, 2008 Capcom and published by Bandai (now known as Namco Bandai Games). Unlike

3270-742: The Persian Gulf , from operating mess halls to providing security. They supplied armed guards at a US Army base in Qatar , and they used live ammunition to train soldiers at Camp Doha in Kuwait . They maintained an array of weapons systems vital to the invasion of Iraq. They also provided bodyguards for VIPs, guard installations, and escort supply convoys from Kuwait. All these resources were called upon constantly. In 2010, several Blackwater PMC employees "were indicted on unlawful killing charges in connection with their work as US government contractors during

3379-558: The Persian Gulf War , just over a decade earlier. The prevalence of PMCs led to the foundation of trade group the Private Security Company Association of Iraq . In Iraq, the issue of accountability , especially in the case of contractors carrying weapons, was a sensitive one. Iraqi laws do not hold over contractors. On 5 December 2005, US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld justified

Kerokero Ace - Misplaced Pages Continue

3488-699: The State Duma to consider the legalization of PMCs, although owners of Russian PMCs have claimed that because Russia inherited its legal system from the Byzantine Empire , anything that is not explicitly prohibited is allowed. The Syrian gains of ISIS in 2012 caused the Russian contingent to hire PMCs from the Moran Security Group (MSG) headed by Alexey Badikov , Slavonic Corps , Patriot PMC and Vega PMC . The MSG crew aboard

3597-772: The 0 Gundam and its pilot, bringing a definitive end to the conflict. Following the final battle, the Federation disbands the A-Laws and works towards a genuine global peace while Celestial Being returns into the shadows until another intervention is needed. The story continues in Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: A Wakening of the Trailblazer . According to Hiroomi Iketani, one of the Gundam 00 producers, planning for

3706-669: The 0 Gundam during the Krugis incident and even gained the assistance of a recovered Ali Al-Saachez, who now pilots the Throne Arche. After uncovering the truth about Ribbons' true intentions, Celestial Being joins forces with dissident members of the A-Laws to stop their oppression and bring the fight to the Innovades. Having been continuously exposed to the GN particles of the fully completed Gundam 00, Setsuna undergoes Innovation, becoming

3815-474: The 00 Gundam – which is entrusted to Setsuna. To pilot the two remaining new units, Lockon Stratos' twin brother is invited to assume his brother's codename and former position as the pilot of the Cherudim Gundam, and after Allelujah Haptism is rescued from the prison he was being detained in during the timeskip, he assumes the command of Arios Gundam. Saji Crossroad reluctantly joins Setsuna to pilot

3924-611: The Alliance Francaise Theatre. The film was released on DVD & Blu-ray on December 25, 2010 in Japan. A stage play adaptation of the anime series titled Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Re:Build ( 機動戦士ガンダム00 -破壊による再生-Re:Build , Kidō Senshi Gandamu Daburu Ō - Hakai ni Yoru Saisei - Rī Birudo ) premiered at the Nippon Seinenkan in Tokyo on February 15, 2019 and ran until February 18 before moving to

4033-570: The American mission to the UN office in Geneva (UNOG) said that "Accusations that US government-contracted security guards, of whatever nationality, are mercenaries is inaccurate." An observer noted that the difficulty in separating private from public troops means that legal proceedings against these violent non-state actors can be complicated, and stated that contracted combatants carry the legitimacy of

4142-511: The DVDs showing consistently high sales of action figures and Gunpla. The third and seventh DVD release topped the anime DVD sales chart. In a top 20 anime poll published in the April 2008 issue of Newtype , Japanese readers voted for Gundam 00 as the best anime, higher than its predecessor Gundam SEED , which was voted ninth. In Newtype's poll for top 10 male anime characters, Setsuna F Seiei

4251-572: The Gundams, having discovered the location of the Meisters' mothership, Ptolemaios. During the operation, Ali Al-Saachez kills Lockon Stratos after a climactic battle (Lockon Statos was just injured in a previous battle). Alejandro Corner, in his unique custom mobile armor Alvatore, attacks Setsuna as the GN-X units proceed to destroy the Ptolemaios and the remaining Gundams. Setsuna struggles with

4360-585: The Iraqi government still had no authority over private security firms contracted by the US government. In 2007, the Uniform Code of Military Justice was amended to allow for prosecution of military contractors who are deployed in a " declared war or a contingency operation." After the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq , the US State Department is reportedly planning to more than double

4469-468: The MBS and TBS Sunday 5:00 p.m. slot since October 5, 2008, replacing Code Geass R2 . A total of fourteen DVD collections have been released. The final DVD of season one contains a whimsical trailer for the second season. Featuring voice work by the four Meisters, the trailer lampoons many early ideas for the show, fan theories and anime clichés before leading into a special message from Mizushima and

Kerokero Ace - Misplaced Pages Continue

4578-579: The Middle East along with most of Oceania; and the AEU (Advanced European Union), which controls mainland Europe as well as many islands in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. With this nearly inexhaustible source of energy benefiting only the major powers and their allies, constant warfare erupts around the globe among minor countries for fuels and energy. Countries that once economically relied on

4687-556: The Morinomiya Piloti Hall in Osaka on February 23–24. The play starred Shohei Hashimoto as Setsuna F. Seiei, Yū Imari as Lockon Stratos, Taiyō Ayukawa as Allelujah Haptism, and Seiichirō Nagata as Tieria Erde. Gundam 00 Re:Build will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 26, 2019. A stage play adaptation of the second season of the anime series, titled Mobile Suit Gundam 00 -Hakai ni Yoru Saisei- Re:(in)novation,

4796-420: The Movie: A Wakening of the Trailblazer , premiered in Japan on September 18, 2010 and was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 25, 2010, in Japan. Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is the first Gundam television series to be animated in widescreen and in high-definition . The series is set in 2307 AD . As a result of the depletion of fossil fuels , humanity had to search for a new source of power. The power

4905-555: The Russian Federation, at undermining its security, at creating armed units, and at instigating social, racial, national and religious strife shall be prohibited." In addition, it has been illegal since at least the 1996 edition under Article 359 of the Russian criminal code to recruit, train or finance a mercenary. Also the use of him in an armed conflict or hostilities shall be punished. Eeben Barlow apparently brought

5014-709: The Slavonic Corps fiasco, the Wagner Group PMC made its appearance on the scene. Near the end of 2014, Wagner was given the instructional role of local Basharite militias. Prior to September 2015, the PMCs were Russia's only pseudo-military presence in Syria. Wagner and Moran both contributed in 2014 to the Russian War in Donbass ; Wagner is known to have fought in Syria since late 2015. One manner of payment to

5123-413: The Trailblazer A new character is revealed to be the first officially acknowledged true Innovator, whose name is revealed to be Descartes Shaman. A new enemy appears to be a newly discovered alien life form, Extraterrestrial Livingmetal Shapeshifter (ELS). The Japanese premiere was announced for September 18, 2010. The year is 2314 AD, two years after Celestial Being's last great battle and the world faces

5232-601: The UN Forces. Humanity, having established the Earth Sphere Federation, forms an autonomous peace-keeping force, the A-Laws , separate from and above the formal Federation army. Given unfettered discretion, the A-Laws is charged with the duty to further unify nations, enforce the will of mankind, and dispose of terrorist cells. Unknown to the general public, however, is that the A-Laws misuse their power and employ inhumane tactics to oppress freedoms, doctrines, and ideologies, all in

5341-420: The UN or other international organizations to provide effective oversight over what happens on the seas. Whereas the UN showed that, between 2010 and 2015, there were over fifty encounters between the national sovereign navies that participated in the missions, resulting in over 1,200 detained pirates, only one PMC published information over this period. Since the PMCs are so much more active in this area, covering

5450-449: The US, so they tend to look for private contractors who will have a fiduciary obligation to them. In 2012, were published the ISO/PAS 28007:2012 Guidelines for Private Maritime Security Companies . In December 2006, there were estimated to be at least 100,000 contractors working directly for the United States Department of Defense in Iraq which was a tenfold increase in the use of private contractors for military operations since

5559-439: The United Nations Army employed the help of Laguna Harvey. Harvey, a Celestial Being intelligence agent turned traitor, provides them with 30 GN-X, mobile suits equipped with pseudo-GN Drives. As the United Nations resist Celestial Being's interventions, a second team of Gundams, known as Team Trinity , appears and assists in the Meisters' eradication of war, albeit in a much more cruel and cold-blooded fashion. Alejandro Corner ,

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5668-410: The ability of NGOs to claim neutrality, leading to increased risk. Moreover, outsourcing may not necessarily lead to lower costs, and the cost of middlemen may result in more poorly paid and poorly trained personnel, who turn over frequently and cannot adequately perform the job. Finally, NGOs have obligations beyond strictly legal liability that include political, ethical and reputational implications: If

5777-424: The anime, Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Aoi Kioku , runs monthly on Kadokawa's Gundam Ace . This series focuses on the Gundam Meisters' memories and is illustrated by Tarō Shiguma. A prelude to the film (drawn by Yun Kouga ), "The place where the sky and earth meet", "Where Setsuna and Marina are... Two people tied together only by their spirits, divided by sky and earth," was published in Newtype in July 2010. This

5886-592: The auspice of state or federal agencies such as the Department of Energy or the Department of Homeland Security rather than the Department of Defense. Driven by increasing fears of domestic terror attacks and civil unrest and disruption in the wake of disasters, more conventional security companies are moving into operations arenas that would fall within the definition of a PMC. The United States State Department also employs several companies to provide support in danger zones that would be difficult for conventional US forces. The October 2000 USS Cole bombing proved

5995-432: The capabilities of some countries' armies and air forces. In 2007, the American Uniform Code of Military Justice was amended to allow for prosecution of military contractors deployed in a " declared war or a contingency operation ." In 2008, the International Committee of the Red Cross , the Swiss government , and contributors from private security companies and the civil society/ NGO sector developed and proposed

6104-421: The challenges of deteriorating security environments; and administrative costs of managing security in-house and potential to outsource the liability. However, it has been argued that outsourcing security leaves NGOs reliant on contractors and unable to develop their own security thinking and make their own decisions. Perceived association of PSPs with state security, police or military services in turn compromises

6213-629: The defence ministry would coordinate and that participation in armed conflicts would only be with their permission." In February 2023, it was reported that Gazprom would form a PMC of its own called Fakel . The law "On the Security of Fuel and Energy Facilities" appears now to state that companies in this field "may be granted the right to establish a private security organisation". The organisation Molfar has investigated 37 private military companies in Russia, and found that all of them are or have been connected to Kremlin. Most of them are also funded by Kremlin. More than half of them are participating in

6322-411: The emerging Innovators' abilities. Bandai Entertainment hosted the North American premiere of the film at New York Comic Con / New York Anime Festival . They later announced the license for the film. It was announced on September 13 that Singapore is going to be the first country to screen the Gundam 00 film with English subtitles on the same day as Japan, running from September 18 to September 29 in

6431-429: The end of season one and beginning of season two, and 00V Senki's timeline is after the ending of season two. Four TV broadcast-based manga series exist to date. One was serialized in Kerokero Ace and drawn by Kouzoh Ohmori. Minor changes are present compared to the anime, such as the use of more visually comedic facial expressions, and the omission of certain characters and subplots. The first volume to this version

6540-495: The exeption of Akira Kubodera due to his death before the Stage Play, due to this, the character of Ali al-Saachez is dropped from the show instead of recasting him. This production was cancelled due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and rescheduled for February 2022. The two first productions of its February run were cancelled due to the pandemic. A 3D action game based on the anime entitled Mobile Suit Gundam 00 , published by Namco Bandai Games and produced by BEC for

6649-425: The fights—especially the opening chase scene—are fluid and composed with an eye for maximum impact." Following the end of the first season, Gundam 00 has received much critical acclaim. Carl Kimlinger of Anime News Network gave the first season a B+ rating, praising the second half of the season for its "unstoppable narrative momentum." He stated that its "sheer momentum is breathtaking, and even as coldly detached as

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6758-399: The first Nintendo DS game, Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Gundam Meisters covers the first season's plot completely, albeit with slight deviations. The first season of Gundam 00 is also included in the game Another Century's Episode Portable and also in 2nd Super Robot Wars Z ~Hakai Hen~ . The second season, however, was included in SD Gundam G Generation World . The film's storyline

6867-406: The first true Innovator with powers far greater than Ribbons and his group. After a long and arduous battle, Ribbons is forced to once again pilot the 0 Gundam, as the final confrontation caused extensive damage to both the 00 Gundam and Almark’s own mobile suit, the Ribbons Gundam. In response to this, Setsuna swaps out his last surviving GN drive and uses it to restore Gundam Exia and destroying both

6976-489: The fourth on April 1, 2009. Kawai continues to compose the music in the film adaptation, and the soundtrack was released on September 22, 2010. A series of character CDs has been announced; with the first one, featuring Setsuna F Seiei and the character's voice actor Mamoru Miyano , with a song written by the band Skoop On Somebody, to be released on August 13, 2008. The second entry to the series of character CDs, featuring Lockon Stratos and voice actor Shinichiro Miki ,

7085-407: The group is from 25% of the proceeds from captured and secured oil and gas infrastructure in Syria. In January 2018, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said of PMC employees that legislation was needed to "protect these people", while Duma member Mikhail Yemelyanov authored a bill to do just that "because private military companies are legal in many countries"; continuing: "We wrote in the bill that

7194-421: The idea of PMCs to Russia in 2010; there he gave an invited talk to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum , as well as presented the PMC concept to representatives of the General Staff of the AFRF . At the time he proposed forming PMCs from retired military personnel and contractors. The existence of Russian PMCs seems to go as far back as 2011, when the Syrian Civil War kicked off and violent unrest

7303-424: The inverse relationship between military deaths and public support for a sustained military engagement. Contractor deaths may account for nearly 30% of total US battlefield losses since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In October 2007, the United Nations released a two-year study that reported that, although hired as "security guards", private contractors performed military duties. A spokesman for

7412-449: The larger corporations included Vinnell and Military Professional Resources Inc. in the United States ; G4S and Keeni-Meeny Services in the United Kingdom ; and Lordan-Levdan in Israel and Executive Outcomes in South Africa . Some commentators have argued that there was an exodus from many special operations forces across the globe towards these private military corporations. Units that were allegedly severely affected included

7521-626: The latter failed "to fulfill their financial obligations, which caused problems with the housing and feeding of the fighters from Slavonic Corps." Meanwhile, 100 of the 267 men hired in spring 2013 by Slavonic Corps perished in October 2013 in a firefight with ISIS . Out of the ashes of the Slavonic Corps was born the Wagner Group . Two recruiters for the Slavonic Corps were ultimately jailed in October 2014 for their violation of Article 359. They faced up to eight years imprisonment but were convicted for three. Regular squad members were reportedly unpaid and faced no prosecution in Russia. Not long after

7630-418: The leader of a fossil fuel export regulation watchdog group, and protecting his daughter, Louise Halevy from terrorist organizations. A second drama CD, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Another Story: Road To 2307 , has been announced and is currently slated for a September 24, 2008 release. This drama CD will focus on the Meisters, as well as the Union 's story. Unlike the first prequel CD drama, the second will have

7739-400: The leadership of the founder of the SAS, David Stirling and John Woodhouse , founded WatchGuard International (formerly with offices in Sloane Street before moving to South Audley Street in Mayfair ) as a private company that could be contracted out for security and military purposes. The company's first assignment was to go to Yemen to report on the state of the royalist forces when

7848-536: The main story to the 2 other sidestories and introduces the characters and mecha from the other publications. First volume to this title was released on March 26, 2008 by Kadokawa Comics. A sequel for 00F, called Mobile Suit Gundam 00I , was serialized in Gundam Ace after 00F. It is also illustrated by Kōichi Tokita and takes place in the same time as season two. It mainly focuses on Innovades, and few characters from 00F has appeared. Another manga series based on

7957-456: The main story. It is penned by Tomohiro Chiba, with model conductions by Dengeki Hobby Magazine . The first volume of the sidestory was released in May 2008 by Dengeki Hobby. After the series ended, a sequel named Mobile Suit Gundam 00N was on serialization, taking place the same time as season one. A graphic novel that features variations of existing mobile suits, Mobile Suit Gundam 00V , which

8066-409: The ministerial-affiliated "Patriot" group. The Constitution of the Russian Federation was adopted by national referendum on 12 December 1993, and entered into force on 25 December 1993. Article 13.5 reads: "The establishment and activities of public associations whose goals and activities are aimed at the forcible changing of the basis of the constitutional order and at violating the integrity of

8175-526: The monstrous Alvatore, but in the end succeeds in killing Alejandro. Graham Aker , an ace pilot of the United Nations Army, then challenges Setsuna to a fight, seeking revenge for his fallen comrades and questioning the purpose of the Gundams' existence. The fight results in the destruction of the GN-Flag, while the Exia is heavily damaged. Four years have passed since the final battle between Celestial Being and

8284-530: The name of 'unity'. Meanwhile, Setsuna tries to confront the A-Laws by himself with his battered Gundam Exia, but is easily overpowered by their newer models. He is soon rescued by Tieria Erde , piloting his new mobile suit, the Seravee Gundam. By combining the GN Drives of Exia and 0 Gundam, Celestial Being's engineers manage to complete Aeolia's plans for an advanced mobile suit with twin GN drives –

8393-464: The number of its private security guards, up to as many as 7,000. Defending five fortified compounds across the country, the security contractors would operate radars to warn of enemy rocket attacks, search for roadside bombs, fly reconnaissance drones and even staff quick reaction forces to aid civilians in distress. Its helicopter fleet, which will be piloted by contractors, will grow from 17 to 29. PMCs supplied support to US military bases throughout

8502-550: The organisation's responsibility to prevent and mitigate any possible negative outcomes is better achieved through in-house security, it is argued, this should be their choice. The result is that many NGOs are not open about their use of PSPs and researchers at the Overseas Development Institute have found that sometimes statements at NGOs central headquarters contradict those given by local staff. This prevents informative knowledge sharing and debate on

8611-738: The previous installments, the timeline that this series takes place in corresponds to the real life Gregorian calendar, in this case Anno Domini (AD) . It is directed by Seiji Mizushima and written by Yōsuke Kuroda , and features character designs by Yun Kōga . The 25-episode season was officially announced by Sunrise during a 15-second trailer on June 2, 2007. The series aired on the Mainichi Broadcasting System , Tokyo Broadcasting System and its affiliated JNN stations from October 5, 2007 to March 29, 2008. The second season began on October 5, 2008 and concluded on March 29, 2009. A film sequel, titled Mobile Suit Gundam 00

8720-489: The previously unreleased Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Special Edition . The English version (U.S. version) of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 premiered in the Philippines on November 20, 2010 on Cartoon Network Philippines and aired weekend nights as part of its Toonami block. Since the series aired on an early evening slot, a Parental Guidance warning was shown by the network before each episode due to its violent nature, and it

8829-526: The remaining two covered the second season. Licensing for a North American release of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 was announced by Bandai Entertainment at New York Comic Con 2008 on April 18, 2008. Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is the first Gundam series to air on national television in the United States since Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and began airing twice weekly on November 24, 2008 on SCI FI (now known as SyFy). The first season concluded its first run on Sci-Fi on February 9, 2009. The second season also aired on

8938-577: The sale of fossil fuels have plunged into poverty. Some even believe that solar energy threatened the "promised land of God", resulting in the 20-year Solar Wars. This chaos led to the formation of a private military organization , called Celestial Being ( ソレスタルビーイング , Soresutaru Bīingu ) , dedicated to eradicating war and uniting humanity through the use of four advanced machines called Gundams. Mobile Suit Gundam 00 follows four mobile suit pilots termed Gundam Meisters ( ガンダムマイスター , Gandamu Maisutā ) , sided with Celestial Being. The main protagonist

9047-614: The same network and time slot on June 29, 2009 and concluded its run on September 21, 2009. Due to the closure of Bandai Entertainment, the series and film have been out of print. On October 11, 2014 at their 2014 New York Comic Con panel, Sunrise announced they will be releasing all of the Gundam franchise, including Gundam 00 in North America though distribution from Right Stuf Inc. , beginning in Spring 2015. This will also include

9156-406: The same story as the anime's main plot, but vary in the sequence of events that unfold and in artistic style. A manga sidestory entitled Mobile Suit Gundam 00F was serialized in Gundam Ace . Illustrated by Kōichi Tokita , this manga series focuses on Fereshte, an autonomous branch of Celestial Being that is also in possession of several previous generation Gundams. The series acts as a link for

9265-408: The series is, the catastrophic fates in store for its cast make for compelling viewing," and concluded that "being swept up in the coalescing second half, the abrupt drop-off at the end only raises a raging thirst for season two." Chris Beveridge of Mania.com gave the first season a B rating, stating that as "this part of the series comes to a close, events become bigger than they were before and nobody

9374-443: The series started in 2005, under the tentative name "Next". Iketani approached Seiji Mizushima , who had previously worked on the first Fullmetal Alchemist anime series, for the first time at the end of 2005 to be the director. Mizushima was initially reluctant about accepting the job due to his lack of knowledge regarding the Gundam franchise. The production staff, consisting of over 300 people, spent roughly two years planning

9483-617: The series. Compared to other anime shows, Gundam 00 has more main staff members, partly due to the detailed mobile suit designs. The series premiered on October 6, 2007, replacing Toward the Terra on the terrestrial MBS and TBS networks, occupying the networks' noted Saturday 6:00 p.m. timeslot. The first season ended its run on March 29, 2008. Season one of the series will be re-broadcast across Japan on various television networks such as TBS , Kids Station , MBS and BS-i from April onwards. Season two started its broadcast in

9592-492: The state that hires them. Demands for specific PSC services have grown to record levels in recent decades, and private firms' capabilities now include an array of services that are vital to the success of on-the-ground war fighting as well as other more traditional stability operations and contingency contracting. While past calls for corporate responsibility have heralded successes such as the Kimberley Process and

9701-595: The subject needed to improve NGO decisions regarding this issue, though there have been some notable exceptions; namely, the Afghanistan NGO Security Office and the NGO Coordination Committee in Iraq. The private security contractor fulfills many different needs in the private and public sectors. While some nations rely heavily on the input of governments of such nations as the United States, other countries do not trust

9810-437: The television series Mobile Suit Gundam 00 , latest chapters of SD Gundam and GPEX Gunpla Extreme, in which humans use special gadgets to shrink down and turn Gundam models into working miniature mecha. The remainder of titles printed in the magazine alternated between comedy adventure gag comics and further promotional tie ins. These manga series were carried by the magazine. Due to its role of promoting Bandai projects,

9919-722: The title was linked to similar magazines such as Hobby Japan and Dengeki Hobby . The title also included popular comics which run in Gundam Ace ; it was also a special edition of Gundam Ace. Similar to many Shonen magazines (Shonen Ace, Monthly Shonen Sunday), Kerokero Ace often included 'gifts' to increase interest. Such items were usually linked to the comics that ran within the title or exclusive collectables. Items offered included Haro digital watches, Keroro stickers and kaiju trading cards. Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Mobile Suit Gundam 00 ( 機動戦士ガンダム00（ダブルオー） , Kidō Senshi Gandamu Daburu Ō , Mobile Suit Gundam Double-O )

10028-429: The upgraded 00 Raiser and confront his girlfriend Louise Halevy who has joined the A-Laws. Unknown to Celestial Being and the A-Laws, a third party is manipulating both sides of the conflict. This group call themselves " Innovators ", composed of Alejandro Corner's former assistant Ribbons Almark , and his six subordinates. Subsequently, it is revealed that Aeolia Schenberg's plan is to ensure humanity's survival; unite

10137-464: The use of mercenaries was initiated and entered into force on 20 October 2001. As of August 2021, the convention had been ratified by 37 states, and signed but not ratified by 9 states. Dramatic growth in the number and size of PMCs occurred at the end of the Cold War . The exodus of over 6 million military personnel from Western militaries in the 1990s expanded the recruiting pool for PMCs. Some of

10246-580: The use of PMCs in Iraq on the basis that they were cost effective and useful on the ground. He also affirmed that they were not subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice . Two days before he left Iraq, L. Paul Bremer signed " Order 17 " giving all Americans associated with the CPA and the American government immunity from Iraqi law. A July 2007 report from the American Congressional Research Service indicates that

10355-503: The use of private security contractors by NGOs in dangerous regions is a highly sensitive subject. Quite often, the contractors hired are local companies and mostly are unarmed personnel guarding facilities; only rarely are international contractors or mobile armed security personnel used. Many NGOs have sought the services of private security contractors in dangerous areas of operation, such as Afghanistan , Somalia and Sudan , due to lack of knowledge, skills, and time to adequately meet

10464-663: The voice actor for Setsuna F Seiei, won the "Best Voice Actor" award at the 2008 Tokyo International Anime Fair . Miyano and Tieria Erde's voice actor, Hiroshi Kamiya , both won the "Best Main" and "Best Supporting Male Characters" respectively at the 2008 Seiyu Awards . In the United Kingdom, Gundam 00 was nominated for the 2009 NEO Award for Best Anime. While critically acclaimed, the first season of Gundam 00 experienced lower average viewer ratings than its predecessors Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny . Over its 25-episode run, it averaged

10573-403: The world's factions through Celestial Being's armed interventions and then advance humanity into deep space and undergo Innovation, a trans-human process. It is revealed that Ribbons had a hand in many different historical events since Schenberg and intends to rule over humanity as a god-like figure, believing that he is now above the rest of humanity as an Innovator. Ribbons was even the pilot of

10682-418: Was a total of 1,740,280 votes in the poll. On April 14, 2018, the " Gundam 00 Festival 10 Re:vision" event in Tokyo announced that director Seiji Mizushima will be working on an anime sequel to Gundam 00 , though it wasn't specified whether it would be a new season, OVA or film. Private military company A private military company ( PMC ) or private military and security company ( PMSC )

10791-478: Was adapted in Super Robot Wars UX and later Super Robot Wars V . Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3 , published by Namco Bandai Games , also features Gundam 00 characters. A drama CD prequel entitled Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Another Story: Mission-2306 was released on July 23, 2008. In this drama CD , Setsuna F Seiei is tasked with the mission of preventing an assassination of Barry Halevy,

10900-418: Was aired with minor edits. The letters PG are also shown on the upper left side of the screen for a few seconds after the opening credits and commercial breaks. In Europe the series was licensed by Beez Entertainment . The series' music was composed by Kenji Kawai . There are four TV-series soundtracks released, the first on January 10, 2008, the second on March 26, 2008, the third on December 24, 2008, and

11009-493: Was felt in Libya before Muammar Gaddafi was eliminated in October. Russians had big investments in both of these countries. State-owned enterprise Rostec and its subsidiaries Rosboronexport and Technopromexport , as well as privately owned StroyTransGaz (STG) and Tatneft have billions of dollars invested in international affairs and like to hire from the Russian PMC sector. In 2012, Vladimir Putin suggested to

11118-414: Was followed by a 50-page-long manga version of the film by Kaishaku , published in Gundam Ace . in October 2010. This adaptation contained notable differences from the film, such as an alternate ending in which Setsuna uses his ELS powers to restore Marina's youth and marries her. A theatrical release was announced at the end of episode 25 of season 2, titled Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: A Wakening of

11227-683: Was found in the form of multiple Dyson rings (massive arrays of solar power collectors) orbiting Earth, and supported by three orbital elevators , each one serving one of the three "power blocs" on the planet, namely the Union (Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations), controlling the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan; the Human Reform League ( Sino-Japanese : 人類革新連盟; Romaji : jinrui kakushin renmei ; Pinyin : rénlèi géxīn liánméng ), controlling nearly all of mainland Asia besides

11336-464: Was released in the United States on August 24, 2009. A light novel series, Mobile Suit Gundam 00P was serialized in Dengeki Hobby and centers around the previous generation of Gundam Meisters. Like the anime, it was also divided into 2 seasons: First season is set 15 years before the anime series, while second season is set 10 years after season one. 00P features events that happened before

11445-474: Was released on March 26, 2008 by Kadokawa Comics. It has been released in English in North America by Bandai Entertainment , with the first volume released on September 23, 2009. The other manga adaptation series of the same name is also based on the television series, and is drawn by Auto Taguchi. Unlike the first manga series, this title is published by Kodansha . The two manga series essentially follow

11554-473: Was released on September 24, 2008. The music for second character CD was done in collaboration with Eijun Suganami and Shinji Matsuda, members of The Back Horn . A novelized version of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 was published by Kadokawa , currently ongoing with two volumes and authored by Noboru Kimura. The book series has been licensed by Bandai Entertainment and the first volume was released on December 29, 2009. The manga adaptation has also been licensed and

11663-548: Was scheduled to premiere at the New National Theatre in Tokyo from July 17, 2020 and will run until July 26. The cast members include, Shohei Hashimoto , Yū Imari , Taiyō Ayukawa, and Seiichirō Nagata who all reprise their respective roles from the first adaptation. Yuki Maekawa as Saji Crossroad, Sakiho Motonishi as Louise Halevy, and Yuichi Nakamura as Mister Bushido. Kodai Miyagi replaces Yusuke Seto as Patrick Colasour. And many other returning cast members with

11772-570: Was serialized in Hobby Japan , is told in the format of a mobile suit development history book published 20 years after the anime series, featuring photo guides of customized models. It centers around the Mobile Suit observer Robert Spacey and his encounters with the different mobile weapons in the Gundam 00 universe. A sequel entitled Mobile Suit Gundam 00V Senki has replaced 00V after its serialization ended. 00V's timeline happens between

11881-564: Was voted second, Tieria Erde third, Lockon Stratos fifth, Graham Aker sixth, and Allelujah Haptism at seventh; and in its poll for top ten female anime characters, Nena Trinity was voted eighth and Marina Ismail was voted tenth. In the NHK's 2018 mega "All Gundam Poll", Mobile Suit Gundam 00 was place as the fourth best anime in the Gundam franchise, only behind the original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam , Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam , and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED . The NHK reported that there

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