Erik Prince, in Kabul, pushes privatization of the Afghan war

[riversedge]

Last edited Fri Oct 5, 2018, 03:37 AM - Edit history (1)

Source: washpost



October 4 at 7:30 PM

More than a year after his plan to privatize the Afghan war was first shot down by the Trump ­administration, Erik Prince returned late last month to Kabul to push the proposal on the beleaguered government in Afghanistan, where many believe he has the ear — and the potential backing — of the U.S. president.

Prince swept through the capital, meeting with influential political figures within and outside the administration of President Ashraf Ghani.

“He’s winning Afghans over with the assumption that he’s close to Trump,” said one well-informed Afghan, adding that many of Prince’s ideas feed into frustration with and within the Afghan military, particularly given its high casualty rate.

But Prince also sparked what Ghani, in a statement Thursday, condemned as “a debate” within the country over “adding new foreign and unaccountable elements to our fight.”
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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/erik-prince-in-kabul-pushes-privatization-of-the-afghan-war/2018/10/04/72a76d36-c7e5-11e8-b1ed-1d2d65b86d0c_story.html?utm_term=.089fbcfc7c48

[sakabatou]

1. Of course he would

[catbyte]

2. Of course he does. Blackwater made him a billionaire, why not Afghanistan?

That lowlife should be rotting away in prison, not hobnobbing with foreign leaders and the U.S. military. He is 100% pure, unadulterated evil. The whole goddamned family is a cancer on west Michigan, the United states, and the entire planet.

[BigmanPigman]

5. Didn't he have to testify to Mueller over that?

You would think that a normal person would be a little nervous to do shady $/govt deals for a while. This family is really fucked UP! What is in their DNA?

[cp]

3. Lifetime profits for his mercenary ass

Uh, NO.

[redstateblues]

4. Yeah sure. What a great idea

[msongs]

6. why not as long as he gets no US taxpayer $$ or military support/troops. private means

he funds it and staffs at his expense

[redstateblues]

7. The money comes from our government just like Blackwater

[diva77]

8. I'll be calling my congresspeople about this

K&R for exposure

[Eugene]

9. Afghan government rejects proposals to privatize war

Source: Reuters

WORLD NEWS OCTOBER 5, 2018 / 2:19 AM / UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO

Afghan government rejects proposals to privatize war

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan officials have reacted angrily to speculation that foreign military contractors could take over training and advising the Afghan armed forces, following a renewed push by the founder of private military contractor Blackwater.

Erik Prince, whose company came to prominence during the war in Iraq, has been lobbying officials about his proposal to privatize parts of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan for more than a year.

On a recent visit to Kabul, he lobbied several Afghan political figures and gave interviews to media outlets including Tolo News, Afghanistan’s largest television station, as well as the New York Times, to discuss the plan.

President Ashraf Ghani, approaching presidential elections in April, has repeatedly rejected the proposal and on Thursday his national security adviser issued a statement condemning what he called a “destructive and divisive debate”.

“Under no circumstances will the Afghan government and people allow the counterterrorism fight to become a private, for-profit business,” the statement said.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-security/afghan-government-rejects-proposals-to-privatize-war-idUSKCN1MF0IH