Former head of Blackwater, Erik Prince recently attempted and largely failed to pitch US transition to the use of mercenary forces in Afghanistan, with both the US Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State dismissing the option as a bad idea. Since then, however, he has been making the pitch directly to Afghans and, according to the New York Times, “has frequently been introduced as an advisor to Mr. Trump himself.” The pitch is apparently convincing some as a new solution as the country reels from record casualties among Afghan security forces, continued loss of territory to the Taliban, and ongoing political crises surrounding elections. In his efforts, Prince has allegedly worked with opponents of the incumbent president, whose administration has reportedly made efforts to block him from the country. The Ghani administration has dismissed the mercenary plan as unviable, with the president himself declaring that “foreign mercenaries will never be allowed in this country.” Afghanistan’s national security advisor said that such a scheme would make the fight against terrorism a “for-profit business” and that the government would “consider all legal options against those who try to privative war on our land.”
Source: As Afghanistan Frays, Blackwater Founder Erik Prince Is Everywhere – The New York Times
