The Afghan government doesn’t agree on much, but they appear overwhelmingly aligned in their rejection of Blackwater founder Erik Prince’s proposal to “privatize” the US occupation of Afghanistan.
A lot of the specifics of this plan have not been made public, but the broad strokes are that, 17 years into the US occupation, the military would be replaced outright by US-hired military contractors. Prince argues this would make the war cheaper.
Prince’s plan clearly can’t happen if the Afghan government refuses, but in the quest to replace the US military, replacing the Afghan government with a more favorable one might not be such a tall order. Prince has been holding a flurry of meetings in recent weeks.
The meetings are with influential Afghans, including top politicians who are potential replacements for President Ghani in the upcoming election. Prince insists he isn’t trying to interfere in Afghan politics, though it’s not a real secret that a more favorable government would be very good for him.
Rich people are psychotic.
Smart. Hey listen, whatever you are stealing now, I will double it!
Privatize with US taxpayers footing the bill. Non-combat truck drivers make 200k/year in Afghanistan. Most contractors are ex-US troops.
Wasn’t colonialism wonderful: Prince.