Trump Interested to Hand Over Afghanistan War to Blackwater
US President Donald Trump is increasingly venting frustration to his national security team about the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and showing renewed interest in a proposal by Blackwater founder Erik Prince to privatize the war, current and former American senior administration officials said.
US President Donald Trump is increasingly venting frustration to his national security team about the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan and showing renewed interest in a proposal by Blackwater founder Erik Prince to privatize the war, current and former American senior administration officials said.
It has raised ethical and security concerns among senior military officials, key lawmakers and members of Trump’s national security team. A year after Trump’s strategy announcement, his advisers are worried his impatience with the Afghanistan conflict will cause him to seriously consider proposals like Prince’s or abruptly order a complete U.S. withdrawal, American officials said. according to NBC.
In an interview with NBC News, Prince said he believes Trump advisers who oppose his plan are painting “as rosy a picture as they can” of the situation on the ground, including that “peace is around the corner” with recent U.S. efforts for peace talks with the Taliban.
Prince said he hasn’t spoken directly to Trump about the plan, but told NBC News he plans to launch an aggressive media “air campaign” in coming days to try to get the president to embrace it.
“No such proposal from Erik Prince is under consideration,” the spokesperson said. “The president, like most Americans, would like to see more progress in Afghanistan. However, he also recognizes that withdrawing precipitously from Afghanistan would lead to the re-emergence of terrorist safe havens, putting American national security and lives in danger.”
According to American officials, in recent briefings with Trump, the president’s advisers have emphasized the possibility of a political resolution with the Taliban and downplay the lack of military advances.
