“I doubt very much that Ashraf Ghani will win the next election” said confidently Eric Prince the founder of Blackwater in Head to Head with Mehdi Hassan On March 8^th, 2019. Eric Prince minces no words about his intention at Oxford Union to colonize about ten countries where there are active insurgencies either against the regime or fight for resources. He is accused of playing major role in the election of Donald Trump. Prince is trusted White House adviser especially after the removal of US foreign secretary Tillerson and national security adviser McMaster who opposed the company’s first plan for privatization of the war in Afghanistan. Prince is the unofficial special envoy of President Trump to acquire strategic Ukrainian company to deny China getting it. He is relayed upon to carry out activities to influence political situation in Venezuela in favor of the US govt. His company Blackwater is renamed simply as Frontier Services Group and had attempted to send 5000 mercenaries to install govt on behalf of the Venezuelans opposition in exile. He has also talked to mining companies for contracts. Today Prince has moral and strong political support among the republicans.

American’s longest war in Afghanistan has once again echoes of privatization of it in its shadow. Eric Prince the notorious founder of Blackwater has again become visible and has engaged key politician, warlords and seemingly senior Taliban forces on the ground in Afghanistan failed to do. His approach is classical colonial and direct invasion and control of Afghanistan.

The seeds of game over Afghan minerals began right when Trump’s administration was weighing its options for the Afghan war. People in the Trump administration who long enjoyed oil-money, saw Afghanistan minerals as a reason to continue the military presence in the country. While Erik Prince, made fortune from insecurity in many parts of the world argued for out-sourcing the Afghan war to his company in return for its minerals, especially its rare earth and gold. However, the contest settled in victory for those who opposed out-sourcing the war in Afghanistan.

Creating in house demand

Erik Prince did not give up and used all his contacts to reach out to important quarters in the Afghan power configuration. Among the people Erik met, was Atta Mohmmad Noor in Dubai and this meeting was facilitated by Omar Safi, the former governor of Kunduz. Prince wanted to come to Kabul as special adviser to Trump but his visa application was refused.  Shahin Mayan, a former intelligence officer in the guise of “cultural adviser” with NATO and is now the country manager for Erik’s Frontier Service Group along with Omar Safi the former governor of Kunduz province, have consulted and paid elders in the east of the country about formation of militia group with the promise of money to them and employment to their youth.

Within government Prince developed contacts with Nargis Nehan the former minister of mines and petroleum. Prince’s focal point was Ms. Bhavana, a special adviser to minister Nehan. Prince had explicitly told Nehan and other officials during his visit that he was interested in Gold, Gas and Lithium.  Later in 2018 Prince came to Kabul and received a package of information about locations of gold, lithium and gas mines in the country. Minister Nehan the then minister of mines and petroleum prepared a package of information on Gold, Gas and Lithium with the help of Seddiq Mujadiddi and Bhavana two of her close confidant and gave it to Prince. But the US embassy kept distance from Prince. Eric had to stay in continental hotel along with three other men. He stayed one night and moved to Barron Camp a resident-cum-office space for expatriate, the second night before the continental hotel was attacked. Three of his men were killed and sources from ministry of interior said that the attack was to target Prince. According to another senior source an international newspaper carried the news of the killing of Blackwater’s three men in the continental attack in 2018.

Nargis Nehan guided Prince to reach Dr. Abdullah and Atta when President Ghani opposed his plan for propitiation of war. Erik Prince according to what Nargis who confided to her close friend, has said that President Ghani should be out of office for next term because he can’t do business. Zalmay Khalilzad has been a facilitator in this game in favor Eric Prince’s plan for Afghanistan. One senior source accuses Khalilzad of bringing Taliban and Eric Prince together in Doha.

Attempt to fail Ghani

When President Ghani in 2018 outright dismissed the idea of out-sourcing the war private contractor, Prince reached to opposition to build pressure. Prince on one occasion told Nargis Nehan, Ghani does not do business and he should be out of office”. He repeated a similar statement face to face with Mehdi Hassan on an Aljazeera debate and said that, Ghani will face the same fate as did Dr. Najibullah if he did not agree to a plan.

The presidential election in Afghanistan is over and the results are out. Prince saw an opportunity in the shadow of the stretched-out dispute over the election result. Mr. Shahin Mayen got to work and meeting key political figures and officials in Pakistan. He regularly updated his Facebook status with photos and coded messages. Mr. Mayan had updated his status on Nov 19^th, 2019 with Blackwater’s logo on the top and written “We are coming for everything” underneath it. This is the time when he began his contacts with key political figures in Kabul and retired Pakistani military officers. This time Prince was discreet and put Shahin to do most of the work.

He had another status update on December 15^th, 2019   a photo with Atta Mohmmad Noor the former governor of Balkh. He had photo on Nov 10^th 2019 with Mr. Nabil the former head of NDS, on December 26^th 2019.  He had posted a photo with Amir Khan Yar a prominent Member of Parliament from East of Afghanistan on Jan 3^rd 2020. He had updated his status on Jan 14^{th 2020} with a photo at Ayob Salangi at the later’s house. Mr Salangi is former deputy minister for security in the ministry of interior. The photo shows a certain degree of comfort between the two. It is important to mention that Mr. Ayob Salangi has recently bought a house for US$ 4 million in Virginia, US.  On Jan 27^th 2020 Shahin had attended a meeting at Hamid Karzia’s place. Mr. Shahin had another photo with Mr. Atta Mohmmad Noor on Jan 27^th, 2020. He had met Mr. Daudzia the former minister of interior and recently appointed head of Independent Directorate of Local Governane, a key institution for the appointment of governors and key provincial officials,   on Feb 11^th 2020 and again on March 2^nd 2020. He met Ahmad Ali the head of provincial council of Nangarhar and son of Hazrat Ali a prominent warlord in the east.  Mr. Shahin posted a photo with Eric Prince on March 8^th 2020, with a message, “We have our own vision”. His March 12^th 2020 status shows his photo of meeting with Dr. Abdullah at later’s house. Mr Shahin’s next Facebook update shows his meeting photo with Mohammad Mohqiq a warlord and the leader of Hazara ethnic group on March 14^th with a message “I discussed the current political crisis and way out of it”. Mr. Shahin’s March 15^t photo shows his meeting with Ahmad Masood. Mr. Shaheen has updated his status on Mach 24^th 2020 with Dr. Abdullah’s photo saying” Because of Abdullah and Ghani US is making new plans”. On March 26^th, 2020, he had shared photo of his meeting with Khalid Noor the son of Atta Mohammad Noor. March 31^st 2020 he had again met Atmar at his house. April 3^rd he had met Ayob Salangi at his resident to congratulate him on his appointment as deputy Independent Directorate of Local Governance. April 5^th 2020 he had another meeting with Mr. Atmar with a message reading “The coming of Atmar (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) will have positive change in the system, have it with yourself”. April 10^th 2020 he has shared photo with a happy looking Saad Mohsini of Moby group which was contracted in 2018 to carry out a media campaign in support of privatization of war. Mr Shaihn also had a meeting photo with Gen. Raziq in Oct 2018. Mr.Shahin on April 15^th has shared a message on his facebook saying” Very positive changes n Afghanistan after Coronavirus slows down”. His massage on April 23^rd 2020 has a photo of President Ghani and it says “Liars Khan has destroyed again, may your house be destroyed, the son of the thief”. The message shows Mr. Shahin;s frustration with Ghani.  Mr.Shahin’s last post on Facebook is photo of a pistol and it says, Made by Blackwater.  One of Shahin’s recent statuses says that Prince knows how to deal with Taliban. One of his most important photo is with US secretary of defense of head of CIA Mr.Leon Panethha dated Oct 19^th 2019. Mr. Prince has close contacts with Mr. Ian Hannam. Mr. Hannam had a joint contract with Sayed Mansoor Nadiri former minister of urban development and spiritual leader of the Ismalia in Afghanistan. Mr. Hannam is also known for notoriety in Iraq oil deals. Mr. Nadiri and Mr. Hannam exploited the gold mine without sufficient authorization and later cancelled it stating that they found no gold at the site.

Mr. Prince is on mission to collect and convince if not indoctrinate, most of the warlords and strongmen in Afghanistan to drum up support for his colonial war. Most of the people that Shahin has contacted so far are deal makers and earned notoriety for murders, kidnapping, and smuggling, stealing resources meant from widows, orphans and baitul maal in Afghanistan without any repent or remorse. Prince sees Afghanistan as a fragile geographic with broken system and corrupt politician who may pawn themselves really cheap in run up to becoming the first viceroy of the 21^st century.  For him it is easy to craft political support for his narrative from among the corrupt Afghan elite, get militia and media, and he will be just one endorsement short of the Viceroy of Afghanistan.

As a keen security observer, specially the current unconventional war where terrorists can melt among civilians, strike and disappear, carry out complex suicide attacks in utter defiance to any theory of deterrence and growing number of illegal armed groups, Blackwater may have its militia group involved in attacks on government forces and civilians to worsen the situation can create demands for this plan.

Implications for the country

These developments have implications both for the country as a whole and for the current government in particular.  The future under the war out-sourced to criminal whose profit soars in insecurity looks really bleak.

The Trump administration was on a tipping point during its contemplation of the new strategy for Afghanistan. There is no doubt that they want minerals of the country and Afghanistan will benefit from the presence of US companies operating mines but they must come as genuine investors through the front door and engage with the government, seek licenses and carry out responsible mining within the framework of the contractual provisions. The Afghan government should retain the right to diversify investment; meaning that the government can award contracts to other international private companies offering better deals.

The Viceroy

Blackwater in charge of the war and Prince as its Viceroy bound by no constitutions will unleash new kind of terror. The man who created a Security Company to earn money and insecurity will bring him more money. Backwater Afghanistan company will form its local militia out of local people and pull many of the best Afghan National Armies officers and soldiers to continue the war beyond the exhaustion of the mines, into supplying its Afghan men to other jurisdiction as cheap fighter under the command of Viceroy Prince. Afghan Mineral, Afghan Opium, and Afghan fighters make a great attraction to a colonialist aspiration.  Khalilzad is the key player in the shadow of Blackwater mega plan.

View expressed in this article are of the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Pajhwok’s editorial policy.

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