Afghanistan Approach
As the Trump administration debates its Afghanistan War approach, Blackwater founder and former Navy SEAL Erik Prince is recommending, that the U.S. military goes back to its light footprint concept.
Prince stated that this approach was used during the first 12 months following the September 2001 attack was the most effective. This was a culmination of CIA, special operators and contractors working with Afghan forces with tactical air support.
In other words, why not go back to something that was in the works that was successful. Prince was referring to a model that for a couple of hundred years. The East India company hired western professional soldiers to train, live and if necessary fought with their local counterparts.
A couple of reasons why the light concept works is that:
First, “[It] literally puts them side by side, living in the same base. – if you’re a trainer, and your life depends on the success of the unit, you are going to make sure the men are paid, fed and equipped.”
Second, economically, its a cheaper and more sustainable – which is about 10 percent of the current costs. ($45 billion)
Prince continues to argue that today’s approach is ineffective.
Since combat missions were declared over back in 2014, the Talibans have made a comeback and now in control of a third of the country.
ISIS also established a minute presences on the ground.
At the ground level for the U.S. and Afghan counterparts ground pounder, they don’t train together and are stationed at separate locations. So when it comes time to do a mission the basics of soldiering are missing to make them successful. When SHTF, Murphy’s law hits them hard which complicates matters such as fire support, resupply and delayed medical evac.
So at the very high level the approach should be “a focus on the counter-terrorism mission versus nation building, with special operators training the Afghan forces.”
An alternative approach under examination is getting an additional 3,000 U.S. troops and hitting the Talibans strategic strong hold which would force them back to the negotiating table.
The U.S. State Departments should encourage the Afghans to pass their mining law so that the Afghan can sustain their economy. The Talibans are raking in the money from opium, hashish, gold, lapis, marble and pistachios. Talibans use this resource to fund their insurgency campaigns.
Since the dismantling of the coalition forces, Afghanistan now houses 20 different terrorists organizations.
Sources: Breibart, Sound Cloud, Kristina Wong, Erik Prince, Blackwater USA
Photo: Business Insider
