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Blackwater founder Erik Prince testifies before Congress in 2007.

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On Monday, the New York Times reported that the Trump administration has called upon two prominent figures in private military contracting to come up with alternatives to sending more troops to Afghanistan, as the Pentagon has planned to do. From the Times:

The move follows last months news that the Pentagon is planning to send as many as 4,000 additional troops to Afghanistan. The Times report notes that Prince wrote a May op-ed in the Wall Street Journal calling for private military contractors to take on the functions of American troops. That kind of strategy could be a windfall for companies like Feinbergs DynCorp, which the Times says has received $2.5 billion from the State Department for its work in Afghanistan already. The Times also says that Feinberg would like to see the CIA lead the American effort in Afghanistan with "paramilitary units" carrying out operations on the ground. "The strategy has been called 'the Laos option,' after Americas shadowy involvement in Laos during the war in neighboring Vietnam," the Times' Mark Landler, Eric Schmitt, and Michael R. Gordon write. "C.I.A. contractors trained Laotian soldiers to fight Communist insurgents and their North Vietnamese allies until 1975, leaving the country under Communist control and with a deadly legacy of unexploded bombs."

This is not the first mention of Feinberg and Princes role in Trumps circle. Early in the administration, it was reported that Feinberg had been asked by Trump to conduct a review of Americas intelligence community. And in April, it was reported that Prince had been involved in an effort by the United Arab Emirates to set up back-channel communications between the Russian government and Trump just before the inauguration. Prince is the brother of Trump's education secretary, Betsy DeVos. He is perhaps most famous, though, for a 2007 incident in which Blackwater contractors in Iraq killed 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad's Nisour Square while he was heading the company.

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Steve Bannon Wants Private Contractors to Set Strategy in Afghanistan - Slate Magazine (blog)

Afghanistans first-ever visit to Lords ended in a disappointment after rain forced an abandonment against a star-studded MCC side.

The day started in overcast conditions and saw the tourists dominate the early proceedings with Shapoor Zadran taking the prize wickets of Brendon McCullum (5) and Misbah ul-Haq (7).

However, opener Sam Hain and ex-West Indies batsman Shiv Chanderpaul passed 50 as a partnership to push the hosts past 100.

A rain delay restricted the match to 40 overs and after Chanderpaul retired not out on 22, Hain stepped up the momentum in reaching his 50 off 66 balls.

The Warwickshire batsman eventually dismissed for 76 after he was caught by Javed Ahmadi off the bowling of Gulbadin Naib.

Shapoor then claimed his third wicket of the match with Chris Read removed for just five as Afghanistan started to take control with MCC 180/4.

However, Nottinghamshire all-rounder Samit Patel continued where Hain left-off, reaching his half-century from 42 balls before departing for 53 when he was caught by Dawlat Zadran from a Rashid Khan delivery.

With MCC passing 200, Gulbadin dismissed Yasir Shah for 10, but an impressive unbeaten cameo of 15 by Ireland spinner George Dockrell ensured the star-studded side concluded their 40 overs on 217/6.

In response, Afghanistan lost an early wicket when Noor Ali was bowled by Durham seamer Chris Rushworth after 2.5 overs.

Javed Ahmadi started to lead the Tourists charge with two fours before rain intervened, leaving Afghanistan on 32/1 from five overs which sadly concluded on a colourful and historic day of cricket.

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MCC v Afghanistan - Match Report - Lord's

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN

The United States has stressed that a "fair and transparent" probe into allegations of rape and assault against Afghanistan's controversial first vice president and "possible follow-up legal actions" are key to upholding the rule of law and combating impunity in the country.

First Vice President Abdul Rashid Dostum, an ethnic Uzbek warlord, and some of his militia guards have been under investigation for months over allegations of sexually assaulting an elderly political rival.

But in late May, Dostum, 63, flew to Turkey, saying he needed health care. He remains in Turkey, and his departure has prompted allegations he struck a secret deal with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to escape prosecution.

Hugo Llorens, the acting U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, said Tuesday in Kabul that the charges against Dostum were "extremely serious" and warranted close review by Afghan judicial authorities.

Former governor accuses

"Afghans have the right to demand that human rights be respected, the rule of law be upheld and those who violate the public trust are held accountable regardless of position or influence," Llorens said to a group of journalists.

Late last year, Ahmad Ishchi, a former provincial governor, said in a nationally televised interview that Dostum's militia forces had detained and sexually assaulted him. Ishchi said Dostum had ordered the detention and abuse.

The warlord rejected the accusations as politically motivated, and he refused to cooperate with investigators. But the incident outraged critics at home and abroad, putting Ghani under pressure to bring Dostum to justice.

The U.S. envoy said that like other Afghan citizens, the first vice president deserved due process and the presumption of innocence. He emphasized that the legal process underscored the Afghan state's efforts to uphold the rule of law, combat impunity and send a signal to the world that no one is above the law in Afghanistan.

"Any efforts to politicize the case or use it to sow ethnic tensions are harmful to the rule of law, peace and stability in Afghanistan. I believe the Afghan authorities must pursue justice and not succumb to any political pressures," Llorens said.

Three-party alliance

The American diplomat apparently was referring to a new alliance of three mainstream Afghan ethnic minority political parties. The political group comprises Jamiat-e-Islami, Hizb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami and Dostum's Junbish-e-Milli party.

The alliance was announced from Turkey this month, and it presented a list of demands for reforms by Ghani.

Some of Dostum's critics say he is behind the political move to pressure the beleaguered Afghan unity government to seek a favorable outcome from the investigation into the Ishchi allegations.

Leaders of the other two parties in the alliance also hold senior positions in the government.

Hours before the U.S. ambassador spoke, Ghani told reporters in Kabul that his government was "totally neutral" in the judicial proceedings involving Dostum.

He said the first vice president left the country with the permission of the Afghan attorney general because the laws do not bar someone suspected of wrongdoing from seeking medical treatment abroad "if he is ill, and he [Dostum] had a serious illness."

Originally posted here:
US: Fair Probe Into Afghanistan's Dostum Key to Upholding Rule of Law - Voice of America

Wall Street Journal (subscription)

Pakistan and Afghanistan Look to Coordinate on Counterterrorism Wall Street Journal (subscription) Kabul and Islamabad have agreed to work on a mechanism to jointly combat insurgents along their shared border, cooperating more closely than they have in years as the U.S. prepares to ramp up its troop numbers in Afghanistan, according to Pakistani and ...

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Pakistan and Afghanistan Look to Coordinate on Counterterrorism - Wall Street Journal (subscription)

After noteworthy debuts of Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi in the recently-concluded season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Afghanistan showed itself as a serious team with players of high potential. Their recent performances speak for themselves and reveal that the gap between them and the existing top ten teams isnt as colossal as it used to be. The cricket there is on the rise, and they have another star to thank for a noteworthy achievement by a batsman and create a new buzz.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Shafiqullah Shafaq has played 35 T20Is and 20 ODIs for Afghanistan. Reuters

Shafiqullah Shafaq, a wicketkeeper-batsman, butchered the opposition attack in a domestic T20 match to score 214 runs of just 71 balls, according to a report on NDTV Sports. The noteworthy innings took place in the Paragon Nangarhar Champions Trophy, a local tournament, with 27-year-old Shafaq recording a mind-boggling strike rate of 304, having smashed 21 sixes and 16 boundaries.

His heroic achievements, with teammate Waheedullah Shafaq helping him out with a 31-ball 81, enabled his team Khateez Cricket Academy to post a mammoth total of 351 in 20 overs against Kabul Start Cricket Club. They went on to script a comfortable win, defeating the opposition by 244 runs.

Shafaq has made a total of 35 T20I and 20 ODIappearances for his national side, making his T20I debut for Afghanistan against Ireland in 2010. A regular member of the team, he was part ofAfghanistan's campaigns in the last three editions of the ICC WorldT20 (2012, 2014, 2016).

Be it a brilliant bowling effort or miraculous batting one, Afghanistan cricket is making the right strides in capturing the imagination of the world cricket, and maybe, just maybe, these are the sign of changing times.

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Afghanistan's Shafiqullah Shafaq cracks 71-ball double-century in domestic T20 game - Firstpost