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"There's a lot of people that say just pull out of Afghanistan. I disagree with that because I think the Taliban or ISIS would raise their battle flag over the US Embassy in six months or a year," Prince said in an interview that aired on CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront" on Monday night. "That's bad. But continuing the same -- I would say insanity -- that we've been doing for the last 16 years, that has to change."

Instead, the former Navy SEAL and founder of the controversial defense contracting firm, now named Academi, has proposed implementing a US viceroy in Afghanistan and increasing the number of government contractors on the ground.

"They'd be military employees of the Afghan government," Prince explained. "Imagine them as a skeletal structure that provides leadership, intelligence, medical, communications and logistics support to all those Afghan battalions so it works reliably."

Prince said some in the White House, including one of President Donald Trump's top advisers, Steve Bannon, and members of the National Security Council, are open to the strategy -- along with others in Congress.

Bannon reached out to Prince after the WSJ op-ed published, expressing interest in alternative strategies for Afghanistan, Prince said.

However, White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster is opposed to the idea, Prince said.

"I would say Gen. McMaster does not like this idea because he is a three-star conventional Army general, and he is wedded to that idea that the US Army is going to solve this," he said.

But Prince was adamant that the contractor forces would not be mercenaries, or fighters trying to profit off the war.

"They are not mercenaries. They would be attached as long-term trainer-advisers," Prince said.

Prince also has a personal tie to the Trump administration; his sister is Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

CNN's Eli Watkins contributed to this report.

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Blackwater founder questions US Afghanistan strategy - CNN

Afghan war veteran Jody Mitic with his wife Alannah Gilmore and daughters Aylah in back and Kierah in front. ( Supplied photo )

By Jody Mitic

Wed., Aug. 9, 2017

I was honoured when I was asked to be an ambassador for the Invictus Games Toronto 2017. What that meant, I had no idea but I was certain that it was something I wanted to be part of. I would do my best to help in any way I could.

But when I was asked to go to Kabul and participate in todays ceremonial lighting of the Invictus Spirit flame, I couldnt believe it.

Ever since the day, 10 years ago, when I stepped on a Taliban landmine and lost both of my feet, I have been trying to get back to Afghanistan.

I tried when I was still in uniform, only to have problems with my health, as well as policy issues, prevent me from returning. I thought about applying to several NGOs inside Afghanistan. Nothing worked. Disappointed again and again, I eventually resigned myself to the fact that it was never going to happen. I would never return to Afghanistan.

That all changed when my phone rang one day and my friend, Michael Burns, the CEO of Invictus Games Toronto 2017, asked me if I would represent our Canadian veterans at the lighting of the Invictus Spirit flame in Kabul.

He wasnt even finished talking before I said yes four times in a row, in fact, getting louder each time. Michael knows Im a busy guy; with young kids, a demanding full-time job as an Ottawa city councillor, a new book project with Simon & Schuster coming out soon and some very challenging health and mobility issues since the new year. Michael wanted to be 100 per cent sure I knew what I was saying yes to.

I was sure. Or at least I thought I was.

What I did not predict, or even suspect would result from this project, were the highs and lows, the overwhelming emotions I would go through, just filling out the paperwork and packing a bag for the trip. I almost didnt make it. In fact, when applying for my visa, I sat in my car outside the Afghan Embassy for a day, completely paralyzed with what I can only call a fear of the unknown, returning to a place that had changed my life so dramatically.

But how could I turn down this opportunity? To be a part of an initiative that would retrace the journey home of many Canadian injured soldiers; one that would shine a light on the long road from injury to recovery that many have endured. With the support of my family and friends, in whom I confided my feelings, I woke up early the next day and took a deep breath. I became determined to complete my mission.

With my Visa in hand and my kit packed, I reflected on what the Invictus Games stand for. To me, it is a unification of efforts by Canada and our allies in the global war on terrorism to fulfil the obligation to the soldiers who have been forever changed, both physically and mentally, by the battles we are committed to in this fight for freedom and liberty.

Prince Harry, a fellow Afghan veteran, initiated the Invictus Games as a way to give motivation to the troops he personally fought alongside in combat. His sense of personal duty, honour and commitment to the welfare of his fellow veterans and their families is something that doesnt need to be explained to any of us who fall within the definition of veteran.

We all feel it. Deeply and truly. When we gather together and do the buddy check on each other. Sending out the subtle but very serious inquiries about how each other is doing. Or the comforting look and small nod you receive from a brother or sister who knows how you feel and doesnt need to talk about it (unless you want to). Just being there for each other is usually enough, but we are all ready to do more should the time ever come when our help is needed.

The Invictus Games gather hundreds of injured veterans from 17 nations not simply to compete with each other but to meet and support each other. The network we all belong to will grow again with each ally we meet, and hug, and trade tales of soldiering with. Dont get it twisted, the troops will be out to win at all costs, but the spirit of the games is the common bond we all share in each others future.

Todays lighting of the Invictus Spirit flame is the start of a journey in Kabul. For me and many of my comrades it is actually the completion of one.

Jody Mitic is a 20 year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, Invictus Games Toronto 2017 ambassador and currently serves as Ottawa City Councillor for the Innes Ward.

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Looking back to move forward: My return to Afghanistan - Toronto Star

WASHINGTON The U.S. is sending up to 100 additional Marines to Afghanistan to bulk up its advising force in Helmand province, the Pentagon confirmed Tuesday.

The deployment, first reported by NBC News, will be filled by Marines who are already deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of operations, said Maj. Josh Jacques, a CENTCOM spokesman.

It will be increased capability for the commander on the ground, Jacques said.

A spokesman for Resolute Support, NATOs advise, train and assist mission in Afghanistan also confirmed the move, saying the forces would be deployed for a short period of time to assist Marines already there in Task Force Southwest advising Afghan forces as they fight the Taliban, the spokesman said.

U.S. advisers are typically attached to Afghan fighting units to assist with ground strategy and airstrike coordination.

Jacques added that the move was a tactical adjustment and not tied to the anticipated new strategy for Afghanistan, known as the South Asia plan. President Donald Trump delegated the authority to make tactical troop increases to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in June.

The Pentagon would not provide specifics on the number of additional forces being allocated or whether they were in country, but did indicate the total number was several dozen, to total no more than 100.

There are approximately 8,400 U.S. forces in Afghanistan conducting counter-terrorism missions against the Islamic State group and other terror organizations. In addition, U.S. forces support NATOs train, advise and assist mission to help Afghan forces fight the Taliban.

More here:
US sending up to 100 more Marines to Afghanistan - NavyTimes.com

The Taliban released 235 hostages from a remote village in northern Afghanistan where it allegedly massacred as many as 50 mostly Shi'ite civilians in a rare joint assault with Islamic State insurgents, officials said on August 8.

"This evening, 235 people, including women and children, were released from Mirza Olang as a result of mediation by the local elders and provincial officials," Zabihullah Amani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, told AFP.

"They have been safely evacuated to Sar-e Pul city, but there are still an unknown number of people being kept hostage there," he said.

An Afghan security source told AFP there were still around 100 people being held hostage in Mirza Olang, situated in the Sayad district of Sar-e Pul province, after insurgents captured it over the weekend.

Taliban and IS fighters working together in a rare joint operation killed around 50 men, women, and children in the mainly Shi'ite village on August 5 after overrunning a government-backed militia in a two-day battle, according to local officials, who also said they took about 150 families captive.

The Taliban denies it was a joint operation, saying a group under one of its commanders carried out the attack. However, local villagers reported seeing fighters carrying both the white banner of the Taliban and the black banner of the Islamic State extremist group.

The Taliban has for years fought to install strict Islamic law and drive foreign forces out of Afghanistan, and it fiercely opposed IS's local affiliate when its first appeared in Afghanistan in 2015.

Any sign the two groups are now joining forces would alarm Western governments concerned about Afghanistan once again becoming a base for militant groups aiming to strike foreign targets.

The Al-Qaeda militant group worked with the Taliban and made Afghanistan its home base before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. IS started out as an offshoot of Al-Qaeda's Iraqi affiliate before the two extremist groups became rivals.

The slaughter of civilians, most of them Shi'ites, has been a trademark of IS and its extremist brand of Sunni Islam. The majority of those killed in Mirza Olang were shot or beheaded, Amani told AFP.

Afghan defense ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri told AFP that 34 civilians were known to have been killed.

The discrepancy in the number of casualties highlights the difficulty of verifying information from poor, mountainous areas of Afghanistan made inaccessible by fighting and poor communications.

"Despite the efforts of elders, the bodies of the victims have not been recovered," Zaher Wahdat, the provincial governor, told Tolo News, an Afghan television channel.

"Two hundred and thirty-five hostages have been released. They are so shocked they can't even speak to tell us about anymore other hostages," he said.

Amani, the provincial spokesman, said that dozens of Taliban and IS group fighters, under the command of a local Taliban commander who he claimed pledged allegiance to IS, launched a coordinated attack on the area on August 3.

Some 330 families escaped the area after warnings from the Taliban but most of the civilians killed in the incident died while trying to leave, Reuters reported.

The insurgents defeated the Afghan Local Police after a 48-hour battle before massacring civilians, Amani said.

The Taliban confirmed capturing Mirza Olang but said it did so alone. It also denied allegations the insurgents killed civilians.

Taliban and IS fighters have regularly clashed in Afghanistan over the past two years, but security sources say they have teamed up in the past to strike Afghan forces in certain areas.

The release of hostages came after Afghan special forces amassed and launched an operation to retake the village.

"Commando forces have been deployed to the area, air strikes are being carried out as we speak, and commanders on the ground are busy planning the recapture of the valley," said Waziri, the defense spokesman, promising that "the terrorists will pay for their crimes."

Sediq Sediqi, a spokesman for the Afghan government, told AFP it was difficult to know how many civilians were killed or captured, but said "President Ashraf Ghani has instructed everyone to do everything to safeguard those people."

Ghani, whose government has recently been besieged by protests from Afghan civilians angry that the government is not protecting them from terrorist attacks, has vowed "revenge" for the attack.

Continued here:
235 Hostages Freed After Rare Joint IS-Taliban Attack In Afghanistan - RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty

President Trump is reportedly worried we're losing the Afghanistan war. But tensions in the White House have made it hard to settle on a war strategy. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

Afghan security official stands guard on a road side check point in Herat, Afghanistan, on Aug. 3, 2017. 2017. Security has been intensified after a deadly bombing of a Shi'ite Muslims Mosque by the Islamic State militants.(Photo: Jalil Rezayee, EPA)

The White House is actively considering abold plan to turn over a big chunkof the U.S. war in Afghanistan toprivate contractors in an effort to turn the tide in a stalemated war, according to theformer head of a security firm pushingthe project.

Under the proposal,5,500 private contractors, primarily former Special Operations troops, would advise Afghan combat forces. The plan also includesa 90-plane private air force that would provide air support in the nearly 16-year-old war against Taliban insurgents, Erik Prince, founderof the Blackwater security firm, told USA TODAY.

The unprecedented proposal comes as the U.S.-backed Afghan militaryfaces a stalemate in the war and growing frustration by President Trump about the lack of progress in the war.

The U.S. military has 8,400 U.S. troops there to train and guide local forces.They do not have a direct combat role, and presumably would be replaced gradually by the contractors.

Erik Prince is a former Navy SEAL officer and founder of Blackwater USA. He is chairman of the Frontier Services Group, a logistics company focused on Africa and South Asia.(Photo: Oxford Union, REX, Shutterstock, via AP)

The plan remains under seriousconsideration within the White House despite misgivings byTrump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, an Army three-stargeneral, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Other White House officials, such as chief strategist Stephen Bannon, appear open to using private contractors.

At what point do you say a conventional military approach in Afghanistan is not working, said Prince, a former Navy SEAL. Maybe we say that at 16 years.

Blackwater, founded 1997, worked extensively in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Prince sold the company in 2010.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

Prince said the plan will cost less than $10 billion a year, significantly lower than the more than $40billion the Pentagon has budgeted this year.

The prospectof accomplishing more with less money could appeal to a careerbusinessman like Trump.

Prince, who has met frequently with administration officials to discuss his plan, is the brother of Trump's education secretary, Betsy Devos.

Under his proposal, private advisers would work directly with Afghanistan combat battalions throughout the country, and the air force would be used for medical evacuation, fire support and ferrying troops.

Prince said the contractorswould be adjuncts of the Afghan military and would wear thatnations military uniforms. Pilots would only drop ordnance with Afghan government approval, he said.

Currently, troops from a U.S.-led coalitionare stationed primarily at top level headquarters and are not embedded with conventional combat units in the field. Under the plan the contractors would be embedded with Afghanistan's more than 90 combat battalions throughout the country.

Opinion: Erik Prince says restructure the war in Afghanistan

More: Trump stalls decision over troop increase in Afghanistan amid war strategy debate

The coalition sharply curtailed air support it provides Afghanistan forces by 2014, when government forces tookover most war-fighting responsibilities, leaving major gaps in the Afghan military's ability to provide air support.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson acknowledged this week that the White House is looking for a new strategy to bring America's longest war to an end.

To just say were going to keep doing what weve been doing, the president is not willing to accept that, and so he is asking some tough questions, Tillerson said Monday in Manila during an Asia trip.

U.S. troops invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 to oust agovernment run by Taliban extremists whoprovidedsafe haven to al-Qaeda terrorists responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. John Nicholson, has recommended that several thousand more troops be deployed to Afghanistan, primarily to bolster the advisory mission and help turn the tide against the Taliban.

Mattis has indicated he doesnt want to make a decision on troop levels until an overall strategy has been approved. But the way forward is still under debate at the White House.

The president doesnt own the Afghan effort yet, Prince said of a war that frustrated Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Hes about to (with) whatever decision he makes next.

Prince rejects criticism that he and others would profit from it. He saidit would represent a cost savings for American taxpayers. The idea of innovation and risk taking is certainly part of America, he said.

Blackwater hasattracted controversy under Prince's leadership. In 2007, four Blackwater security personnelwere accused of killing 14 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad. Last week an appeals court overturned a murder conviction for one of the guards and ordered the other three to be re-sentenced.

Blackwater was renamed Xe Services two years after the incident thatsparked international outrage. The privately owned company is now Academi.

Tens of thousands of contractorswere used in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.Blackwaterwas hired to protect American diplomats in Iraq, whileother contractors were used in support functions, such as providing food and supplies to U.S. troops. The U.S. military rarely deploys anywhere now without a contingent of contractors.

A close parallel to Prince's proposal in U.S. history may be the Flying Tigers, a group formedbefore the United States entered World War II. The Flying Tigers were formed covertly from the ranks of U.S. military pilots, whoresigned from the service and were hired by a private contractor and sent to China to defend against Japanese aggression.

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Trump White House weighs unprecedented plan to privatize much of the war in Afghanistan - USA TODAY