Afghanistan Times
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A debate has been doing the rounds lately vis-à-vis privatizing the grilling war in Afghanistan, which dictates that a corrupt and unscrupulous foreign contractor take over the war on terrorism in our embattled country.
Founder of the controversial firm Blackwater, Erik Prince, is trying to convince President Donald Trump to privatize the Afghan war and he believes the security turmoil in Afghanistan can come to an end with a few thousand soldiers and around $3.5 billion.
We consider this idea to be as preposterous and defeatist as surrendering to the extremists. Caving to this unconventional idea is tantamount to acknowledging that our gallant forces are defeated in the battle against terror.
Intrepid armed forces of Afghanistan took over the responsibility to spearhead the fight against terrorism in 2014, when international coalition forces quit combat operation and began an advise-and-support mission. Since they took matters into their own hands, they have been incredible in the battlefield and scored countless victories against forces of terror. They have rendered immense sacrifices in this ghastly war and continue to fight for freedom.
The idea of privatizing the war contradicts the sublime tenet that Afghan people can decide their own fate. Alas, Afghan security and defense forces have the carte blanche to safeguard Afghanistan’s national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and precious lives of its nation.
This will also spoil Trump’s South Asia Strategy, behind which there is a pyramid of underpinning. The entire US administration is of the firm belief that that strategy is effectively working. However, there is a degree of schadenfreude and slight dissent to this strategy. But, this strategy has no alternate as it offers a great deal of support to Afghan forces and guarantees that they continue the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
This war is led and will continue to be led by Afghan national security and defense forces with the support of our international allies. It cannot be outsourced to a private contractor as Afghan people will never allow this struggle to be cheapened by the prospect of profits.
Under no circumstances will the Afghan government and people allow the counterterrorism fight to become a private business. As a sovereign nation, we will oppose eccentric and paradoxical ideas to denationalize the war in our territory. We will not allow our sacred values gained as result of the hard struggle to be undermined for the profit of crooked few opportunists.
