Blackwater set to remain in Afghanistan despite reshuffling private security contractors
March 8th, 2011 - 5:46 pm ICT by ANIKabul, Mar 8 (ANI): Blackwater is set to remain in Afghanistan after President Hamid Karzai has been forced by the Western partners to give up his plans of shunting private security companies out of his country.
According to plans, which would be announced by the Afghan government this month, many security contractors whom Karzai had considered to be of little importance in Kabul, will be allowed to continue operating for another year, The Guardian reports.
As part of a complex new transition strategy, the government has reportedly given them time up to March 21, 2012 before the Afghan Public Protection Force takes control over security for development projects.
Western and Afghan officials have said that the draft plans drawn up by former Karzai opponent Ashraf Ghani would allow companies to keep supplying private guards and security services to development projects indefinitely, the paper said.
The Guardian has also claimed to have discovered a list of 11 companies operating in Afghanistan that have a good reputation with government officials, and will enjoy favoured status in taking over contracts.
Xe Services, formerly known as Blackwater, is reportedly included in that group despite being banned in Iraq and notorious for its activities in Afghanistan.
Seven companies, including NCL, which is owned by the son of the defence minister, however have reportedly been sent orders to disband within 90 days.
Earlier, Karzai had described the companies as “thieves by day, terrorists by night”, and asked them to leave the country by the end of 2010.
A senior western diplomat has said that Karzai has been forced by Americans to take the step as he has no other choice, adding that “if he thought in terms longer than just the next 24 hours he would not have got himself into this mess.”
According to reports, David Petraeus, the top US commander in Afghanistan, has helped to put pressure on Karzai, though the President is unhappy with parts of the new plan. (ANI)
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Tags: afghan government, david petraeus, defence minister, development projects, government officials, guardian reports, hamid karzai, kabul, march 21, ncl, opponent, president hamid karzai, private guards, private security companies, security contractors, security services, thieves, transition strategy, western diplomat, western partners