Bredesen: Privatizing Afghanistan war ‘terrible idea’
Former Gov. Phil Bredesen said Tuesday that a proposal to replace U.S. troops in Afghanistan with private military contractors is a “terrible idea.”
Calling himself a child of the Vietnam War era, Bredesen said if a war is “worth fighting for, it’s worth the government doing what it takes to ... put in their own troops.”
“I just think it’s just a terrible idea,” Bredesen said of privatizing the war in Afghanistan.
His comments come as President Donald Trump’s administration reportedly considers a proposal from Erik Prince, the founder of the private security company known as Blackwater, to use private contractors instead of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
During a Tuesday appearance on “Fox and Friends,” Prince argued that the United States needs to rethink its strategy. He noted the country has lost additional troops and spending since Trump announced in August 2017 plans to bolster America’s presence in Afghanistan.
“It is a continuous litany of death and failure,” Prince said.
When asked about the privatization idea, Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton recently said he was “always open to new ideas.”
While Bredesen was unabashedly critical of the privatization plan, his opponent in the U.S. Senate race, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, has taken a more measured approach.
When asked for a comment about the proposal, Blackburn’s campaign spokeswoman Abbi Sigler said the congressman defers to America’s military commanders in the field.
“She supports the mission in Afghanistan and the job our brave men and women are doing for our nation,” Sigler said. “She feels the best way to support them is to be certain they have the tools and equipment they need to fully carry out their mission.”
Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.