Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
PRIVATE SECURITY CONTRACTOR, and ally of former US President Donald Trump, Erik Prince violated a United Nations arms embargo on Libya, UN investigators have found in a report detailed by US media.
The confidential report to the Security Council, obtained by the New York Times and the Washington Post, said that Prince deployed a force of foreign mercenaries and weapons to strongman Khalifa Haftar, who has fought to overthrow the UN-backed Libyan government, in 2019.
The $80 million operation included plans to form a hit squad to track and kill Libyan commanders opposed to Haftar — including some who were also European Union citizens, the New York Times said.
Prince, a former Navy SEAL and the brother of Trump’s education secretary Betsy Devos, drew infamy as the head of the Blackwater private security firm, whose contractors were accused of killing unarmed Iraqi civilians in Baghdad in 2007.
Four who were convicted were pardoned by Trump last year.
The accusation exposes Prince to possible UN sanctions, including a travel ban, the Times said.
Prince did not cooperate with the UN inquiry and his lawyer declined to comment to the New York Times, it added.
An AFP request for comment to the Hong Kong-based Frontier Services Group, for which Prince is a board member and deputy chairman, went unanswered.
Oil-rich Libya has been torn by civil war since a NATO-backed uprising led to the toppling and killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.
The country has in recent years been split between a Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, and an eastern-based administration, backed by Haftar, who has faced charges of war crimes.
Then-President Trump in 2019 praised the strongman for his role in “fighting terrorism” in Libya.
A new interim executive for the country was chosen on 5 February by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in Switzerland, comprising 75 participants selected by the UN to represent a broad cross-section of society.
Haftar has pledged his support for the initiative.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Cuomo nursing homes, Biden’a hall comments on China’s handling of Uigher, no? Just Trump & Cruz.
@John Egan: both of which are reported in the news by the same news agency’s that reported on trump.
Listened to podcast about cuomo this morning before work, very detailed. Very interesting. Same podcast reported on trump and his failures as well.
I think you are paranoid
@Barry Somers: thanks Barry, I was more specifically pointing out to the lack of (zero) articles by the journal. Only because they seem to be fixated on reporting about the US. I’ve listened and read a lot of reports about Cuomo as well, interesting is not the word I’d use to describe it. I’m paranoid, that’s fine if you think that. My opinion is you’re leftist biased.
@John Egan: The journal knows its demographic. You aren’t paranoid.
@John Egan: good vs evil. Cruz and Trump are despicable people.
@Gareth Murran: your interpretation of good is very strange.
@Gareth Murran: care to explain in what way they are despicable or have you just formed your opinion based on leftist propaganda?
@Asid: I’ve formed the same opinion based on years of watching them squirm, slither, U-turn and abuse their way to their present positions. America deserves nothing better than these two. Trump 2024 ! Let the comedy continue.
@Gareth Murran: so when Biden refused to condemn Chinese abuse. The mass rape and force sterilisation of the uighur Muslim women, saying it was their cultural norms, was that the good or the bad? Or when he said Hispanic and black people, rural or inner city, did not know how to get online and book an appointment for a vaccine, was that the good or the bad?
@Asid: another knuckledragger.
Yes and Obama facilitated the whole dreadful Arab spring. Give the Trump derailment syndrome a rest folks…
@Raymond Scott: why? The man deserves everything thrown right back at him.
@Raymond Scott: Just want to point out that the Arab Spring in Tunisia was a success, they overthrew dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali after 1 month of protests, held elections on 23 October 2011 and today they have a peaceful country that is not ruled by Islamists.
The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, that negotiated a peaceful transition to democracy, was awarded the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize.
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2015/tndq/history/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Tunisian_parliamentary_election
@David Jordan: would you holiday in Tunisia?
I know I wouldn’t, not after some religious not sprayed European holiday makers with an AK47 on a beach in 2015
@David Jordan: and Syria? Any facts on that David? Come on man, try be complete in analysis for once.
@Paul Furey: He doesn’t and history will show that..
@Asid: that’s ridiculous
Anything about the clintons and their allies??? No mention of Jeffreys island of torture.
@Mairtin Antaine O Conaill: you’d have to mention trump in the same article.
He is after all a man that constantly has made comments about how attractive his own daughter is in the most creepy mest up ways
@Barry Somers: yeah type Biden sniffing girls hair into YouTube. That’s creepy.
So this article has nothing to do with Trump? You journalists really are desperate to grab headlines
@Gerald Broflovski: Noting to do with Trump?
Trump rang General Khalifa Haftar (nicknamed Mr Hifter) on Monday 15 April 2019, the day after Erick Prince met General Haftar in Cairo (“10 days after the start of the campaign to seize Tripoli” – New York Times / UN report).
Trump spoke to General Haftar about “counter terrorism operations”.
“White House says Trump spoke to Libyan commander Haftar on Monday” -
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-trump/white-house-says-trump-spoke-to-libyan-commander-haftar-on-monday-idUSKCN1RV0WW
Trump’s call to General Khalifa was not publicised until 4 days later, on Friday April 19, an unusual delay.
“It was unclear why the White House waited several days to announce the phone call.”
Arms were sent to General Haftar after the Trump phone call / Cairo meeting, funneled via Blackwater, a company owned Erik Prince, the bother of Trump’s Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
Also, I noticed that the Pentagon was not given prior notice of Trump’s phone call. This too is odd.
Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan was caugh off guard (James Mattis resigned in Dec 2018). He had to hurriedly explain that the Pentagon were were still on the same page with the White House.
“The White House said on Friday [April 19th] that President Donald Trump spoke by phone earlier in the week [Monday April 15th] and discussed “ongoing counterterrorism efforts” with Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, leader of a military assault on the capital Tripoli in opposition to the internationally recognized government.”
“A White House statement said that in the phone call on Monday, Trump “recognized Field Marshal Haftar’s significant role in fighting terrorism and securing Libya’s oil resources, and the two discussed a shared vision for Libya’s transition to a stable, democratic political system”.
Nice Trump remembered the oil resources.
So we have:
April 4 – Start of Haftar’s Military Offensive to take Tripoli
April 14 – Erik Prince meets General Haftar in Cairo
April 15 – Trump calls General Haftar, who’s probably still in Cairo.
How did he get Haftar’s phone number, could it really be this simple?
“Hey Betsy, could ask your brother for Mr Hifter mobile, he’s a great guy, I’d love to give him a call.” – Trump
Haftar’s forces got close to taking the city but were beaten in 2020, not long after Turkey lent its support to the UN recognised government (the Government of National Accord).
See “Turkish Casualties, Air Defense Systems Destroyed in Haftar Airstrike on Al-Watiya Airbase”
After Haftar’s humiliating defeat, he meet his Russian Allies in Moscow in Jan 2020. Putin negotiated a ceasefire (without Haftar signing the deal). Haftar’s forces tried to continue to fight for a while longer but he eventually accepted his defeat during the summer of 2020, after his allies removed their support. Former Haftar supporter, Egypt, is about to open an embassy in Tripoli.
And don’t forget that Trump pardoned 4 Blackwater Mercenaries last December. They killed 17 Iraqi civilians in the Nisour Square massacre. Why? Someone paid Trump a favour, that was Erik Prince.
Ahh blackwater …is this the most dreadful company ever….
Also I love this “political dialogue ”. In Switzerland of all places..
Is there agenda money perhaps…..all of this sounds beyond rott
@David cotter: I know, it would be more suitable to host it in Doha
A Trump ally! Wow, I guess that’s the story right there. There is no cure for Trump Derangement Syndrome. We need a TDS vaccine
@Ulick Magee: Trump rang General Khalifa Haftar (nicknamed Mr Hifter) on Monday 15 April 2019, the day after Erick Prince met General Haftar in Cairo (“10 days after the start of the campaign to seize Tripoli” – New York Times / UN report). It’s obvious the call and meeting are connected, that Trump approved funneling arms/support to Haftar via B Blackwater.
“White House says Trump spoke to Libyan commander Haftar on Monday” -
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-trump/white-house-says-trump-spoke-to-libyan-commander-haftar-on-monday-idUSKCN1RV0WW
On Friday April 19, Trump announced a policy shift in Libya.
“President Trump on Friday abruptly reversed American policy toward Libya, issuing a statement publicly endorsing an aspiring strongman in his battle to depose the United Nations-backed government.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/19/world/middleeast/trump-libya-khalifa-hifter.html
Also, in December Trump pardoned 4 Blackwater Mercenaries. They killed 17 Iraqi civilians in the Nisour Square massacre. Why? Someone paid Trump a favour, that was Erik Prince.
Is there an algorithm available that searches for when trump is mentioned, actually looking at the comments here there must be cos the trump supporters club are clearly on the case
@flexfinn: probably the same algorithm as Trump haters
@flexfinn: dissenting voices bother you?
Erik Prince has been let away with too much for too long now. It’s about time his chickens came home to roost.
Trump is, was totally divorced from the real world. Should be unceremoniously dumped into one of the world conflicts that he is responsble for ( directly or indirectly) to understand, though one has to consider if the thick git would even get it then…total self centered p!$$head
@PF: lol. Okay.
@PF: The first President in generations who did not involve the U.S. in a war. Thank you President Trump.
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-first-president-since-jimmy-carter-not-enter-us-troops-new-conflict-1549037
Rent free…
Wanna have hot-lovin’ conversations? You’re on the right way! Registration is completely free and takes 5 minutes, Ladies are already waiting for you)
copy link –> u.to/JGFnGg
have your say