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Emran Feroz is an Afghan-Austrian journalist currently based in Stuttgart, Germany. He is regularly writing from Afghanistan, often focusing on the Middle East, Central Asia, drone warfare, refugee policies and human rights. Emran is writing in both German and English. His work has already appeared in international media outlets such as Al Jazeera, The Intercept, Alternet, The Atlantic or the New York Times and in various German and Austrian news papers and magazines.
Deconstructing Blackwater Founder Erik Prince
Recently, Mehdi Hasan interviewed Erik Prince, the founder of the world's most notorious mercenary company, Blackwater, and he grilled him.
Blackwater, once also named Xe and currently known as Academi, is involved in conflicts all round the world. Its mercenaries committed war crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Nevertheless, Prince does not want to stop his involvement in the world's conflicts. He recently advocated a privatization of the war in Afghanistan (which was harshly criticized by many, including Afghan politicians) and has strong ties with the Trump administration.
Last but not least, his company works for the Chinese government at the moment.
Hasan does not solely talk about his own interview with Prince. He also talks with his Intercept colleague Jeremy Scahill, who wrote a very detailed book about Prince and his mercenaries a few years ago. Like many others, Scahill believes that Prince needs to be prosecuted.
"Erik Prince is a guy who has operated forces that have committed war crimes. And I think it would be a step forward to get him in any way you can into the crosshairs of prosecutors."
