Image: Wikimedia Commons (Afghanistan Media Operations Center Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jacob Dillon)
Ironically, a growing number of soldiers once trained in Afghanistan to fight against the Taliban alongside U.S. forces are now teaming up with Russia to defeat Ukraine—not through Wagner Group, but simply through the Russian embassy in Iran.
Ahmad Ehsan (a pseudonym) is one of more than tens of thousands of Afghan interpreters and others who fought alongside U.S. forces and were left behind to be hunted by the Taliban after the U.S. withdrawal from the country in August 2021. With the fear of torture or death, if he’s found, Ehsan used a pseudonym and an encrypted messaging service to communicate with the author.
Prior to U.S. withdrawal from the country, he said an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 Afghan special forces fought alongside the Americans. While it’s unclear how many members of the Afghan commandos fled to Iran after the fall of Kabul, in 2022, Wagner Group was widely recognized as the leader of efforts to recruit the highly skilled soldiers to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. More recent news reports suggest the mercenary group has rebranded itself as the Africa Corps—or the Russian “Expeditionary Corps.”
That hasn’t stopped the flow of Afghan soldiers from Iran to Russia. In fact, according to Ehsan, it’s more widespread. Although they’re still prioritizing special forces soldiers, he claims that former Afghan commanders are working directly with diplomats at the Russian embassy in Iran. Having served under their command at times, these past military leaders are responsible for finding and reaching out to former Afghan soldiers within the country who were once trained by U.S. forces and NATO.
Although he’s still hiding from the Taliban in Afghanistan, Ehsan provided the form being given to former members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). Written in the Persian language, the form requests an applicant’s name, rank, duration of service, last responsibility and duty, date of entry into Iran, place of birth, district name, religion, ethnicity, national registration number, passport number, and more.
“They’re filling out these contracts and they’re being sent directly to the Russian embassy in Iran for processing,” Ehsan said, explaining, “They’ll evacuate these people to Russia, and I’m one hundred percent sure they’ll use these soldiers in the Ukraine war.” Completed forms are often collected by former Afghan commanders through WhatsApp and other private messaging services. The applications of commandos, ANSF, and other security elements are then delivered to the Russian embassy in Tehran.
Once a Partner, Now a Problem
Sources tell Ehsan that the Russian government is promising money and citizenship to the former soldiers in return, providing the largest rewards to former Afghan commandos trained by the United States.
Many of those who are accepting the offer either need the money or they are acting out of spite, according to Ehsan. “For those who once fought alongside Americans, but now feel betrayed by the U.S. government [for withdrawing from Afghanistan], they are willing to fight for Russian interests,” he explained. He confirmed, they are now enemies to the United States.
On April 24, President Joe Biden signed over $61 billion dollars as part of an aid package to assist Ukraine in their fight against Russia. The package includes air defense capabilities, artillery rounds, armored vehicles, and other weapons to shore up Ukrainian forces.
While the White House has denied it has any evidence to support the claim that Russia may be asking the Taliban to help replenish its weapons cache and more, it must not be forgotten that more than $7 billion worth of American military equipment, including aircraft, vehicles, munitions, guns, communication equipment, and other gear, was left behind in Afghanistan after U.S. withdrawal.
One can only speculate if Russia is using American military equipment in their fight against Ukraine, while evidence clearly indicates they are using an undisclosed number of former Afghan soldiers previously trained by U.S. forces in the war. Whether one or both assertions are true, the fact of the matter is U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was an abject failure. Outside of the death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, for some service members like Connor Izunya (a pseudonym), it was a waste of 20 years for those involved in America’s longest war.
Izunya spoke to The Gateway Pundit on the condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals from the U.S. government. With over 20 years of service in the Army and three deployments to Afghanistan, and while serving in the Special Forces, the Sergeant First Class helped train soldiers of the Afghan National Army (ANA) Special Operations Command. Some of these may be the same soldiers being solicited in Iran for Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Interestingly, he recalls an agreement that Afghan special operators signed to not engage U.S. Armed Forces in the combat in the future, but questions how that might unfold in Ukraine, particularly if U.S. troops were ever engaged in combat against Russia.
On the one hand, Izunya applauded the courage of the Afghan soldiers he worked with, calling it “something they’re born with.” For him, “it takes a special kind of courage to fight for something [like democracy] that doesn’t exist, knowing that you could be killed in combat for it.” He added that “it’s boundless and borderless,” and something considers “an embodiment of the warrior race.”
But on the other hand, he understands the betrayal felt by Afghan soldiers and interpreters as the U.S. withdrew all forces from the region. “Many were promised to be relocated to America, but tens of thousands were not,” he said. “Many were good people and deserved to have more opportunity, but they were lied to.”
In Izunya’s opinion, “America overpromised and underdelivered.” He’s not surprised they’re looking for opportunity in Iran or Russia. “A return to Afghanistan would result in death [at the hands of the Taliban], so why wouldn’t they use the skills they’ve learned for combat to make a living?” he asked. “Why wouldn’t they also be vindictive, considering how the U.S. used them?” The U.S. government can be blamed for any disdain they might have toward American interests, he added.
The post While America Props Up Ukraine, Former Afghan Soldiers Trained by U.S. Forces Are Coming to the Aid of Russia—And It’s Through Their Embassy in Iran appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.