Elite Afghan commandos trained by US Navy SEALs and Army Green Berets and abandoned by the US after chaotic withdrawal are being recruited by Russia to fight in Ukraine, three former Afghan generals say
It's unclear how many Afghan special forces members have signed up for Ukraine fight, but one told the AP he is communicating with about 400 other commandos who are considering offers.
"They don't want to go fight — but they have no choice," said one of the generals, Abdul Raof Arghandiwal, adding that the dozen or so commandos in Iran with whom he has texted fear deportation most. "They ask me, 'Give me a solution. What should we do? If we go back to Afghanistan, the Taliban will kill us.'"
A GOP congressional report in August specifically warned of the danger that the Afghan commandos — trained by US Navy SEALs and Army Green Berets — could end up giving up information about US tactics to the Daesh terror group, Iran or Russia — or fight for them. Russia's Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for Yevgeny Prigozhin, who recently acknowledged being the founder of the Wagner Group, dismissed the idea of an ongoing effort to recruit former Afghan soldiers as "crazy nonsense."
The commando said his offer included Russian visas for himself as well as his three children and wife who are still in Afghanistan. Others have been offered extensions of their visas in Iran. He said he is waiting to see what others in the WhatsApp groups decide but thinks many will take the deal.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Russia recruiting U.S.-trained Afghan commandos, vets sayAfghan special forces soldiers who fought alongside American troops and then fled to Iran after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal last year are now being recruited by the Russian military to fight in Ukraine, three former Afghan generals told The Associated Press. “They don’t want to go fight — but they have no choice,” said one of the generals, Abdul Raof Arghandiwal, adding that the dozen or so commandos in Iran with whom he has texted fear deportation most.
Read more »
Russia recruiting U.S.-trained Afghan commandos, vets sayAfghan special forces soldiers who fought alongside American troops and then fled to Iran after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal last year are now being recruited by the Russian military to fight in Ukraine, three former Afghan generals told The Associated Press.
Read more »