Coming into Afghanistan from the Pakistan Tribal Areas…it’s basically an open border with intermittent legitimate border crossing points. If you want to come in undetected, then it’s very easy to do so…either way. 2007.
This morning USA Eastern time I read online a BBC story saying that UK Special Forces were stopping the paperwork of Afghan Special Forces individuals from going through to be processed for settlement into the UK.
The story alluded that there may be an internal SAS reason by some for doing this.
However, I did blog some time ago what I think should happen to Afghan soldiers: https://bobshepherdauthor.com/2022/02/15/why-the-west-shouldnt-give-a-grain-of-rice-to-afghanistan/
I left the SAS way back in 1994 after spending almost 20 years in the Regiment and 3 years in a unit before that. In that time, we trained numerous foreign militaries around the world, and training often meant going on operations alongside them. A great way of seeing if the training is paying off. Back then, the SAS was a small unit, quite often wee needed the foreign trained lads to make up the numbers for our own operations. Or we would even send advisers onto the ground with the local Special Forces unit. Mix and match for whatever worked at that time.
The longer we worked together, the more we would bond with one another…it’s human nature. However, we must never allow our bonding to reach the point of thinking that these lads and their families ever have the right to settle in our country.
In my view today, after spending 6 years working mainly with the media in Afghanistan, and watching the rushed and often inept training of these basic soldiers through to the better training of the SF types, and all for political expediency at the end of the day…my view hasn’t changed from day 1.
The sole reason for paying for these troops in blood and treasure was so that they can eventually stand on their own two feet and defend their freedom from the like of the Taliban.
However, mixed in with that was the fact that the US and their Allies took one side of a long term simmering civil war, the side of the Northern Tribes over the Southern and Eastern Pashtun Tribes…the latter mainly supporting the Taliban.
Every Afghan soldier of fighting age who was trained by the US coalition should today be fighting against the Taliban…or they are quite happy to be living their life under the Taliban.
Afghan soldiers and interpreters had every chance with the monies and equipment available to take on the fight to the Taliban.
I know for a fact, because many individuals from soldiers, officers and interpreters would tell me that they only joined to feed their families. Interpreters in particular were on a “prince’s sum” in order to carry out their task. Many like the soldiers would be operational outside of their own provinces.
Working in another province was key for their own security and that of their families. But if they’re going to go home and blag to their mates and extended family members about what they’re doing, and how much they are making…then they’re only making themselves a target in both the short and longer term.
If the UK allowed soldiers and interpreters and others the right to settle in the UK in every conflict that UK forces have taken part in over the last 5 decades, then we would have millions living in our country.
I’m not getting why we were in Afghanistan in this post, I’ve written and talked extensively about that in the past however, whenever the UK government puts it’s hand up to send troops to a foreign country, they need to think hard about the eventual outcome.
When I was an SF soldier, I rarely questioned why I was fighting on foreign soil. However, I would always question just why we were training and arming foreign troops.
One day friends…next day foes, just look at history!
Bob Shepherd 