According to an Afghan media report, former members of Afghanistan's Special Forces, who were trained by the British army during the 20-year war, and whose emigration resettlement applications to the United Kingdom are progressing slowly, are living under difficult conditions in Iran. Russia is seeking to recruit them to fight in the Ukraine War.
The report, titled: "Former Afghan Government Special Forces in Iran Have Received An Offer To Participate In Russia's War," was published by Afghan daily Etilaat Roz, on November 20, 2024. The U.K. trained, equipped, and funded these special forces operators, whom Russia has approached by direct and indirect means to join the Ukraine War, according to the report.
Several ex-special forces operators, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that they received such offers via phone, while others reported being approached in person by Afghan smugglers, the report said, adding that they had been offered a monthly salary of $3,000.
Following are excerpts from the report:
"Offers To Join Russia's War In Ukraine Are Usually Passed Around By Former Afghan Security Forces Personnel In Iran, Sometimes By Form, Sometimes Through Phone Calls, And Sometimes Through Friends"
"Some of the Special Forces of the former Afghan government, whose resettlement process to the United Kingdom is progressing slowly, are living in difficult conditions in Iran. These special forces, known as 'TRIPLES/or ATF444 and CF333,' were trained, equipped, and financially supported by the United Kingdom. Now, some of them have received an offer from Russia to fight in Ukraine.
"A member of these special forces, under the alias Ghulam, was working in a factory in Iran under difficult working and migration conditions when he received a registration form to join the war in Ukraine from an Afghan colleague. Receiving this offer coincided with the worsening conditions of Afghan migrants in Iran, as Iran has a plan to forcibly return Afghan refugees without residence documents to Afghanistan.
"Ghulam, due to security threats and fear of retaliation by the Taliban... after several attempts by the Taliban to arrest him, was forced to seek refuge in Iran. He had been a member of the Afghan special forces for 12 years, and had been trained and paid by British forces, and he now works long hours in a plastic processing factory ...
"Offers to join Russia's war in Ukraine are usually passed around by former Afghan security forces personnel in Iran, sometimes by form, sometimes through phone calls, and sometimes through friends and acquaintances who are aware of the military background of these personnel. And some have received these offers through direct contact. These offers, in whatever form they are presented, have one clear request: Join Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine."
"The First Phase Of Offers For Their Recruitment For The Russia-Ukraine War Was In 2023, And Then This Offer Was Presented Again To A Number Of These Forces In 2024"
"Ghulam was a member of the 444 Special Forces unit of Afghanistan, a unit formed in 2007 with the support of the United Kingdom and equipped and funded by this country for years... The British government has rejected the resettlement applications of thousands of people from this unit. Although recently the review of these applications has begun, the process is progressing slowly...
"Lighthouse Reports, The Independent newspaper, and Etilaat Roz newspaper – in a joint investigation – have found that these special forces of the former Afghan government are waiting under difficult conditions in Iran for their applications to be accepted...
"After contacting 14 members of the ATF444 and CF333 special forces units of the former Afghan government in Iran, and dozens of other individuals from these forces in Afghanistan, we concluded that the first phase of offers for their recruitment in the Russia-Ukraine War was in 2023, and then this offer was presented again to a number of these forces in 2024.
"We have seen a number of forms that appear to have been used for the recruitment of these forces, including the form given to Ghulam and several others from the special forces of the former Afghan government, as well as forms passed around among these forces. These forms are written in Persian and include questions about personal information, contact numbers, residence addresses in Iran, and military specialization...
"Before Ghulam could decide about the offer to join the Russia-Ukraine War, he was arrested... He was told, when he received the form, that the recruitment program for former security forces was being led by a general from the former Afghan government. He was also told that after filling out the form, he would be interviewed.
"Some of the special forces of the former government have told us that a number of them were informed about this recruitment via phone and were made an offer to the join the Russia-Ukraine War. However, others have said that they received this offer in person through Afghan smugglers."
"Some Of These Forces State That If They Lose Hope In The U.K. Resettlement Program, The Only Option Left For Them Will Be To Accept Russia's Offer To Fight In Ukraine..."
"Musharaf (an alias), one of the doctors in the special forces of the former government, said that during the recruitment process of these forces for Russia's war in Ukraine, he met with the Russians in person at the Russian Embassy in Tehran. He said that in this meeting, he represented around 100 to 200 former security forces.
"Musharaf said: 'I myself used to go to the Russian Embassy to talk with the embassy officials about their recruitment of 200 security forces personnel. We all decided to join the war in Russia together. Due to difficult conditions in Iran, we decided to live wherever there was a piece of bread. We have to do this because life in Iran is really hard.' He also added: 'I was in direct contact with the Russians, and they had agreed to pay each person a monthly salary of $3,000 U.S. dollars.'
"Everything was being prepared for [us to] go to Russia's war, when one day Musharaf contacted his former commander, who is a member of the British forces, and told him about this opportunity. However, this British forces advisor convinced Musharaf that going to the war in Ukraine is not a good idea, and this made him reconsider his decision. But others who were with him in this plan continued the recruitment process with the Russians.
"Musharaf said that he received this offer in early 2024. 'First, they used to contact me twice a week. After a month, they called me again. The people making the calls are mostly human traffickers who transport people across borders to other countries,' he said.
"They told Musharaf that some Afghans who had been recruited for this program are currently in Russia, and his task would be to provide them with military training. He said, 'I do not know what will really happen in Russia, but I made it clear to them that I do not want to participate in this program. I do not want to join a military mission again, especially for another country.'
"Musharaf hopes to go to the U.K. through the resettlement program for the special forces of the former government who worked with British soldiers, and he wants to remain committed to his obligations towards the British government. None of the former special forces that we have interviewed have accepted the Russian offer, but the situation – for those who are in Iran, along with other Afghan migrants in Iran – is becoming more difficult every day...
"Some of these forces state that if they lose hope in the U.K.'s resettlement program, the only option left for them will be to accept Russia's offer to fight in Ukraine..."
Source: Storage.Googleapis.com, November 20, 2024.
