Afghan elite forces troops face return to Taliban after UK 'betrayal'
A recent report by the BBC has highlighted the plight of approximately 200 Afghan special forces members who were trained and supported by the United Kingdom and now face the prospect of being sent back to their Taliban-controlled homeland.
According to information gathered by a network of Afghan veterans, these individuals trained by the UK are on the verge of deportation, adding weight to what a former UK general has labeled a 'betrayal' and a 'shameful act.'
These soldiers sought refuge in Pakistan, which has indicated its intention to expel Afghan refugees. Meanwhile, the UK government asserts that it has successfully relocated numerous Afghans to safety.
Gen Sir Richard Barrons, who dedicated over 12 years of service to the British Army in Afghanistan, expressed his disappointment, branding the failure to evacuate these soldiers as a "shameful act" that reflects either duplicity or incompetence on the part of the nation. "Neither are acceptable," he stressed, emphasizing that this abandonment amounts to betrayal and could lead to the deaths or lifelong imprisonment of those who served alongside British forces.
In 2021, Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged the vital contribution of these Afghan special forces, pledging in Parliament to do "whatever we can" to secure their 'safe passage.'
This distressing situation for the Afghan commandos unfolds amid revelations that the UK government dismissed appeals from senior British diplomatic and military figures to provide asylum to key Afghan civilian leaders facing life-threatening risks in their home country.
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