Afghan Soldiers Who Received Training From U.S. And British Forces Now Fighting for the Taliban, U.K. Army Sources Say

Afghan soldiers trained by U.S. and British forces are now reportedly fighting for the Taliban, according to U.K. army sources.

U.K. army officers recently analyzed images of the Taliban using their weapons. They believed that some of the fighters are using techniques they learned from the U.K. and U.S., including some NATO countries, Daily Mail reported.

A British army source told The Times they identified one Taliban fighter using a "straight finger" over a gun's trigger guard, which means western forces trained them because members of the Taliban hold their weapons "randomly."

The source noted that it was included in the safety training they have, adding that if those guys displayed these techniques, they know it was one of the people they had trained.

There's still no official confirmation that Afghan soldiers trained by the U.S. and U.K. forces have already switched sides. But the source noted it is likely that these Afghan soldiers have sided with the militant group to save themselves.

Quick Collapse of Afghan National Army

Many were surprised when the Afghan army folded against the Taliban forces, including Pentagon's top military officer Gen. Mark Milley.

Milley told reporters earlier that the U.S. intelligence community estimated that if the U.S. troops withdrew, it would be weeks, even months before the Afghan military fell to the Taliban. However, it happened for only 11 days, according to NPR.

A longtime Afghanistan observer and an author, Carter Malkasian, said the Taliban had fought with ideological fervor and getting rid of the country of the foreign invaders enshrined in Afghan identity.

Malkasian noted that the Taliban were more willing to kill and be killed than many Afghan soldiers and police. Lack of leadership was also included in the factors why the Afghan army have collapsed quickly.

First Lt. Hayatullah Frotan earlier told NPR that the government would not help the family of slain soldiers. Frotan noted that the Afghan government does not have any policy nor any good plan.

Mohammad Shafiq Hamdam, a security expert based in Kabul, also said that Afghanistan was dependent financially on the U.S., DW reported. Another security expert, Attiqullah Amarkhail, noted that the unconditional withdrawal of NATO troops had boosted the Taliban's morale.

The U.S.-Taliban deal in Doha had also reportedly demoralized Afghan forces. The deal was put together by the administration of former President Donald Trump.

Some experts also claimed that there were persistent and troubling allegations of corruption and abuse around Afghan leaders that the U.S. and its NATO allies largely ignored, Business Insider reported.

The alleged corruption has weakened efforts to build a government and military that could stand against the Taliban and meet the country's needs.

Gen. Sami Sadat, a three-star Afghan army general, had also pinned the blame on U.S. politics. Senior Human Rights Watch researcher Patricia Gossman further noted that human rights abuses and corruption were a huge factor in the country's fall.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

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