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Dozens of Afghan Troops Vanished From Military Training in US Bases
Forty-four Afghan troops visiting the United States for military training have gone missing in less than two years, presumably in an effort to live and work illegally in America, Pentagon officials said.
Although the number of disappearances is relatively small — some 2,200 Afghan troops have received military training in the United States since 2007 — the incidents raise questions about security and screening procedures for the programs.
They are also potentially embarrassing for U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration, which has spent billions of dollars training Afghan troops as Washington seeks to extricate itself from the costly, 15-year-old war. The disclosure could fuel criticism by supporters of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who has accused the Obama administration of failing to properly vet immigrants from Muslim-majority countries and has pledged a much tougher stance if he wins.
While other foreign troops on U.S. military training visits have sometimes run away, a U.S. defense official said that the frequency of Afghan troops going missing was concerning and “out of the ordinary.”
Since September alone, eight Afghan troops have left military bases without authorization, Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump told Reuters. He said the total number of Afghan troops who have gone missing since January 2015 is 44, a number that has not previously been disclosed.
“The Defense Department is assessing ways to strengthen eligibility criteria for training in ways that will reduce the likelihood of an individual Afghan willingly absconding from training in the U.S. and going AWOL (absent without leave),” Stump said.
Afghans in the U.S. training program are vetted to ensure they have not participated in human rights abuses and are not affiliated with militant groups before being allowed into the United States, Stump said.
The defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added there was no evidence any of those who had absconded had carried out crimes or posed a threat to the United States.
The Afghan army has occasionally been infiltrated by Taliban militants who have carried out attacks on Afghan and U.S. troops, but such incidents have become less frequent due to tougher security measures.
Trump, whose other signature immigration plan is to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, has proposed a temporary ban on Muslims seeking to enter the country, and has said that law enforcement officers should engage in more racial profiling to curb the threat of attacks on American soil.
After Omar Mateen, whose father was born in Afghanistan, killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando in June, Trump said an immigration ban would last until “we are in a position to properly screen these people coming into our country.”
Iranian officials have announced that a 200-member delegation, comprising Afghan government officials and private sector representatives, will attend the 7th International Exhibition of Iran’s Export Capabilities.
Officials from the Islamic Emirate, meanwhile, consider the presence of Afghan traders at this exhibition to be significant, stating that showcasing domestic products will help promote and market Afghan goods.
Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy, said: “Economic cooperation between the private and public sectors of Afghanistan and Iran is in the interest of both countries.”
“The visit of the high-ranking delegation of the Islamic Emirate to Iran can play a vital role in expanding economic and trade exchanges between the two countries,” he added.
In addition, Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) said that 80 booths have been allocated to Afghan traders at the exhibition, where agricultural products, precious stones, and other Afghan goods will be showcased.
Several experts also stated that Afghanistan’s participation in regional and international exhibitions is important and can lead to stronger economic ties with other countries.
This comes as Iran remains one of Afghanistan’s key economic partners, with annual trade volume between the two nations exceeding $3 billion.
Baganch Abdullayev, the General Director of the TAPI project in Afghanistan, on Thursday met with Noor Ahmad Islamjar, the governor of Herat, for a report back on progress made in accelerating the pipeline-laying process of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India project in the province.
The Herat governor’s press office said in a statement that Abdullayev shared a brief report on the progress of the TAPI project with Islamjar.
According to the statement, Abdullayev said so far 14 kms of pipeline has been laid while an additional 24 kms of ground has been levelled for the pipeline.
During the meeting, the governor of Herat also welcomed the efforts of TAPI project officials in advancing the work and assured the project head of the local administration’s full support in facilitating the swift progress of the project.
Once completed, TAPI pipeline will transport natural gas from the Galkynysh Gas Field in Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan and then to India.
The pipeline was completed on the Turkmenistan side in 2024, and the project is currently expanding southbound in Herat Province of Afghanistan.
The World Food Programme (WFP) this week issued an urgent appeal for $25 million to address the escalating needs of Afghan refugees being expelled from Pakistan.
According to the WFP, thousands of Afghan families are crossing into Afghanistan from Pakistan every day and face serious food insecurity.
The organization also stated that millions in Afghanistan are grappling with severe hunger, and immediate aid of $25 million is needed to assist returnees.
On Wednesday, April 23, in a video shared on X, WFP’s head in Afghanistan, Mutinta Chimuka, visited the Torkham border crossing with Pakistan. During her visit, she highlighted the challenges faced by returnees, many of whom have spent their entire lives in Pakistan and are unfamiliar with Afghanistan.
Chimuka pointed out that many returnees have no income, employment, food, or shelter.
The WFP stressed that thousands of families are being forced to leave Pakistan, while 15 million people in Afghanistan are uncertain where their next meal will come from. The situation has become dire, with basic needs going unmet for a large portion of the population, the WFP said.
Chimuka warned that current aid efforts are insufficient to support the returnees, and new financial resources are urgently needed to address their needs by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the pace of deportations and expulsions of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries, particularly Pakistan, continues to increase. The Pakistani Ministry of Interior reported that over 100,000 Afghan migrants have been returned since April 1.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has also raised alarm, noting that while thousands of refugees return every week, there are millions of Afghans who are currently facing poverty, homelessness, and difficult living conditions.
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