Time to Pop Smoke – Rescue Afghan Commandos

Afghanistan’s Commandos are hunted and killed every day as the Taliban sweep across the country in a series of revenge killings, America must not leave them hanging on the edge of a cliff, waiting for a miracle, we must act

There is a war of ideas going on in Afghanistan, one idea a hard-line antiquated interpretation of Islam that clings to long gone traditions and customs, often in direct conflict of modern life. The other idea is to have a pluralistic society of many religions, freedom to practice religion, and a peaceful society based on modern law and order the modern world has adopted. In a strange twist of fate for a wide variety of reasons two decades of war on terror leaves us with moral injury both as nations but also as individuals who often worked side by side for many years. They were our partner forces in war, under arms, fighting by our side. Many paid the ultimate sacrifice for their American counterparts, and vice versa.

The war of ideas : a warrior’s death

If we lose a great warrior in the west, we consider this loss, a great sacrifice, made for others, country or to save and protect his comrades or those who are unable to protect themselves. There is no more sad death than the death of those that protect the weak, if it is a warrior or first responder who protects the weak. We don’t consider a fallen soldier a martyr but a hero. A determined enemy who considers death in battle an entry to heaven may have very different ideas about what it means to intentionally sacrifice their lives to support these ideas taken from their strict interpretation of Islam. We don’t have to agree about our ideas in a modern world but we do need to adhere to norms and standards, laws and international charters.

In modern society there is safety and security but also freedom within reason to express new ideas, to speak you mind without fear of reprisal and to at least expect to be left alone to live your life in peace. As the international community may interpret the Taliban as having reduced the level of threat in Afghanistan that is only because they rule with an iron fist and are executing their old enemies in the state government of Afghanistan.

Disproportionately the special forces, intelligence and interpreter community has been deeply affected. As some site stories where the Taliban has left civil government in place and policing untouched they fail to mention just a few weeks ago a policeman was abducted and taken off to jail and made prisoner. Still other former special forces soldiers are hunted like animals. As we left in retrograde the Taliban filled that power vacuum and are making use of equipment and arms we left behind. If we would not leave England in the hand of the Germans we must consider doing something extraordinary to combat the issue of brutality, illegal kidnap and murder of the Taliban. I heard commentator Graeme Smith speak of the remarkably low level of revenge killing the Taliban has undertaken. I would refer him to a commando they killed, but he’s dead, along with his wife, his boys, his girls, and his baby. So I would urge pundits to paint a more balanced picture of what is happening on the ground. The sheepdogs are being slaughtered by a pack of wolves who fear them.

There was a reason that in 2017 the Commando’s Camp Shaheen was attached killing 135 Commandos. They are the most well trained and effective soldiers in the country, the intel officers have helped America pinpoint and destroy our common enemy at that time, the Taliban and other terror cells that took refuge there. In our absence there has been a concerted effort not only to find the former elite forces, but to convert them to fight in foreign wars for Russia and for Iran in Syria. Our comrades in the global war on terror (GWOT) may be at the other end of a rifle from use someday, in another strange twist of this terrible tragedy.

To add insult to injury in our hasty departure from Afghanistan we left behind gear to be sure but the real concern must be for those people who were willing to risk their lives to live a modern life, to try to make a difference and to fight terrorism are the very same people who fear for their lives. If we never leave a man behind, then why did we, and when are we going to get them back?

Andrew J. Walker

The most disconcerting and sad aspect of this is that in a strange twist of fate the normal rules that apply for our partners in war do not apply to another countries army the influx of people fleeing narco trafficking and gangs to our southern border are the same people creating more case load for immigration and naturalization, processing so many people at one time has overwhelmed our immigration and our state department and this is making matters worse for Afghans that have a much harder life as they wait for visa approval in the same country with their enemy, as the combined needs of immigration and naturalization and the influx of Afghan citizens coming fleeing terrorism at the hands of the Taliban. At least immigrants who come to our shores to escape terror at the hands of violent gangs and narco traffickers become wards of the state. While they are not living in ideal conditions by anyone’s standards they do have shelter, food and water. The Afghanistan soldiers in hiding do not even have that. They run and hide, sleeping in different beds, in different towns, just for the right to live one more day and raise their families in peace.

America and the world will remember what politicians kicked the can down the road, and who acted on behalf of our comrades and partner forces. In a brutal decades long war story, there is no place to hide from history’s pen.

Andrew J. Walker

The Afghan Readjustment Act https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/8685

This bill must pass, to expedite this process of visa approval for our partners in special forces, and for the protection of our partners. The politicians must do what they came to do, act on behalf of the best interest of our people. It is not in the best interest of America to turn our backs on loyal supporters, our fellow fighters, many are crippled by war in their country and have inadequate medical support, others are hunted to be made and example of by the Taliban. They are taken in the night and brought to their families dead for burial. Their only crime was to have wanted a better way of life for their fellow countrymen and a prosperous future for their children. Those days are gone now and the reality is the Taliban is both the official government of the country but also remains the sworn enemy of democracy, modernity and peace in Afghanistan.

There will be no peace until all our brothers in arms are permitted to leave or live in peace. As living in peace has been tried and failed it is now up to us in America to put up or shut up. Either we do not leave our brothers behind or we do if its hard. John F. Kennedy said of going to the moon, “we do not do things because they are easy we do them because they are hard” great nations forge ahead and strike our on new paths. We are trail blazers not spectators. Time to act, as citizens and give our elected officials the inspiration to do the right thing. Time for our elected leaders to do what they came to DC for. To make a difference. We need to make a difference for our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan who look to us and our shores for freedom from bondage and shelter from our common enemy.

Will we turn away because its too hard or stay the course and blaze the trail we always have, back to our brothers to render aid. The time to show the world who we really are is now. This is a moment in time we are tested to be our best selves. Can we pass the test? I hope so for all the Afghans who look to the shining city on the hill and all that means to the world. We are Americans, we live in the greatest country in the world, despite our missteps and mistakes we are a great nation of good honest hard working people on both sides of our domestic political divide. For matters so grave, the protection of our comrades under arms, we must be absolute in our resolution to be united and put our petty differences aside and rise to the occasion to help. Please help.

There are matters of morality that supercede all other things. The value of human life, and the dignity every human being deserves to expect from civil society. The power of self determination, freedom, liberty, the right to speak freely, gather peacefully and live in harmony amount your fellows in unity as a nation. This is what we expect in America, and what we feel the whole world deserves. If you fight by our side for 20 years I think you have proven beyond any doubt you want that life too.

Please call your congressmen and senators, tell your friends to repost this article and to spread the word. There is a terrible injustice happening to our partner forces who have been cast a terrible lot in life. We need to understand that being a super power comes with great cost. Often you must spend money on other people in other countries to do what’s just for the world. When we are at our best we are doing just that. Let’s be at our best for Afghanistan and our partners. As citizens let’s do our part to accept nothing less than excellence from congress and our President.

In 1630 while still aboard a ship headed for Massachusetts Bay, Bill Winthrop delivered a speech, "A Model of Christian Charity" He said "For we must consider when we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us... (Our Last Founding, Ronald Reagan And "The Shining City Upon a Hill")

“You are the light of the world. A city set upon a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and but it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the same house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”

Matthew 5: 14-16

I don’t know whose at fault or whose right or wrong I only know that the current reality for our partners needs us to put aside all debate and act. Every day we talk men die, we cannot kick the can down the road on this. This is the preservation of our reputation and us living up to our pledges and oaths. This is America it’s time we acted like it and stopped playing games to score cheap points for the camera to get reelected this is life and death and right or wrong. Be on the right side of history, be an American politician we can all be proud of, do your duty to your nation and honor the valor and sacrifices that our warriors make to keep us free and honor our oath to never, ever, leave a brother in arms in the hands of our enemy.

God Bless America let’s be our best, afterall we are Americans, we are countrymen, and our fate is tied to one another if we like it or not. Let us respect ourselves, and act as others see us globally, let us live up to our lofty reputation as a bastion of peace and security and overcome our differences at home to do what’s right.

Andrew J. Walker