Foreign fighters down south?

Questioning claims about the number of foreign fighters in southern Afghanistan made in a Sunday Times article.

Not so much. Last weekend’s Sunday Times carried an article by Miles Amoore headlined, “Love drives repentant Taliban chief to defect.” It also includes the following:

Many fighters are thought to have mixed feelings about leaving [the Taliban]. “If I stop fighting, maybe the government will still persecute me as a Talib while the Taliban try to kill me,” said Rahman. “I am stuck in the middle.” The greater number of foreign fighters in the south and southeast – mainly from Pakistan and the Middle East – will make it even harder for foot soldiers there to defect.

I’d like to see some numbers on how many ‘foreign fighters’ – “greater” in number – there supposedly are down in southeastern Afghanistan, let alone in the south. Needless to say this is an exaggerated claim. Watch this space for more detail.