Foreign fighters down south?

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

Alex Strick van Linschoten

Published

November 23, 2010

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.