Uzbekistan Warns U.S. That Afghan Pilots and Their Families Can't Stay

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: The Wall Street Journal.

WSJ NEWS EXCLUSIVE | WORLD

Uzbekistan Warns U.S. That Afghan Pilots and Their Families Can’t Stay

An Afghan pilot’s U.S. relatives seek help, as U.S.-trained airmen are caught in a diplomatic tussle

By Siobhan Hughes and Jessica Donati
https://twitter.com/siobhanehughes
[e-mail]
https://twitter.com/jessdonati
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Aug. 30, 2021 5:30 am ET

WASHINGTON—Facing Taliban pressure, Uzbekistan has warned the U.S. that a group of highly trained Afghan pilots who fled there two weeks ago aboard Afghan Air Force helicopters and airplanes face expulsion from the country, officials say.

Uzbekistan is urging Washington to act quickly to take the pilots to a third country to avoid inflaming relations with the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan, these officials say. Uzbekistan has maintained relations with the group for years while carefully hedging between powers vying for influence in Afghanistan.

The U.S. effort to train and build an Afghan air force was among the most celebrated programs in support of the country’s military. The U.S. spent billions of dollars on the air force, including on training, maintenance and the supply of dozens of helicopters and planes.

The Afghan government and military collapsed earlier this month, and the Taliban has taken control of most of the country.

Some Afghan pilots flew themselves to safety with hundreds of family members and colleagues aboard 46 Afghan Air Force helicopters and planes. These pilots are among the Taliban’s most hated enemies because of their role in airstrikes that inflicted high numbers of casualties during the decadeslong conflict. The Taliban also have called on Uzbekistan to return the aircraft to Afghanistan.

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Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/uzbekistan-warns-u-s-that-afghan-pilots-and-their-families-cant-stay-11630315800

[Retrograde]

1. Not sure why it's the US's problem

True, the US did supply the equipment and train the pilots, but from the piece quoted it appears that these are Afghan nationals who decided to flee their country of their own accord.

[Sapient Donkey]

4. It's the right thing to do.

They will face grave risk if they are sent back to Afghanistan or handed over to the taliban. There is little downside to doing the right thing to save them, but plenty of down side to not rescuing them.

[mwooldri]

2. Blow up the helicopters, fly the planes out.

Turkey sounds as good a place as any ...

After all in the Cold War period I believe a number of Soviet pilots defected by flying their planes to Western friendly territory. Some of those planes were taken by the United States and disassembled to see how they were built.

[paleotn]

6. Or load the choppers onto C-17's and fly them out.

One of the many things the USAF is really, really, really good at. Moving stuff to and from remote locations.

[maxsolomon]

3. Not a problem.

Fly in there and remove all the people and equipment.

"Uzbekistan has maintained relations with the group for years while carefully hedging between powers vying for influence in Afghanistan."

Thanks for all the help, Uzbeks!

[msongs]

5. so much for solidarity with their brothers and sisters... nt

[riversedge]

7. I hope the afgan pilots and their famiies make it to a safe place.