Several Afghan pilots located in Afghanistan and Tajikistan still hope for evacuation and rescue due to the harsh conditions they are experiencing. The United States conducted a massive evacuation operation from Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover of Kabul in mid-August; however, some pilots and their family members were unable to leave the country.
The New York Times reports that thousands of Afghan pilots who worked alongside U.S. forces feel a sense of despair and say that they and their families are at risk of retaliation from the Taliban. Several Afghan pilots spoke to the American newspaper—without revealing their identities for security reasons—and mentioned that they have only received assistance from former military advisors who had worked with them in the country.
A captain in the Afghan Air Force, who had piloted "C-208" aircraft, spoke over the phone from a safe house in Kabul, saying: "I stood shoulder to shoulder with my American allies for five years. But now they have forgotten us." Another pilot holding the rank of major, who served in the Afghan Air Force for eight years, stated that the Taliban had stopped his relatives and asked for information about his whereabouts. He mentioned that he had been moving with his wife and four children from one home to another for fear of being reached by the Taliban, pointing out that the group's fighters searched his house and interrogated his mother.
He noted that he has been unable to contact anyone in the U.S. government or military, aside from his former advisor. In contrast, the Taliban had earlier claimed to have issued a general amnesty for any Afghan individuals who worked in the previous government or with U.S. forces over the past twenty years. However, many Afghan pilots have been killed at the hands of Taliban fighters this year, according to the New York Times.
"We live as prisoners," said retired General David Hicks, who formed a volunteer group to assist in evacuating Afghan pilots. "The United States spent millions on these highly educated individuals. We believe they deserve priority." Hicks stated that his group had helped evacuate 350 Afghans, confirming they screened the information of about 2,000 Afghan Air Force personnel and their relatives trying to leave Afghanistan. He mentioned that there are up to 8,000 more whose papers are currently being processed.
In September, the U.S. government assisted in evacuating a group of Afghan pilots from Uzbekistan after they were detained by Uzbek authorities. Another group of 143 Afghan Air Force pilots remains detained in Tajikistan. They have expressed increasing desperation, even though U.S. embassy officials in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, have contacted them to register their information for eventual evacuation.
The Afghan pilots in Tajikistan spoke to the New York Times via WhatsApp from a smuggled smartphone inside the facility where they are being held by Tajik authorities. They mentioned that their phones were confiscated and that they live on meager meals, receiving only basic medical care. The pilots also indicated that many of them have not been able to contact their families in Afghanistan and do not know if they are still alive.
One pilot, holding the rank of major and who had previously led multiple combat missions, stated: "We feel abandoned, but we still have hope that the United States will help us." Among the group of 143 pilots in Dushanbe is a pregnant Afghan pilot, who said she needs medical care before childbirth. She added: "We live as prisoners. We are tired; we feel weak," expressing hope that the U.S. government would expedite their evacuation from Tajikistan.
The Tajik embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the American newspaper. A spokesperson from the U.S. State Department stated on Sunday, "We are in regular contact with the Government of Tajikistan, and part of that communication includes coordinating the transfer of Afghan Air Force pilots." He added: "The United States has verified the identities of nearly 150 Afghans after being able to reach the last group in mid-October." The State Department spokesperson did not provide a timeline for the transfer of Afghan pilots from Tajikistan.
