Afghan Shiite men backed by Iran fight and killed in Syria
Today, the Washington post reported that, over the
past four years, thousands of young Afghan Shiite men have been drawn into the
war in Syria by Iran, part of a well-financed system of recruitment, training
and incentives that funnels Afghan recruits to fight for a repressive Arab
government.
The post also mentioned the Afghans are soldiers in
someone else’s war, propelled by economic woes and religious loyalty to join a
foreign fight.
As many as 840 Afghans have been killed, according
to researchers. Survivors can recount hard-fought battles near Aleppo or
Damascus, and some believe they are helping to protect sacred Shiite shrines in
those areas.
Between 5,000 and 12,000 Afghans have participated
in such units since they were established within the Fatemiyoun Division of
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to human rights and research
groups. Most are refugees or workers living in Iran, but hundreds come from
poor, ethnic Hazara and Shiite communities in this windswept city near the
Iranian border, as well as other regions of Afghanistan.
