R Krishna Das
Scores of Afghan pilots are in a diplomatic dilemma after decamping with the fighter jets to neighbouring Uzbekistan when Taliban was advancing to Kabul for a takeover.
The Afghan Air Force Pilots currently in hiding from the Taliban had detailed their fear of imminent death at the hands of the Taliban and pleaded with the United States to “please don’t leave us behind.” The appeal came in an interview to an American portal.
Many highly qualified and trained Afghan pilots with hundreds of family members and colleagues had fled with 46 Afghan Air Force helicopters and planes. The take-off was ahead of the collapse of the Afghan military and government earlier this month and the Taliban taking control of most of the country.
During its two decades stay in Afghanistan, the US had mainly focussed to build a strong Afghan Air Force in support of the country’s military. It spent billions of dollars on the air force on training, maintenance and the supply of dozens of helicopters and planes. The pilot received military training in the United States at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California and in Texas and served over 15 years in the Afghan Air Force.
Uzbekistan is under extreme pressure from the Taliban to expel the group of highly trained Afghan pilots from the country who fled two weeks ago aboard Afghan Air Force helicopters and airplanes. Fearing to sour its relation with Taliban, Uzbekistan has urged Washington to act quickly to take the pilots to a third country. The authorities have also cited the diplomatic hurdles in giving shelter to the pilots.
The pilots are among the Taliban’s most hated enemies because of their role in airstrikes that inflicted maximum casualties during the long conflict in Afghanistan. The Taliban also have called on Uzbekistan to return the aircraft to Afghanistan.
“I’m currently in hiding. We are hoping to get out. If we are not rescued, then the Taliban will execute us,” one of the pilots pleaded to the US.
