April 7,
2008: One of the best kept secrets in the war on terror is the number of
casualties among Arab commando units serving in Afghanistan. Several Arab
nations have quietly contributed intelligence and commando units to the
counter-terror effort there. This has been kept quiet, but is an open secret in
the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan. These commandos are usually pretty busy back
home, keeping local Islamic radicals in check. But some of their home-grown
radicals have shown up in Afghanistan and Pakistan (usually after things got too
hot for them back home), and it followed that these Arab governments allowed
some of their counter-terror troops to continue the pursuit in the pro-Taliban
areas of Afghanistan. Arrangements with the Pakistani government has allowed
some of these operatives to work both sides of the border. These Arab
counter-terrorists often get a crack at any Arab terrorists caught in
Afghanistan, or Pakistan. The combination of interrogation skills, and cultural
affinity, sometimes gets results where Western interrogators have failed.
There have
been some casualties among the Arab commandos, who take part in combat
operations. Those wounded or killed are referred to, if at all, as "international
troops." The Arab operatives are eager to serve in Afghanistan, which is seen
as the Big Leagues within the commando community. But there's also the
self-interest angle. Many Arab counter-terrorist specialists are on al Qaedas
hit list, and some of these men even have prices on their heads. So it's
sometimes a question of getting the other guy, before he gets you.
