Legend - Biden Admin Sends Your Tax Dollars to the Taliban | SRS #107
Summary
TLDRIn a compelling interview, the host discusses the complex situation in Afghanistan with a guest who has deep insights into the region. The conversation covers the guest's background, his work with the US Army and intelligence community, and his current role with the Afghan National Resistance Front (NRF). They delve into the Doha deal's implications, the withdrawal of US forces, and the subsequent rise of the Taliban. The guest sheds light on the Taliban's brutal tactics, the unvetted mass evacuation, and the ongoing threat to US interests. He also reveals the Taliban's close ties with terrorist networks and China's strategic involvement in Afghanistan, including the exploitation of mineral resources and the establishment of surveillance infrastructure. The discussion serves as a call to action, emphasizing the importance of supporting the NRF and reevaluating US policy towards Afghanistan to prevent further global security threats.
Takeaways
- ๐ฃ๏ธ The guest, a former US Army linguist and intelligence analyst of Afghan descent, shares firsthand insights into the complex situation in Afghanistan, emphasizing the importance of understanding the nuances of the conflict and the role of various actors, including the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and the Afghan National Resistance Front (NRF).
- ๐ฐ The US has allegedly been indirectly funding the Taliban to the tune of $40 million a week since September 2021, through a complex system involving the Afghanistan International Bank and the Taliban-controlled Central Bank of Afghanistan.
- ๐จ There are concerns that unvetted individuals evacuated from Afghanistan may pose a security risk to the US, as the vetting process was reportedly insufficient given the chaotic withdrawal and the presence of terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda.
- ๐ฅ The Taliban's oppressive rule continues to impact Afghanistan, with reports of human rights abuses, including the execution of former Afghan military personnel and the persecution of women and girls.
- ๐ China's involvement in Afghanistan is growing, with the country reportedly providing military, surveillance, and infrastructure support to the Taliban, as part of its broader geopolitical ambitions and the Belt and Road Initiative.
- โณ The guest warns that if the US stops supporting the NRF, the Taliban's grip on Afghanistan could tighten, potentially leading to further instability in the region and increased threats to the US and its allies.
- ๐ค The NRF, led by Commander Masud, is still actively resisting the Taliban and requires international support to continue its fight against terrorism and oppression in Afghanistan.
- ๐ The guest highlights the need for thorough intelligence and a clear understanding of the regional dynamics, criticizing the US administration for its handling of the Afghanistan situation and urging for a change in strategy.
- ๐ A call to action for US veterans and the American public to use their voices to advocate for the NRF and to hold their government accountable for its policies towards Afghanistan and the Taliban.
- ๐ The situation in Afghanistan is compared to the period leading up to the 9/11 attacks, with the guest suggesting that the threat of a major terrorist attack against the US is increasing due to the current administration's policies.
- ๐ There are allegations that terrorists, including those on the FBI's watch list, have been able to cross into the US from Afghanistan, raising questions about border security and the potential for future attacks on American soil.
Q & A
Why is the guest's identity being concealed during the interview?
-The guest's identity is being concealed due to his involvement with the Afghan National Resistance Front (NRF) and his ongoing travels to Afghanistan to fight, which could put him at risk if his identity were revealed.
What is the significance of the flag given to the guest during the show?
-The flag is significant because it was burnt by the Taliban in 2022 to celebrate their first-year anniversary in Cabell, symbolizing their defiance and enmity towards America and the West.
What was the guest's role in the US Army and how did it evolve over time?
-The guest served as a linguist and analyst in the US Army Intelligence Community, deploying to Afghanistan multiple times. After active duty, he continued to serve in the reserves and was involved in various intelligence and training roles, including a special assignment under the Department of Defense.
How did the guest become involved in the situation in Afghanistan post-US withdrawal?
-The guest felt compelled to go to Afghanistan himself after the US withdrawal when he realized that his family and other Afghans were left without support. Once there, he connected with other veterans and even a US senator, who sought his help in evacuating an American citizen left behind.
What is the current situation for American citizens left in Afghanistan?
-The situation is dire, with American citizens hiding and struggling to survive under the rule of the Taliban. There are reports of those who have been found by the Taliban facing execution, beheading, and other forms of violence.
What was the Doha deal and how did it impact the situation in Afghanistan?
-The Doha deal was an agreement signed between the US and the Taliban in 2020, aimed at mainstreaming the Taliban into politics and ending the war. However, it is argued that the deal only benefited the Taliban and led to the current situation where the Taliban has taken control of Afghanistan.
What is the relationship between the Taliban and al-Qaeda?
-The relationship between the Taliban and al-Qaeda is close, with al-Qaeda opening new bases in Afghanistan and having a shared ideology with the Taliban. Both groups are considered terrorist organizations with global jihadi aspirations.
How has the US administration's handling of the Afghanistan situation affected the perception of the US globally?
-The US administration's handling of the Afghanistan situation has led to a perception of abandonment and a loss of credibility. It has also raised concerns about the US's ability to predict and manage global security threats.
What is the role of the National Resistance Front (NRF) in the current situation in Afghanistan?
-The NRF is the last democratic force in Afghanistan, fighting against the Taliban, al-Qaeda, and other terrorist networks. They are carrying out operations to counter terrorism and are a source of reliable intelligence on the ground.
What is the current state of US intelligence capabilities in Afghanistan?
-US intelligence capabilities in Afghanistan have been significantly reduced, with an estimated 98% loss of on-the-ground collection capabilities. This has led to a reliance on the Taliban for some intelligence, raising serious concerns about the accuracy and reliability of information.
How does the guest suggest the US and the international community should engage with Afghanistan moving forward?
-The guest suggests that the US should stop sending financial support to the Taliban and instead support the NRF. He also emphasizes the importance of maintaining a voice against the Taliban and continuing to fight against terrorism.
Outlines
๐น Introduction to the Interview
The segment opens with a discussion about the host's previous encounter with the guest, referred to as 'Legend', at a play in Franklin. The host expresses appreciation for Legend's presence on the show to discuss the sensitive topic of U.S. financial support to the Taliban. The narrative sets a serious tone, emphasizing the significance of the guestโs insights due to his extensive background and current involvement with the Afghan National Resistance Front (NRF). Privacy concerns due to Legendโs ongoing missions in Afghanistan are highlighted, explaining the altered camera shots.
๐ Legend's Diverse Military Experience
Legend outlines his extensive and diverse experience within the U.S. Army, stemming from his unique background as an Afghan-American. His multifaceted roles included working under the intelligence community, providing linguistic support, and engaging in various capacities from headquarters to field operations. His transition from active duty to reserve, and his continuing commitment post-service, including training roles within the U.S. and deployments with the Department of Defense, showcase a career dedicated to bridging gaps between Afghan and American military efforts.
๐ In-depth Discussion on August 2021 Events
The conversation shifts to the critical events of August 2021, focusing on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and its consequences. Legend criticizes the lack of support from the U.S. government despite his personal efforts to assist his family and other Afghans. He shares personal accounts of reaching out to high-level contacts without success and highlights the broader impact of the withdrawal, which included Americans and Afghan allies left behind. The segment underscores the chaotic and tragic nature of the withdrawal, compounded by ineffective rescue efforts post-abandonment.
๐ข Advocacy and Awareness Initiatives
Legend talks about his active role in raising awareness and advocating for Afghan issues post-withdrawal. His involvement includes distributing significant Afghan artifacts like a Taliban-burned flag to notable U.S. figures to symbolize and remember the ongoing struggle and the anniversary of Taliban control. The discussion emphasizes the broader implications of U.S. and Taliban relations and the need for continued international focus and intervention to address the evolving situation in Afghanistan.
๐ก๏ธ Legendโs Extensive Role in Counterterrorism
The narrative delves into Legendโs multifaceted role in counterterrorism, detailing his deployment experiences, the various military units he was attached to, and his critical work in intelligence gathering. It highlights his unique position due to his background and security clearance, allowing him deep involvement in operations that ranged from strategic planning to field-level intelligence collection. His work significantly contributed to understanding and combating threats in the region, emphasizing the ongoing need for such efforts.
๐ Geopolitical Insights and Future Concerns
Legend discusses broader geopolitical dynamics, including the influences of other countries like China and Russia on Afghanistan's security situation. He expresses concern over the potential future scenarios where American interests could be compromised due to international maneuverings and the current state of Afghanistan. The discussion includes potential strategies and the need for vigilant international policy and support to navigate the complex landscape left by the U.S. withdrawal.
๐ค Personal Reflections and Calls to Action
In a reflective conclusion, Legend reiterates the importance of understanding the human and strategic costs of the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. He calls for continued advocacy and support for Afghan allies, stressing the need for effective policies and actions that honor the sacrifices made by both Americans and Afghans. He highlights the ongoing challenges faced by those left in Afghanistan and the moral imperative for the U.S. to assist in stabilizing the region.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กTaliban
๐กAfghanistan
๐กNational Resistance Front (NRF)
๐กUS policy
๐กSurveillance system
๐กAfghan Trust Fund
๐กLithium
๐กHuman rights abuses
๐กAl-Qaeda and ISIS
๐กVeterans
๐กPakistan
Highlights
The guest, an Afghan-born US Army veteran and member of the Afghan National Resistance Front (NRF), shares in-depth insights on the Taliban, their funding, and the current state of Afghanistan.
The veteran emphasizes that the US withdrawal from Afghanistan has led to a lack of oversight and intelligence within the country, allowing for the rise of terrorist organizations.
It is revealed that the NRF has been fighting against not only the Taliban but also Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other terrorist networks, highlighting their ongoing resistance.
The interview discusses the Biden administration's decision to send $3.5 billion of Afghanistan's funds to Switzerland, which has inadvertently benefited the Taliban.
The NRF member explains how the US is inadvertently funding the Taliban to the tune of $40 million a week through the Afghan Trust Fund.
China's involvement with the Taliban is explored, including their extraction of minerals and the construction of infrastructure that benefits the Taliban's control.
The interviewee suggests that if the US stops funding the Taliban, the regime could crumble within a year due to its fragile state.
The role of Pakistan in supporting the Taliban and supplying materials for IEDs that killed US soldiers is criticized.
The veteran shares his concerns about the potential for future terrorist attacks on the US, stating that the next attack could make 9/11 look like a rehearsal.
The importance of supporting the NRF and their fight against terrorism is emphasized as a means to prevent the spread of extremism.
The interview highlights the need for the US to reassess its policies towards Afghanistan and consider the long-term implications of its actions.
The guest calls for American veterans and citizens to use their voices to advocate for a change in policy towards the NRF and against the Taliban.
The potential for the NRF to serve as a force against terrorism without the need for US military intervention is discussed.
The interview concludes with a message of hope, urging support for the NRF and a reminder of the sacrifices made by US veterans and the Afghan people.
Transcripts
[Music]
Legend welcome to the show brother thank
you for having me it's an honor it's an
honor to have you here we met several
months ago at Scott man's play here in
Franklin and I've kind of kept in touch
ever since and uh we've been wanting to
get you on to talk about the withdraw
the money that's going to the
Taliban I think there are very few
people around that have a a more
in-depth Insight than you do and uh so
this is going to be a heavy episode but
I just want to say that I really
appreciate you coming and um I know this
is going to be very eye openening to a
lot of Americans and probably the world
before we get any further into the
interview Legend I just wanted to
explain to the audience why the camera
shots are different your true name and
Fa can never be revealed at least not
right now due to the fact that you still
travel over to Afghanistan and fight and
are a member of the NRF which is the
Afghan National resistance front
fighting force just wanted to make that
clear now we can carry on well thank you
for inviting me it's my pleasure I never
thought that 23 years after 911 I would
have to come here to the Sha Ryan Show
to tell the world that the Taliban is a
terrorist group group and I'm here and
we're doing just that it's a real shame
isn't it it is absolutely but um but let
me give you an introduction real quick
so you were born in war in Afghanistan
you immigrated to the United States
before 911 you join the US Army as a
linguist and in the intelligence
Community as an analyst uh you deployed
to Afghanistan to Coast bam and Cabell
returned to the US to train Afghan
forces predeployment you returned to
Afghanistan with the Department of
Defense and now you are part of the NRF
the Afghan National resistance front and
you're here to get us up to speed
on the US Taliban relations and uh I
think that's the primary goal of this
and and
um as much as I can't wait to dive in
I'm kind of uh I'm very concerned about
what I'm going to hear and I I think the
rest of the world will be too I think
you'll be surprised but um but before we
before we get too serious everybody gets
a gift everybody gets a gift
so W Ranch little ranch dressing for you
so you know after our uh dinner last
night you said when you came to America
you had a ranch addiction and it went on
everything and there's also some uh
gummy bears in there for you I'm still
addicted to Ranch
maybe you can dump them on those gummy
bears well today you also get a gift
Shan oh nice I love gifts I love
gifts oh boy I should have warned you it
may make you
sad what is this this
is a flag that the Taliban burnt in
2022 we recovered it from
Afghanistan oh man this is when the
Taliban were celebrating their first
year anniversary in Cabell this is what
they were doing enchanting death to
America all over
kabell and there's a few of these flags
so the first you personally recovered
this yes and I gave the first one to
General Joseph votel former US Central
Command CEO the other one went to uh
Colonel Mike walz Congressman Mike Wells
from Florida oh and then the third one
went to Lieutenant Colonel Scott man and
then you have the fourth
one well thank you that's
um I don't know what to say thank you
but uh absolutely it will be in the in
the SRS Museum in
here thank
you
wow uh well before we get to In The
Weeds about everything that's going on I
want to dig into a little bit of of your
background to kind of qualify you on on
why you're able to speak on this and and
how you become so informed so um what
what kind of work were you doing for the
US Army in the global war on terrorism
so I joined the US
Army at the age of 17 and uh because I
was born in
Afghanistan I was in a very unique
position every General out there wanted
an afghan with them and there were
linguist obviously in the as contractors
civilians but there weren't many Afghan
Americans in the US Army so I knew the
language I knew the history of the
country I was born there and I was an
American Soldier I had a security
clearance and so I worked Under the
Umbrella of the intelligence Community
uh unlike other US Army soldiers who
have one MOS I had an MOS too one but
they do one specific thing uh where I
was deployed one day I was with the
division headquarters the next day I was
with the c at the gate the next day I
was helping uh during an interrogation I
was everywhere and so my job like I said
fell under the US Army intelligence I
did Linguistics I deployed to
Afghanistan after my deployment I
returned to the US I was stationed here
in Fort Riley Kansas and we had this
pilot program where we would train
Afghan soldiers who would come here for
training and they would go back to
Afghanistan at the same time we also had
a predeployment training for US forces
who were going to Afghanistan so the US
government had started this pilot
program it was to give the US soldiers a
taste of Afghanistan before they go to
Afghanistan and we were there we started
this at Fort Riley uh I played a very
very tiny role we had role players in
there uh africanamerican civilians who
the government would hire and bring and
so there was a whole Afghan Village
inside America inside this military base
there was a call to prayer uh everyone
spoke fary or PTO there was a local
villager an elder a Mulla a governor and
some uh those Afghan soldiers who were
here and then the US soldiers would
partner with them and they would go on
joint
missions yes we were involved in that
interesting interesting how many times
did you deploy to Afghanistan with the
US government um the US Army two one in
2007 and then an additional one with DOD
in uh 2011 and what kind of work were
you doing over there so I think we
covered the uh Army part the other one
while I was in Afghanistan I was still
in the Army just not active duty I was
on reserves what but what units were you
attached to 82nd was my first unit then
Fort Riley The Big Red One first
Infantry Division yes and then following
that I was on a special assignment in
the west coast that also fell under the
intelligence Community is something that
I cannot talk about okay yes but it was
that and then following that I went on
my uh tour to Afghanistan again and this
was with the dod under a contract and it
it was basically similar to
what the CIA did what you did in
Afghanistan except I was not CIA okay as
and we were civilians we would do RFI we
would get requests for information we
would go to Villages go to different
places and get that information we had
recruited I had recruited they uh we had
recruited trained and maintained this
network inside Afghanistan and we would
collect information we would gather
information not collect all on the words
so CIA collects we didn't collect we
gathered and we would submit that we
would report to uh anyone that needed
information whether it be isaf uh NATO
NATO allies US Embassy agency anyone US
Army intelligence C anyone that needed
information they would send us r f and
we would go out so the way it worked was
as you know when there's a US team that
leaves the base in Afghanistan goes on a
mission they have to have a certain
amount of individuals troops vehicles uh
qrf has to be there the roads have to be
green and so in my case that wasn't the
case I had a freedom of movement letter
from the commanding officer which at
that time was the Turkish military and
so I was out about in cabul every day in
a Twan team it was me and my partner we
would go meet collect the information
and come back was your partner also an
Afghan American no he was an American he
was a US Army Ranger former and then
contractor and then later on it switched
and then it was one of the Turkish
allies okay yes the former Turkish
uh I don't remember what their
intelligence agency is called but he was
from the SE the Turkish external agency
but now he joined uh he he had joined
this contract he was there as a civilian
so this was
basically you don't have to answer this
if you don't want but this was with the
defense intelligence agency no no we
were in a contract working for the dod
okay yes okay not the okay so but you
are essentially a
spy I wouldn't call it a spy you're a
spy I would but um well let's move on I
wanted to I just wanted to dig in a
little bit into your background because
I wanted to I wanted to qualify you to
to speak on this and and give the
audience uh a reason that they should be
listening to you and um so I want to
move on
to August
2021 the afterm withw yeah how were you
involved in that so in August 2021 I
still had family in
Afghanistan and I reached out to anyone
I could to try to save their lives but I
didn't get any help not from the
department and so I was reaching them
other veterans were reaching them uh
individuals very high ranking that I
knew that I reached out to for help they
reached out on my behalf but I didn't
really get any help so when the last
soldiers were pulled out of Afghanistan
August 31 I still had family there so I
had no choice but to go there myself and
I did and once I landed there these
other veterans that I just uh involved
the evacuations that I had been in touch
with they heard that I was there and so
they started reaching out to me it's
really funny I remember while I was
there I spoke to a s US
senator that called me asking me for
help uh so he/ she I I don't want to
identify that individual but it's sit US
senator and he called me asking me to
save help this uh American citizen that
was left behind and I was shaking my
head
I'm just a veteran there I have I don't
I'm not special forces I'm not agency
they're there and you're calling
me to save an American it's not my job
it would be my honor to do it but why
aren't you doing it you're a United
States
Senator that's how we got involved there
were so many Americans Left Behind
especially after the abig gate bombing
uh there are reports that even US
Passport holders were T of around from
the age
Kaya it was a mess there are still
Americans in Afghanistan right
now
yeah do you know where all over all over
all over Afghanistan how are they
surviving and they in
hiding so I'll give you an example there
you could say there's a father American
citizen in
Afghanistan and um his children are a
citizens and his children under the age
of 18 are eligible to come with him but
let's say he has a daughter that's
23 she's not eligible to come with them
and what kind of father would leave his
daughter behind the mercy of the Taliban
so now that father has decided to stay
with his family with his daughter okay
and now the state department uh the
current Administration is saying that
father has chosen to stay in
Afghanistan the reality is you have made
it impossible for him to
come he doesn't want to stay there there
are so many Americans in Afghanistan
still to this say
man how many Americans do you estimate
are still
there I don't know the exact answer but
I'll tell you it's definitely not the
hundred or so individuals Mr Biden told
everyone there were what would
happen to those Americans if Taliban
found them dead beheaded beheaded
executed their families
raped do you think this has happened to
any Americans yet it is happening to
people in
Afghanistan on a daily
basis here's the situation you've got
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