WASHINGTON – The United States and Uzbekistan have reached an agreement to transfer a group of Afghan Air Force pilots and their families to a U.S. military base as early as this weekend, according to people familiar with the subject.
The Uzbek government has been under intense pressure from the Taliban in Afghanistan to hand over the pilots, who flew themselves and relatives to safety in Uzbekistan aboard Afghan Air Force helicopters and planes.
The U.S. effort to train and build an Afghan air force was one of the country’s most celebrated programs to support the military. The United States spent billions of dollars on the air force, including training, maintenance and supply of dozens of helicopters and planes.
Taliban slogans have replaced the murals of women activists, street vendors began selling the Islamic Emirate flag and protests erupted for several days in a row. Yaroslav Trofimov, of the WSJ, analyzes the rapid transformation of Kabul after the fall of the republic. Composite photo: Michelle Inez Simon
Among the Taliban, the pilots have been one of the most hated members of the Afghan forces for their role in conducting airstrikes against Taliban forces. Although the Taliban have promised amnesty to government officials and forces, the pilots fear for the safety of their and their families.
The fate of the 46 planes that landed at Termez airfield in Uzbekistan near the border with Afghanistan is still being questioned. These include U.S.-supplied Black Hawks and PC-12 surveillance aircraft, along with Soviet-era MI-17s.
The Taliban are calling for the plane to be returned to Afghanistan, a move that is likely to be strongly opposed by US Uzbekistan, which has carefully protected relations between the world’s powers in the region and urged the State Department. to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
The Taliban criticized the decision.
“These pilots should return to their country, the country needs them,” spokesman Suhail Shaheen said. “We are just beginning to rebuild our country. The world should help us, rather than throw obstacles in the way of the reconstruction of Afghanistan and the economic prosperity of our people. “
The State Department declined to comment. Uzbek officials in Washington declined to comment.
The expected transfer from Afghanistan brought relief to Capitol Hill, where the pilots had received support from lawmakers who had militated. But the reaction also pointed to continued frustration over the Biden administration’s handling of the Afghan exit within Congress, which returns from a recess this month and is expected to hold hearings on the chaotic retreat.
“With a lot of diligent work, we expect pilots and military personnel, including my constituents’ husband, to leave Uzbekistan this weekend, ”Rep. August Pfluger (R., Texas) said. “This was achieved through constant work to keep the Biden administration’s feet on fire.”
The Uzbek government maintained relations with the Taliban for years before the Taliban captured Kabul last month, and ended an offensive that captured most cities in Afghanistan with just one shot.
The presence of pilots, crews and their families in Uzbekistan, numbering about 585 people, has been a problem for the Uzbek government since its arrival.
The Afghans are expected to fly to the U.S. military base in Doha, Qatar, where they will be prosecuted for continuing the journey. It was not immediately known whether the group would eventually be transferred to the United States or elsewhere.
Write to Jessica Donati to [email protected] and Siobhan Hughes to [email protected]
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