By Andrew Quilty and Matthew Cole, The Intercept
BEFORE THE TALIBAN took control of Kabul in August, the U.S.-backed Afghan commandos known as Zero units were the ghosts of the Afghan battlefield. Along with their CIA advisers, they were feared and, in recent years, virtually invisible.
But in the hectic, violent weeks between the Taliban victory and the U.S. military withdrawal, fighters belonging to a Zero unit known as 01 — and other linked militias known collectively as National Strike Units, or NSUs — helped the Americans secure Hamid Karzai International Airport. Firing warning shots day and night, 01 fighters sought to corral and search crowds of Afghans and foreigners trying to enter the airport to board evacuation flights, much as Taliban fighters struggled to maintain control at other airport entrances around the same time.
Recent Posts
The U.S. Should Restore Normal Relations With Cuba
Take Action NowPresident Trump’s decision to roll back our opening with Cuba was disastrous. As he takes office again, he should reconsider.……
Democrats Have Boxed Themselves In As A War Party
Take Action NowDuring Biden’s term, Democrats have become the party promoting war and overseas conflict.By Norman Solomon,…
The War On Terror’s Legal Abuses Are Still With Us Today
Take Action NowFrom the global War on Terror to Donald Trump’s second term, a legacy of legal abuses.By Karen J. Greenberg,…
Health Insurance Execs Should Live In Fear Of Prison, Not Murder
Take Action NowThe U.S. political system is owned by corporations despised by the American people. Luigi Mangione is the result.…