Special forces blocked UK resettlement applications from elite Afghan troops
BBC NewsFeb 26
Report: UK Forces Blocked Afghan Troops' Relocation Requests
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The Facts
A new BBC investigation has found that UK Special Forces (UKSF) rejected resettlement applications by "the Triples" under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy scheme (ARAP), despite evidence of their involvement in the anti-Taliban campaign.
The report claims that Afghan Special Forces CF 333 and ATF 444 units — known as the "Triples" — were funded by the UK in 2002 and 2007, respectively, and had a "completely symbiotic partnership" with their UK counterparts.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
With allegations of British war crimes continuing to cast a shadow over the UK's military operation in Afghanistan, it's reasonable to suggest that UKSF may be rejecting the relocation of key eyewitnesses as part of a historic cover-up job. Despite fighting and dying alongside UK forces, elite Afghan fighters remain ignored and rejected by the British state — the world deserves to know why.
Pro-establishment narrative
As announced by the UK government, the relocation applications of Afghan Special Forces units CF 333 and ATF 444, who served alongside British forces in Afghanistan, will be rightly reconsidered. The UK and its people are indebted for their services. Despite the delay, the Triples will finally be given safety and security in Britain.
