Among the Taliban, an amusing story has emerged about the first time they were able to squeeze Russia for much-needed cash. The year was 1995 and the Taliban did not have much in the way of aircraft, but they did manage to force down a huge Ilyushin Il-76TD flying for a company called Airstan—to land in Kandahar.
The Taliban held onto the plane and it’s crew for a year until suddenly the crew “escaped” and along with the plane returned to Russia. They are rumored to have gotten millions from the Russians. It amuses them that they were able to extort the money after fighting and winning a bloody fight against the Russians.
Mullah Manan Niazi, who was the spokesman for Taliban leader Mullah Omar back during those days was asked about the recent story about Russia paying the Taliban to kill Americans.
Niazi said:
“The Russians paying U.S. dollars—it’s not odd for the Taliban. The Taliban have been paid by Russian intelligence for attacks on U.S. forces—and on ISIS forces—in Afghanistan from 2014 up to the present.”
From 2014? That’s two years plus before Trump ever became elected. Why is it a major scandal today but was perfectly okay under Obama?
Mullah Manan Niazi was a very senior figure in the Taliban when they were in power, and also when they were driven into exile and underground after 2001. But since the death of Mullah Omar was made public in 2015, he has been a dissident and liable to be killed by the current Taliban leadership if it catches up with him. They have accused him of collaborating with the CIA and the Afghan government’s intelligence service, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), which he denies.
So, Niazi speaks as someone who knows the organization and its top people very well, but who also has an agenda very different from theirs, with his own reasons for confirming the bounty story, and he does not offer further specifics on that. But he does offer details about what he says are the longstanding ties between the Taliban and the Russians as well as the Iranians, and U.S. officials have been tracking those developments.
Here is another interesting tidbit of news you might find interesting. During the eight years of the Obama/Biden administration, the Taliban killed 1758 American soldiers. In three and a half years under President Trump, the total is 71.
Does that seem like there were more problems during the Obama/Biden administration than under Trump? Game. Set. Match.
