Iran recruiting desperate Afghans, Pakistanis to fight in Syria
Tehran backing terror groups and cells in Iraq, Syria, Yemen,Lebanon, KSA, Bahrain, Kuwait: UAE
ISLAMABAD/KABUL/ABU DHABI: Iran is recruiting desperate and jobless Afghans and Pakistanis to fight in Syria by offering them packages that are hard to refuse.
The incentives include a good salary, residency in Iran, accommodation and several years of monetary support for the household.
The main areas of recruitment in Afghanistan and Pakistan are those with a predominantly Shiite population.
Waheed Mozhad, an Afghan analyst and writer, said the number of Afghan fighters who have gone back and forth is around 10,000, and recruitment began in 2013.
Afghan lawmaker Safora told Arab News: “Poverty and desolation have forced people from central areas of Afghanistan to go to Syria.”
She added: “Unfortunately, the Afghan government has done nothing to stop this recruitment or confront Tehran over the issue.”
Despite widespread reports of Iranian recruitment of Pakistani Shiites to fight in Syria, Pakistani officials are silent over the issue.
“Iran is recruiting from wherever it can,” said Maj. Ashfaq Hussain Bukhari, a retired army officer who is in charge of Markazi Imambargah (the Shiite Congregation Center) in Islamabad.
“It targets impoverished or fanatic Shiites, preying on their sentiments and offering martyrdom in defense of Shiite holy sites.”
Numerous social media platforms list Pakistani Shiite fighters in Syria, including their name, photo, hometown and father’s name, as a way to eulogize their devotion.
According to media reports citing unnamed Pakistani officials, Pakistani recruits — referred to as “volunteers” — are inducted into the Zainebiyoun Brigade.
They are offered up to $1,000 per month by emissaries operating undercover to avoid detection by the country’s spy and security agencies.
Security officials told Arab News that the lack of comment from Pakistani officials is due to the highly sensitive nature of the matter, which they fear could fan sectarian violence. There is only private acknowledgment.
Meanwhile, the UAE foreign minister said Iran’s “hostile and expansionist policy” is the major obstacle to solving all crises in the Arab world, the Associated Press reported.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan accused Iran of interfering in the internal affairs of other countries and supporting “terrorist groups,” including Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia fighting alongside Syrian regime forces.
He told the UN General Assembly’s annual ministerial meeting on Friday that Iran is also supporting “terrorist groups and cells” in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait.
Sheikh Abdullah said: “Iran has not only committed blatant violations of the principles of sovereignty, but also continues to exploit the crises in the Arab world to undermine regional security by inciting and fueling conflict.”
He said Iran must realize that the best basis “for a harmonious relationship with the states in the Arab Gulf” is to respect the sovereignty of countries in the region.
The UAE minister told the General Assembly: “We have a clear choice with no alternative — to stand against terrorism in all manifestations and to stand against all perpetrators without exception.”