The confession of the Albanian officer who served in Afghanistan and lost his best friend in war: Afghans had to resist.

Dennis, who has been trained for 7 years by the U.S. Special Forces “Seal” and “Grents”, who is now no longer on the job, relates that in contact with the rest of the population, traders, cobblers, barbers, and simple Afghans, there were always conversations or episodes left in his mind and that let him understand a lot about that people.

We were returning one day from a distant task. Near the base, there were two groups of six-to-seven kids, one with school bags that seemed to have just finished school, and another group that were standing outside. The children from the second group began throwing stones at us as we passed by them as the children who returned from school greeted us with their bare hands.

It was a short episode, but it told me a lot about that people and the importance of education there”Dennis tells the newspaper.al.

To further reinforce it, he relates that even when coalition forces came down to villages that had no schools and gave presents to local families, as soon as they left, they started throwing rocks again, because in their approach, special forces were <x0-seconds. ”

The main problem was lack of schooling, because if they were educated, they would understand the difference and start to like it.

The Taliban had inspired them against us, and our weight was too big, since we had to prove that we were there for their safety, not to get worse. We had to be kind to them, and we helped them solve problems.

They didn't know what the difference was, so they were in their hands. When they saw that we were helping them, some of them began to cooperate with us”, follow him.

Being at war all the time, the Taliban also evolved in tactics. They had already started bringing undercover people into the structures of the state who cooperated with coalition forces who received the training of America, Albania, England, knowing everything.

On February 20, 2012, during the time that Dennis was on the mission known as “Eagle 4”, a policeman dressed in Afghan uniform but undercover by the Taliban shot him from behind his back. Dennis lost his best friend, Captain Fetty Voglin.

The moment we lost our friend, we Albanian forces changed all the rules with the population, the police and the military. We no longer trusted them even though we continued our cooperation.

We were skeptical even though the rules of courtesy we never lost, but at the end of the day we trusted one another and the forces of the coalition. ”

Touching Afghanistan closely on such a mission is a picture that cannot be imagined very easily because that world experienced, as well as poverty, was greater.

“They suffered for the most minimal conditions, there was no electricity and no water. Kandahar was a large province where everything was made of eyelids, mud. Yet, when you went to their homes, everyone would draw tea and a pie prepared only with flour and salt. They were never spared.

All the time we were equipped with vests, helmets and weapons, but when we walked out of the base and came down to the ground to have meetings with the first tribe, it was very difficult, not only because we were surrounded all the time by strangers, but that's where the attack could fall anytime.

The place was all mined and we trusted a lot of anti-explosive dog who moved ahead of us. It took outstanding courage and vigilance. ”

Being part of such a mission and living in that area, the creation of friendships with Afghans was often inevitable.

The majority of the contacts we were loyal to were the translators who worked with the special forces who were the most selected and all the filters had passed because they were going to participate in secret operations that could be compromised.

There were Afghan-afgaan translators living in Kandahar, but who came from Kabul or other cities because relatives, neighbours and their friends had to not know they worked with coalition forces and Afghan-American translators with a completely reliable American passport. ”

We trained people to fight for change. In 2014, when I was on the last mission, we left them on their own to lead missions, set their own goals, take control of what was apparently not properly achieved. Afghans should have made more resistance at least.

We have fought against the Taliban and I can already imagine what the situation is there. Being under pressure at all times is very difficult. Now there is no more order and security, the law of the mightiest, and the strongest are the Taliban. ”

I believe in the kindness of that people and I am proud that we will welcome those Afghans who served with us in our services, people who worked with coalition forces, because we ourselves have proved migration, even though we had no war. Death awaits them after the Taliban view Afghans as traitors who have cooperated. ”

Beyond that, Albania is part of NATO and has responsibilities for these people as well as to respond to the alliance. ”

“Albania must empower security institutions. It is not ruled out that with the elite and the undercover Taliban, but I think we have human and operational capacities to verify and maintain control. They could question, on their training, on military preparation to get a clear view of”, says Albanian military serving in Afghanistan”

For Dennis, Afghans are a smart and hearty people suffering because of Pakistan's inaction of the political class and influence.