Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/magazine/zero-units-cia-afghanistan.html?unlocked_article_code=1.OlA.Uh1n.nhpkctUO-Eyx

A shooting in Washington, D.C., threw their immigration status into jeopardy — and brought attention to a long-hidden dimension of America’s war.

imperial collaborators don't get my sympathy sorry

Spoken like someone who never has left their empire of safety.

Every day I wonder if it would be better to die than continue to be kept alive by it. I only haven't because I'd rather the people responsible be the ones dying. Willful collaboration is murder. These people don't have my ire, their circumstances were awful and I do understand how that can push someone to do awful things but they don't have my sympathy either. I was unbothered when Hamas shot Israeli collaborators and I will ramain unbothered.

Go fuck a shark.

You don't know their story, though I know your anger. I'm sure they did not have the full array of information and options with the clear black and white you have at the time they had to decide.

Hate the machine, not the pawns/victims.

As a point, this isn't about the holocaust created by Israel... it is about the holocaust created by America in Afghanistan which is another long running death of many for the profits of a few.

Fantastic article. Hard to read at times, but an interesting perspective.

I may not support those military actions, but we promised to take care of them. They deserve to be taken care of.

I mean, this is why you don't trust fascists, but they sure didn't know that when they signed up.

I guess I was too vague in my response. A more clear way to put what I said would be: I recognize that the circumstances in which they chose to collaborate with their oppressor was complex and for this reason I do not hate them. As an example I view them in the same way I view Israeli collaborators in Gaza. As a result whatever happens to these people is not that important to me.

I feel that you are a confused person. We all are when we are younger, you’ll look back one day and grimace at some of the things you said when younger and less experienced.

You should be fazed by death, I wasn’t when I was killing Muj in Afghanistan, and the act still doesn’t bother me, but the knowledge of life and how fleeting it is makes me empathetic to the ones who maybe were in my way through difficult circumstances.

I’m glad I’m alive, glad I won, but understanding of loss and that I was there willingly and wanting, while many were there without a choice.