France left its Afghan spies behind after Taliban takeover: Media probe

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – France left its Afghan spies behind after the Taliban takeover, according to a media investigation.

Lighthouse Reports, a nonprofit newsroom based in the Netherlands, in collaboration with French broadcaster Radio France Internationale (RFI) and the Le Monde newspaper "was able to speak to five officers in this situation, two of whom are still hiding in Afghan territory," according to a statement.

The media NGO recalled that France had a large military presence in Afghanistan as of 2001 and that the last troops left the country in 2014.

After 2014, the French secret service, known as the DGSE (General Directorate for External Security), ran the operation "Shamshad" until 2020 to gather intelligence for French interests, the NGO said Wednesday.

"For months after the Taliban takeover, former members of Shamshad were left behind in Kabul without any support," added Lighthouse Reports, which spoke to eight of these former intelligence officers.

The NGO noted that those remaining are living in danger and fear of retaliation.

"According to Afghan sources, only 30 members of Shamshad were evacuated to France," while there was a list of more than 90 former members of the division, according to the same source.

Those people have contacted the French authorities in Afghanistan and in France but received no answer about their evacuation, the NGO added.

The interviewed former Shamshad officers said that France did not honor its promises.

One of them said he had to wait nearly six months for evacuation.

French President “Emmanuel Macron said that we should not let down any colleague who has worked with the French authorities. I hope he will honor his promises,” said another, who is now in India.

The Taliban regained control of Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021 after the previous Western-backed administration collapsed and its officials fled the war-torn country.

The takeover ahead of the US's full withdrawal by Aug. 31 sent shockwaves across the country, and thousands of people have fled Afghanistan.