Mehdi.

This is coolbert:

Proxies of a proxy.

War veteran heads home to less than auspicious welcome.

Thanks to the tip from Freeper.

 "Afghan veterans of Syrian war struggle back home"

"HERAT, Afghanistan (AP) — Too poor to even buy pens and notebooks for school, Mehdi left his home in Afghanistan soon after his 17th birthday and headed to Iran, hoping to make his way to Europe and find work."

"Instead, Mehdi ended up fighting in Syria’s civil war, a conflict he had nothing to do with, 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from home. He was one of tens of thousands of Afghans recruited, paid and trained by Iran to fight in support of Tehran’s ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad."

Mehdi a Hazara I suspect. A tribal group in Afghan, adherents to the Shia form of Islam and also reputed to be the descendants of the army of Genghis Khan.

Mehdi and his returning fellow war veterans greeted with less than enthusiasm. Seen as possible security risks by the Sunni majority in Afghan.

THAT CIVIL WAR IN SYRIA CHARACTERIZED IN MEASURE BY THE USE OF PROXY FORCES TO DO THE FIGHTING ON THE SIDE OF ASSAD. RUSSIAN, AFGHAN, IRAQI, LEBANESE, IRANIAN, ETC.

Proxies no longer needed and cast aside. No benefits or pensions for them or American VA health care. As you were before so as you are now.

coolbert.