WASHINGTON: Former Afghan security officials, US veterans of the Afghanistan war, political figures, policy experts and Afghan-American activists gathered in Virginia for the third Afghan-US Veterans Summit, where Afghanistan United Front leader General Sami Sadat called for greater international political and material support for opposition to the Taliban.
The summit was organised by the Afghanistan United Front (AUF) at its headquarters in Lorton, Virginia.
It brought together former Afghan security-force personnel, US veterans, military leaders, policy experts, journalists and political figures to discuss the legacy of the Afghanistan war, the situation under Taliban rule and continued engagement between Afghan and US veterans.
Among the participants were former Afghan army General Sami Sadat, Rahila Dostum, US-based foreign-policy commentator Dr Walid Phares, veteran BBC journalist and Afghanistan specialist David Loyn, counterterrorism expert David Kilcullen, former Afghan diplomat Ayoob Mohammad Erfani and former Bamyan parliamentarian Sayed Mohammad Jamal Fakoori Beheshti.
Sadat Claims 18 Operations
Speaking at the summit, General Sadat said the Afghanistan United Front had begun military operations 15 days earlier and had carried out 18 “successful operations” in six Afghan provinces during that period.
Closing Remarks at 3rd Afghan-US Veterans Summit held at AUF HQ in Virgina. pic.twitter.com/qwDDBeYcgR
— Sami Sadat (@SayedSamiSadat) August 16, 2026
He said the campaign had begun in Kandahar, while pressure was also being maintained in Helmand.
Sadat said the Front would expand the scope of its operations and increase attacks against the Taliban.
He also said the Taliban’s so-called morality police had been added to the list of military targets.
Allegations Of Abuses
Sadat accused the Taliban authorities of widespread abuses, saying the brutality of the regime had extended across Helmand, Ghazni, Zabul, Badakhshan and Jalalabad.
He said the Taliban morality police had subjected civilians to violence and caused deaths.
Sadat also cited an incident in Kandahar in which, he said, a 17-year-old boy was locked inside a container in extreme heat of around 50C and died.
Pledge To Expand Campaign
Sadat said the Afghanistan United Front would pursue Taliban morality police across Afghanistan and target them.
“We will continue pursuing the brutal Taliban regime,” he said, according to remarks shared from the summit.
“Our country is under occupation, and we will liberate our country.”
He called on the international community to provide political and material assistance to the anti-Taliban movement.
“Our struggle against the oppressive Afghan regime will continue until our objectives are achieved,” he said.
Veterans And Political Figures
The Afghan-US Veterans Summit has been held annually since 2024.
The first summit took place on August 15, 2024, at the AUF political office in Virginia, followed by the second summit at AUF House in Virginia on August 15, 2025.
The third gathering brought together figures with military, diplomatic, political and policy backgrounds.
General Sami Sadat, a former three-star Afghan army general, previously commanded the 215th Maiwand Corps and the Afghan Special Operations Corps and now leads the Afghanistan United Front.
Rahila Dostum, daughter of Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum, is a former Afghan senator representing Faryab and former head of the Dostum Foundation.
Dr Walid Phares is a US-based foreign-policy commentator and scholar specialising in Middle Eastern and security affairs. David Loyn is a veteran British journalist and former BBC Afghanistan and South Asia correspondent, while David Kilcullen is a former Australian Army lieutenant colonel and counterterrorism and irregular-warfare specialist.
Former Afghan diplomat Ayoob Mohammad Erfani and former Bamyan MP Sayed Mohammad Jamal Fakoori Beheshti were also among the participants.
The summit comes as opposition figures and former members of Afghanistan’s security forces continue efforts to maintain international attention on the political and security situation under Taliban rule.
