Mission of US man arrested in India revealed in old clip, says 'we train locals to...'
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Mission of US man arrested in India revealed in old clip, says 'we train locals to...'")
File photo of arrested American Matthew Aaron VanDyke. Photograph: (X/@AsiaWarZone)
Matthew Aaron VanDyke was arrested at Kolkata Airport on March 13, while six others, Ukrainian nationals, were detained from different cities. All of them entered India on tourist visas at different times to cross Myanmar illegally.
The American national arrested on charges of illegally entering India to go to Myanmar for training ethnic insurgents has previously revealed surprising details, describing his role in recruiting and preparing “fighters” for conflict zones across the world. But, as he framed it, the mission wasn’t about sending outsiders into foreign wars.
"We are not sending foreigners over to fight wars for other people. We're sending people over who can help the local population fight wars for themselves. We have a limited amount of time, possibly only four to six weeks, to get them trained, ready to take part in the offensive," NDTV quoted the American identified as Matthew Aaron VanDyke as saying in a show by the YouTube channel, History NOW, over a decade ago.
Now, investigators are examining whether those past claims offer clues to his alleged activities in India, including accusations that he travelled onward to Myanmar to train ethnic armed organisations. But a more complex question arises: what truly drives a man who has spent years positioning himself at the frontlines of conflicts around the world?
"There are no other groups that are working with Christian militias that we work with. Liberty is a universal right. I want Sons of Liberty to be able to change the course of history," VanDyke said on History NOW.
VanDyke trained Iraqis to kill ISIS
In the series, VanDyke also claimed to train Iraqis to kill ISIS after they began taking cities. When questioned about the types of 'candidates' he employed for his work, whose nature is not of the ordinary kind? He responds, "We get all types... But we are very selective. So what I'm doing now is going through applicants."
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"I'm looking for people who want to come because they believe in the model of training local forces to resolve problems for themselves. We have a preference for former special forces, especially Green Berets," VanDyke said. "The training area will be very close to the frontline. I try to dissuade them now because it's a very, very different way of operating than when they served in an organised military. The accommodation is probably going to be given in an abandoned house in the town," he added. "Electricity comes and goes. It's within walking distance of the frontline. And there won't be surf and turf."
Matthew Aaron VanDyke was arrested at Kolkata Airport on March 13, while six others, Ukrainian nationals, were detained from different cities. Based on the FIR, all of them entered India on tourist visas at different times, later flew to Guwahati, and then travelled to Mizoram without the required permits before allegedly crossing illegally into Myanmar, where ethnic armed organisations are engaged in conflict with the military junta.
The report further states that the group provided training to these organisations in advanced asymmetric warfare tactics, including drone operations, and had also brought drones with them.
