Former Soviet soldier Bakhretdin Khakimov came to Afghanistan to fight the mujahideen more than three decades ago. Today he has a new life as caretaker of a museum celebrating the jihadists’ victory over the Red Army. Khakimov, who now goes by the name Sheikh Abdullah, says he will never return to Russia. On a wall of the museum in the western city of Herat, one black and white photo stands out from the portraits of jihadi heroes — Abdullah as a young man in a Russian shapka hat adorned with Soviet military insignia. The bearded 50-something, who today prefers the traditional Afghan pakol hat, has worked at Herat’s Jihad Museum since 2013. Before that he worked as a healer, prescribing medicinal herbs to locals. He arrived in Afghanistan as an officer in the military intelligence of the Soviet army, which occupied the country for 10 years after invading in 1979. Around 1985 he was injured in battle and suffered a serious head wound. He says he owes his life to his Afghan enemies who

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