Matteen and Salar are two mujahideen commanders and are minor characters in The Americans. The characters are played by Ryan Shams and Mohammed Ghaffari respectively.
Biography[]
Background[]
Matteen and Salar are two mujahideen commanders who in January 1982, meet with a disguised Philip to discuss strategies for removing the Russian army from Afghanistan. Salar appears to be the more senior of the two, with Matteen acting primarily as a translator.
Meeting with Philip in the private area of a restaurant, they tell Philip how the Afghans have let Russia have Kabul for the time being while constantly attacking their supply routes using fast-moving small units. Philip reassures them that America will get them what they need - money, guns, anything, asking how America can help with them with Panjshir. During the Afghan-Soviet War, Panjshir (پنجشیر, literally "Five Lions") was one of the best defended regions in Afghanistan making the discussion of considerable value to the Russians.
Death[]
Throughout the conversation the pair display overt hatred of the Russians. Matteen gives Philip a knife used to kill a Russian soldier, referring to Russians as "godless heathens", and claim “we love America.” Using a pistol with a silencer, he shoots both in the kneecaps under the table. Killing Salar with a further shot, he spares Matteen but tells him to tell his people in Afghanistan that neither American nor Allah can protect him or his people and that the KGB is everywhere.
Matteen attempts to attack Philip as he walks away, tearing off his disguise and forcing Philip to kill him. As Philip leaves the restaurant via the kitchen, he walks past a terrified busboy whom he also kills. Philip appears distressed by the busboy's death.
