New Delhi: After the US troops withdrew from Afghanistan ending a war that lasted nearly 20 years, a local interpreter who had helped rescue Joe Biden in 2008 implored the US commander in chief to evacuate and his family, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Mohammed, who chose not to use his full name for safety reasons gave a message: “Hello Mr. President: Save me and my family… Don’t forget me here,” he told the newspaper.
He is currently in hiding with his wife and four children, the Journal reported. The interpreter is one among several such allies who have been left behind after the US troops completed evacuations on Monday.
According to WSJ, Mohammed was an interpreter for the US Army and a part of the team that helped rescue Joe Biden, who was a Senator then, and other US Diplomats including former Senators Chuck Hagel, and John Kerry 13 years ago when their helicopters were forced to land in a remote valley in Afghanistan due to a snowstorm.
He is claimed to have stood guard with Afghan soldiers and US troops for 30 hours in freezing temperatures to protect three of the country’s leaders, according to Army veterans who worked with him at the time.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Jen Psaki thanked the interpreter for his service Tuesday and said assured that the US remains committed to getting Afghan allies out of the country.
“We will get you out… We will honor your service, Psaki told WSJ after Mohammed’s message was read to the president.
The evacuation of Mohammed and others like him have been hampered by the special immigrant visa process that would ensure entry into the United States. Also, Mohammed’s visa application ran into bureaucratic hurdles after the defense contractor he worked for lost the required records for his application, WSJ reported. He tried going to the designated airport gates at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport and was informed he could get in but not his family.
“I can’t leave my house… I’m very scared,” he told WSJ reporter.
Allies of the US forces in Afghanistan are facing retribution from the Taliban.
