‘They are absolutely going to kill us’ Afghans who helped the US fear being left behind 1 hour ago “They absolutely are going to kill us,” Mohammad Shoaib Walizada, a former interpreter for the U.S. Army, said in an interview after joining others in a protest in Kabul. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) He served as an interpreter alongside U.S. soldiers on hundreds of patrols and dozens of firefights in eastern Afghanistan, earning a glowing letter of recommendation from an American platoon commander and a medal of commendation. Still, Ayazudin Hilal was turned down when he applied for one of the scarce special visas that would allow him to relocate to the United States with his family. Now, as American and NATO forces prepare to leave the country, he and thousands of others who aided the war effort fear they will be left stranded, facing the prospect of Taliban reprisals.
Afghans who helped the US now fear being left behind
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The special immigrant visa (SIV) programmes are dogged by complaints of complicated application process for security vetting; Covid-19 safety measures added to it
He served as an interpreter alongside US soldiers on hundreds of patrols and dozens of firefights in eastern Afghanistan, earning a glowing letter of recommendation from an American platoon commander and a medal of commendation.
Still, Ayazudin Hilal was turned down when he applied for one of the scarce special visas that would allow him to relocate to the US with his family.
Afghans who helped the United States now fear being left behind
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Last Updated: May 17, 2021, 03:10 PM IST
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Now, as American and NATO forces prepare to leave the country, he and thousands of others who aided the war effort fear they will be left stranded, facing the prospect of Taliban reprisals. “We are not safe,” the 41-year-old father of six said of Afghan civilians who worked for the US or NATO.
AP
In this Friday, April 30, 2021, photo Ayazudin Hilal, 40, a former Afghan interpreter for the U.S. hold his medal during an interview to The Associated Press after a protest against the U.S. government and NATO in Kabul, Afghanistan
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters last month that the U.S. is committed to helping interpreters and other Afghan civilians who aided the war effort, often at great personal risk. The Biden administration has also launched a review of the SIV programs, examining the delays and the ability of applicants to challenge a rejection. It will also be adding anti-fraud measures.
Amid the review, former interpreters, who typically seek to shield their identities and keep a low profile, are becoming increasingly public about what they fear will happen should the Taliban return to power.
“They absolutely are going to kill us,” Mohammad Shoaib Walizada, a former interpreter for the U.S. Army, said in an interview after joining others in a protest in Kabul.
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May 17, 2021
A Palestinian firefighter extinguishes a fire from a beachside cafe after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, Monday, May 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Full-blown boycott pushed for Beijing Olympics, Calls mount for Gaza-Israel cease-fire and greater US efforts, Glimmer of hope seen in India and more news for Monday
Israel says Gaza tunnels destroyed in heavy airstrikes
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) The Israeli military unleashed a wave of heavy airstrikes on the Gaza Strip early Monday, saying it destroyed 15 kilometers (nine miles) of militant tunnels and the homes of nine Hamas commanders.