long-standing, years-long snag in his visa, and then to see if he and his family could get on one of those last flights out as the u.s. continues its, you know, chaotic exodus out of afghanistan. now, if any of this sounds familiar to you, it may be because zak and major thomas schueman actually spoke to us here on this show a few weeks ago with my colleague ali velshi, and you may remember that interview. zak undoubtedly risked life and limb. zak undoubtedly went above and beyond his duties as an interpreter. whether that was running through a minefield to detain an enemy epw or picking up a rifle after one of my marines became a triple amputee to help us provide covering fire, zak has made more sacrifices for this country and risked more for this country than most of our
provide covering fire, zak has made more sacrifices for this country and risked more for this country than most of our citizens. now it is your time, our american friends, our american partners time to help us and get us out of this crisis because the enemy are looking for the people who worked with american and who worked for the american mission, and to find them and kill them and kill their family. we cannot stay. yesterday one of our former interpreters in herat province, the taliban attacked, killed him. also in the future, maybe they target us and kill us. now please, president, it s your time to help us and take us out of this crisis. zak, working as an afghan interpreter for u.s. forces in
i m not sure what happens next. they have no food, no water, no bathroom. they re sitting outside an american access point to the kabul airport. i m not sure what will happen to them. i don t know what else to do. i pray to god i have a better update tomorrow but it doesn t look promising. that s two days ago. then yesterday, major schueman was texting with an american on the ground. you ll see i m going to show you this text exchange. major schueman is on the right there. he s posting in blue, and that picture he posted also on the right side of the screen that s from hi the reason he s posting that picture, that s exactly where zak was standing at the airport. he said after sounding that picture, does that look about right? the reason this is happening at this level of granular detail because he s trying to hook him up with an american he s texting with so he and his family can get processed and put on a plane. the american on the ground at the kabul airport confirms, yes, that
facilitate him and his family get across the country so they could get to the capital and ultimately get to the airport to try something. even major schueman s mom tried to help. she is a retired chicago police officer and a force in her own right by all accounts. she wrote to president biden and vice president harris trying to elevate zak s case. the senior senator from illinois, dick durbin, brought zak s case personally to the attention of secretary of state antony blinken and told him the story at an open hearing, asking for the secretary of state s help as well. the secretary of state said he would look into it. but zak s story has become one in a chorus of stories about people just like him stuck in afghanistan, unable to get out despite an explicit promise made to them by the u.s. government. despite on paper a specific remedy set up just for them so they could come to this country with less hassle, with less wait in a way that wouldn t get
zak, can you look up at the tower? he says, zak, put your kid with the blue shirt on your shoulders as a way for them to figure out how to spot each other. and zak sends a picture of his exact location at the airport. the air force captain responds got him. major schueman says thank god, you are safe. i ll see you in america. zak responds with a few videos of his family. he writes to major schueman, waiting for the flight, sir. hope to see you soon, sir. major schueman shared this picture of zak and his family on their way to the airport after meeting up with that air force captain. as of this morning he said he didn t know when they would make it on a plane or what their final destination would be, but he knew they were safe because they were with the marines. and then look. one last picture today. posted nine hours ago.