With a few Americans still stranded in the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and the complete withdrawal of US forces from the country, voices are still rising with calls to rescue what some American media outlets are now calling "Afghan allies," in reference to Afghan nationals who worked with US forces throughout the 20 years of US military presence in Afghanistan.
My goodness.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) August 31, 2021
WSJ relays the story of an Afghan interpreter who once helped rescue…Joe Biden.
He’s been left behind in Afghanistan, one of many who’ve been betrayed by a broken vow. As he and his family hide from the Taliban, he’s begging the WH not to forget/abandon him. pic.twitter.com/OnVt1R0ErL
Amongst the many stories shared of Afghans, who worked for US forces and institutions in Afghanistan between 2001-2021, is one about an interpreter who not only worked with Americans but also helped the current US President and a number of leading American politicians and officials out of a snowstorm back in 2008.
Through a letter he sent to the Wall Street Journal, the interpreter who has been identified as Mohammad with his last name hidden for safety considerations, told the story of meeting Joe Biden, John Kerry, and Chuck Hagel in 2008 when he rushed to rescue them out of a strong snowstorm that had hit the mountainous area near the Bagram Air Field in February 2008.
Can it get anymore iconic and tragic.
— Krishna Kant Sharma (@krishnakant_75) September 1, 2021
In his haste to get out from #Afghanistan , #JoeBiden has imperilled countless human beings. https://t.co/m6RR2y6eVK
Mohammad said he had received a call for help at that time which urged him to drive up to the spot where he found the then US Senator and candidate for Vice President Joe Biden accompanied with Kerry and Hagel. As soon as the group was safe, Mohammad took a photograph with them, one that has since gone viral.
In his letter, Mohammad urged the US President Joe Biden to help him get out of Afghanistan the way he helped him get out of the snowstorm 13 years ago, saying that he, his wife, and four children are still in the hide from the Taliban, which could be persecuting individuals who have helped American forces before August 2021.
According to the WSJ, Mohammad has made several attempts to leave Afghanistan over the past few months, but bureaucratic procedures have been in the way of getting his papers ready.
In response, the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki that the US will continue to work hard to help "Afghan allies" out of Afghanistan, despite the absence of American institutions from the country.
