Thousands of Afghan nationals who worked alongside the U.S. during the 20-year war in Afghanistan are in danger from the Taliban.
Many Afghan nationals worked as translators, drivers, and in other roles assisting the U.S. and coalition members. But when the U.S. began to withdraw forces, these interpreters were left vulnerable to attacks by the Taliban.
Roughly 18,000 Afghan nationals, along with tens of thousands of their family members, have applied for special immigrant visas to come to the U.S. But the system is backlogged and slow — which means many of these U.S. allies are still in Afghanistan and fearing for the safety of themselves and their families.
NPR’s Steve Inskeep spoke with one of these Afghan interpreters on Monday’s Morning Edition. He worked alongside the U.S. Army for nine years, going by the nickname Reggie. We aren’t using his full name for security reasons. You can listen to their full conversation here.
Reggie describes the Taliban takeover from Kabul.
From his roof, he watched Taliban forces move through his neighborhood shortly after the city’s police abandoned the nearby station.
Reggie says the Taliban drove around and spoke to citizens.
“[The Taliban were] telling them, ‘Don’t worry. We are here for your protection.’ And, “We’re not going to harm any one of you guys. And we are here for the enemy of this country.’ So, they were actually giving the people time in order to be relaxed. But still, no one can trust on their words. They can do anything, any moment, whatever they want,” Reggie says.
Reggie knows he could become a target of the Taliban.
“So currently, sir, to be honest with you, I’m standing out in front of my house, but I’m not feeling safe. There isn’t a single moment that I can be feeling relaxed,” he says. What’s worse, Reggie says, there are pictures of him serving with the U.S. military on Google, making him easier for the Taliban to identify.
“Since these insurgents have arrived, I cannot sleep for a minute. I can’t sleep for a single minute. Because there is always threat and scariness in my heart, sir. Not just me. Because of my service, my family is suffering right now. My family, my kids is telling me that, ‘Bad guy is going to come in, is going to kill you, then us.’ And I keep telling them, ‘No, there are a lot of good friends that I have in America. Have made a lot of good friends and they’re going to take us. baby, you don’t have to worry about it.” Reggie says.
Reggie has been seeking a special visa to come to the U.S. for over a decade. He’s hoping those in the U.S military will acknowledge his sacrifice and finally approve his visa.
