Friday, 15 Nov 2024

Afghan interpreter who saved Biden in 2008 ABANDONED & begging for help

AN Afghan interpreter who once rescued Joe Biden in a snowstorm has pleaded with the US for help after being left behind.

Mohammed, who did not disclose his full name, issued a simple message to US adversaries, reading: “Hello Mr. President: Save me and my family. Don’t forget me here.”


The 36-year-old is currently hiding with his wife and his four children after the last US troops left on Monday – handing full control back to the extremist group.

“I can’t leave my house,” Mohammed told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. “I’m very scared.”

The outlet reports that the interpreter had been attempting to get out of Afghanistan for the past year – before his visa application became bogged down after a defense contractor apparently lost his records.

Like many, Mohammed then tried his luck by going to the airport gates, where he was rebuffed by US officials who would only grant passage to him and not his family.

The bitter blow came despite his previous service to the US military that had seen him serve in more than 100 firefights.

It even included a mission in 2008 in which he rescued three US senators, including Joe Biden, who were left stranded in the mountains after their helicopter was forced to land in a snowstorm.

'SELFLESS SERVICE'

As the senators were swiftly taken back on convoys, Mohammed and his team stayed in the freezing temperatures for 30 hours until the US military could get the helicopters back in the air.

“His selfless service to our military men and women is just the kind of service I wish more Americans displayed,” Lt Col Andrew R Till wrote in June to support the interpreter's application for a Special Immigrant Visa to enter the United States.

And fellow comrades have also pleaded with lawmakers and US officials for help.

“If you can only help one Afghan, choose [Mohammed]. He earned it," Shawn O’Brien, an Army combat vet who worked with him in Afghanistan in 2008 – the year of Biden's rescue mission – wrote.

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki thanked the interpreter for his service and said the US is committed to helping Afghan allies get out of the country.

“We will get you out,” Psaki said. “We will honor your service.”

The secretary's remarks come as thousands of Afghans have been forced to flee hundreds of miles across the desert in order to escape the ruthless rule of the Taliban.

Many are trying to get to Europe by making the 1,000-mile trek across Iran to Turkey.

It prompted Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, to urge Afghanistan's neighbors to open their borders, estimating up to 500,000 Afghans could flee the country.

"Around 3.5million people have already been displaced by violence within the country – more than half a million since the start of this year," he said on Monday.

"The evacuation effort has undoubtedly saved tens of thousands of lives, and these efforts are praiseworthy.


"But when the airlift and the media frenzy are over, the overwhelming majority of Afghans, some 39million, will remain inside Afghanistan.

"They need us – governments, humanitarians, ordinary citizens – to stay with them and stay the course."

He added: "Some Afghans will inevitably need to seek safety across the country’s borders. 

"They must be able to exercise their right to seek international protection, and borders must be kept open for them for this purpose."

The final flight from Kabul left on Monday, ending the biggest military evacuation in 80 years.

Thousands have been extricated so far – but there are fears many more people at risk may still be there.

In a resolution on Monday, the UN Security Council urged the Taliban to allow safe passage for those seeking to leave – but it did not mention the creation of a safe zone.

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