‘I’m not sure that I can get out…’ — trapped Afghan interpreter speaks from Kabul

Interview Transcript

Howard Altman:

Describe the situation in Kabul right now.

Afghan Interpreter:

Right now, it’s the Taliban with the white turban with a long beard …. regular vehicles with AK-47’s, with rockets.

Right now our life is at risk in Afghanistan.

I’m afraid.

I don’t know what is going in my future. My future is you know very difficult.

The UK and also the United States, they didn’t try to even … I didn’t receive any call from them that I go from Afghanistan.

Right now I hide myself at home.

The situation is not good.

Everywhere you can see the Taliban with the white flags, with white beards.

I’m sure the future will be not good for me and my children.

I fear because there will be no education for my child. There is no social media. As we see the TV, the the TV they stop. Music, nothing. Just Islamic program and also there is just news, only the news.

Howard Altman:

Is the Taliban letting people through to the airport?

Afghan Interpreter:

Yeah, yeah, at the moment the Taliban won’t stop people to go inside the airport. They didn’t stop anybody. But the security doors now belong to the Americans. That’s why, you know, the Taliban will not stop anybody at the moment to go inside the airport, because the security does not belong to the Taliban at the moment. So, they won’t say anything to the people.

Howard Altman:

Oh, so they’re letting, the Taliban is letting people through to the airport right now?

Afghan Interpreter:

Yeah, yeah the Taliban will let the people to go inside, but American will let the people and so the Taliban won’t stop the people to go inside the airport because the security does not belong to the Taliban.

If the Taliban gets the security of the airport, I’m sure they won’t let people to go inside the airport.

Howard Altman:

What’s your message to the president of the United States and to the Pentagon?

Afghan Interpreter:

I applied for the ISV like 20 days ago.

I didn’t receive my case number because people said it would take like 45 days to get a case number.

But unfortunately, the Taliban came very soon, because Americans, Americans they all said it would take three months for the Taliban to arrive to Kabul. But it didn’t take one week.

Within one week they came to Kabul and all the people, they lose their hope. Even I lose my hope.

At the moment, I am not sure that I can get out, that I can come to America unless some people help me to come to America.

Howard Altman:

Is there anything else you wanted to say about your situation in Kabul and the US leaving and you fearing of what’s going to happen next?

Afghan Interpreter:

You know, right now, really I’m afraid, really afraid because I don’t know.

I’m afraid, you know, that they kill me or I don’t know about my three child, which they are, you know, my eldest daughter is like six years old, and the other two are four and five years old. So I don’t know what is going for their future. You know, I afraid too much.

Yes, I want justice. Someone to help us, and rescue us from this bad situation.

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Note: The former U.S. interpreter requested to remain anonymous for fear he would be targeted and killed.