"My interpreter saved my life. Now the Taliban want to kill him, and the US is stalling on his visa"
19 replies, posted
[QUOTE]Five years ago, my Afghan interpreter Janis Shinwari saved my life in a firefight against the Taliban. Ever since then, I've been trying to save his as the Taliban placed him on a kill list for his service to the US military.
Afghan and Iraqi interpreters are promised that if they give the United States military one year of "faithful and valuable service", they and their immediate families will receive Special Immigrant Visas to come to the United States. Janis has served our military for the past nine years. He has more than earned his place in America, so you can imagine our joy when after years of pleading with the State Department, the US embassy in Kabul issued him and his family US visas two weeks ago.
But this past Saturday, everything came crashing down. Janis called me at 2am in a panic. After giving him and his family their salvation, the State Department revoked it only two weeks later without any explanation.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE]Since his case attracted a large amount of US and international media attention, I fear it has only further raised his profile and his target for Taliban attacks. Any delay in his travel to the US raises the prospects of Taliban reprisal against him and his family. By revoking his visa, the US is literally endangering his life.
I fear at this point we can only save Janis by shaming the US government into doing the right thing.
I will do whatever I have to to save his life. The United States military doesn't leave a solider behind. Janis is a member of my unit – a brother in arms – still trapped in Afghanistan. I will not leave him behind.[/QUOTE]
[URL="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/26/afghan-interpreter-janis-shinwari-visa-revoked?CMP=twt_gu"]http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/26/afghan-interpreter-janis-shinwari-visa-revoked?CMP=twt_gu[/URL]
It's pretty depressing that the US government would do this to someone who served in the US Army for almost a decade - but at the same time it barely surprises me
Who dont the talaban want to kill. They really need to get over themselves.
[QUOTE=Mudbone;42316900]Who dont the talaban want to kill. They really need to get over themselves.[/QUOTE]
If you are on their list, they will actively seek you out.
-snip, not proud of myself-
[QUOTE=GlebGuy;42316916]When things finally start crashing down, when people really start to think twice and get fed-up, when everyone gets up and fights against such corrupted governments and structures, I only hope that those bastards won't act surprised.[/QUOTE]
What
[QUOTE=GlebGuy;42316916]When things finally start crashing down, when people really start to think twice and get fed-up, when everyone gets up and fights against such corrupted governments and structures, I only hope that those bastards won't act surprised.[/QUOTE]
fight the power!
Brofist!
911 was an inside job!
[QUOTE=J!NX;42316950]fight the power![/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Nestophales;42316931]What[/QUOTE]
Okay, I admit, that sounded really edgy on my part, sorry. v:v:v
It's just, almost every single day I read news how some government or political power blatantly denies help or out-right ruins everything.
Let's not derail the thread, sorry.
[QUOTE=GlebGuy;42316980]Okay, I admit, that sounded really edgy on my part, sorry. v:v:v
It's just, almost every single day I read news how some government or political power blatantly denies help or out-right ruins everything.
Let's not derail the thread, sorry.[/QUOTE]
to be fair "The government" is kind of extremely complex and can't handle everything at once
it's not some computer that can just calculate thousands of visas, and everything else, all at once
[QUOTE=J!NX;42316998]to be fair "The government" is kind of extremely complex and can't handle everything at once
it's not some computer that can just calculate thousands of visas, and everything else, all at once[/QUOTE]
True, but when you have a soldier who's served the country for 9 years and is now on Taliban's kill-list, I'm pretty sure your priorities would have to switch in order to save the poor guy.
Edit:
I mean, back in the 60s or 70s, decades ago, stuff like this would probably be considered pretty important. I don't think people would have left a man like that one in such trouble. ...But hey I'm no expert, just seems like that to me.
[QUOTE=GlebGuy;42317026]True, but when you have a soldier who's served the country for 9 years and is now on Taliban's kill-list, I'm pretty sure your priorities would have to switch in order to save the poor guy.
Edit:
I mean, back in the 60s or 70s, decades ago, stuff like this would probably be considered pretty important. I don't think people would have left a man like that one in such trouble. ...But hey I'm no expert, just seems like that to me.[/QUOTE]
Lol how do bureaucracies work
[QUOTE=GlebGuy;42317026]True, but when you have a soldier who's served the country for 9 years and is now on Taliban's kill-list, I'm pretty sure your priorities would have to switch in order to save the poor guy.
Edit:
I mean, back in the 60s or 70s, decades ago, stuff like this would probably be considered pretty important. I don't think people would have left a man like that one in such trouble. ...But hey I'm no expert, just seems like that to me.[/QUOTE]
1. He's not a soldier. Read the article.
2. In the 60s or 70s, he probably wouldn't be getting considered at all. How many interpreters came to the US from Vietnam with special permits? You're making some pretty wild assumptions.
3. You sure are quick to assume malice. Note that the promise was not just immigration for him, but for his family as well. I would not be surprised at all if it turns out that someone in his family has ties (even if distant) to the Taliban and they're concerned about security. Working these things out can take a very long time. It's unfortunate, and of course people are going to complain about the perceived heartlessness of the officials- but the same people would be complaining if we brought terrorists into the country because we didn't check closely enough. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
The incoming government shutdown probably won't be helping his case.
No sense arguing with him he seems either really young or niave
[QUOTE=catbarf;42317603]3. You sure are quick to assume malice. Note that the promise was not just immigration for him, but for his family as well. I would not be surprised at all if it turns out that someone in his family has ties (even if distant) to the Taliban and they're concerned about security. Working these things out can take a very long time. It's unfortunate, and of course people are going to complain about the perceived heartlessness of the officials- but the same people would be complaining if we brought terrorists into the country because we didn't check closely enough. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.[/QUOTE]
Don't be ridiculous. If they were concerned about security they would have checked him and his family's backgrounds before they let him be an interpreter and be in close proximity to US soldiers for 9 years.
[editline]26th September 2013[/editline]
They literally left him up shit's creek without a paddle. They didn't even give him an explanation. Is it malice? Maybe, maybe not. But it sure is cruel.
It's well documented that the US has done a terrible job of looking out for people who worked for the US in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a lot of them ended up being shot as collaborators as soon as the troops moved out. IMO, it's because there is a huge bias against letting anyone from those countries immigrate to the US, because everyone in charge of that decision thinks everyone from Iraq and Afghanistan are obviously terrorists.
[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;42318307]It's well documented that the US has done a terrible job of looking out for people who worked for the US in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a lot of them ended up being shot as collaborators as soon as the troops moved out..[/QUOTE]
and that same government attacks wikileaks for putting interpreters and people who help out the US.
[QUOTE=SgtCr4zyGunz;42317635]Don't be ridiculous. If they were concerned about security they would have checked him and his family's backgrounds before they let him be an interpreter and be in close proximity to US soldiers for 9 years.[/QUOTE]
No, not really. I don't think you realize just how difficult and time-consuming it is to do any investigation over in the Middle East. Even just figuring out who someone's relatives are can be a serious problem. The simplest solution with interpreters, contractors, and other services provided by local civilians is to ask around about the individual in question and then try to minimize the risk they pose. You can find [URL="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/30/afghan-police-uniform-british-troops-dead"]plenty of examples[/URL] where this system failed because it's so difficult, but when it comes to immigration they don't have a choice. They have to be absolutely certain that they can trust anyone being brought along, otherwise it's a vulnerability.
And there are many different levels of trust. It doesn't take much to trust someone not to try to kill you when they're out working with you in the field, and of course make sure they're unarmed just to be safe. It's a whole different thing to trust someone's entire family to have only the best intentions when coming to your own country. It takes an average of a year for an American to pass a security clearance in the US, assuming there are no hiccups along the way. I can guarantee it isn't exactly faster over in the Middle East.
Again, that's just one possibility. There are others, and definitely a lot of potential explanations that aren't 'lol fuk u for helping us'.
I'm not really surprised people can't expect the US to do what it promises to do.
He should probably go apply for asylum somewhere else then, I doubt the US will come through for him any time soon.
same shit happened in vietnam, only worse once it was all over
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