Afghan interpreters fear US ‘leaving them to die’ at hands of Taliban

Thousands of Afghan interpreters who risked their lives to help the US military face new threats as they attempt to secure visas promised to them by the American government, which is now pulling its forces out of their homeland, according to reports.

“I don’t know why it takes so long, we are already in the United States’ database,” one former interpreter, Zia Ghafoori, told the BBC. “I don’t know who could explain to the State Department what these guys have done for both countries.” Roughly 70,000 Afghan interpreters and their families have moved to the United States since 2008 under a special visa program to reward them for their service. But 20,000 more are still in Afghanistan, seeking a path to the United States.