US To Evacuate Some Afghan Interpreters Before Troops Withdrawal: Report

The move would keep the interpreters, facing violent reprisal from Taliban forces, safe as their special immigrant visas (SIVs) are processed, said an official.

The United States plans to evacuate at least some Afghan interpreters who have worked with US forces before the full withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, a senior official said Thursday. The move would keep the interpreters, facing violent reprisal from Taliban forces, safe as their special immigrant visas (SIVs) are processed, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "We have identified a group of SIV applicants who have served as interpreters and translators to be relocated to another location outside of Afghanistan before we complete our military drawdown by September, in order to complete the visa application process," the official said. The official did not specify the number of interpreters or their destinations, but said their visa applications were "already in the pipeline."