An Afghan interpreter who in 2008 helped rescue then-Senator Joe Biden is now stuck in Afghanistan despite the US vowing to protect those who helped it during its 20-year-long mission, which ended this week as the last US soldier pulled out.
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"Hello Mr. President: Save me and my family," the interpreter, Mohammed, told the Wall Street Journal. "Don't forget me here."
Mohammed was an interpreter accompanying Biden and other senators on a tour of the country when their helicopter had to make an emergency landing in a remote valley. Using his local skills they managed to survive unharmed until they were rescued.
Mohammed's visa documents were lost after his US contractor left the country abruptly, according to a US service member who spoke with the paper.
He tried to flee Kabul after the Taliban took over but he was told he would only be able to do so without his family, forcing him to stay.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday acknowledged his help to Biden in 2008 and said the administration was determined to help him and other interpreters.
"Our message to him is: Thank you for fighting by our side for the last 20 years. Thank you for the role you played in helping a number of my favorite people out of a snowstorm and for all the work you did. And our commitment is enduring, not just to American citizens but to our Afghan partners who have fought by our side," Psaki said.
"And our efforts and our focus right now is, as you've heard Gen. McKenzie [CENTCOM commander] say and others say over the last 24 hours, is to the diplomatic phase. We will get you out. We will honor your service. And we're committed to doing exactly that."
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