Sulaiman, a combat interpreter, in Kabul, Afghanistan. An American visa has remained beyond his grasp, despite years of effort. Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times
Afghan Interpreters For The U.S. Are Left Stranded And At Risk -- New York Times
KABUL, Afghanistan — The first time the Taliban tried to kill him, Sulaiman was driving to his base when his truck was hit by a rocket, knocking him down a cliff.
The insurgents knew his vehicle, its license plate number and, most important, his occupation: a high-value combat interpreter for United States Special Operations troops in Afghanistan.
They left him for dead in that attack, in July 2011, but he got out with a broken collarbone, two broken ribs and a new sense of caution. Since then, he has survived two more attacks.
Sulaiman’s American supervisor no longer lets him travel by car when he leaves his military base to visit his family. But no one feels that is protection enough, given the premium that the Taliban put on killing Afghans who help American forces.
His best hope is one that has remained beyond his grasp despite years of effort: an American visa.
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My Comment: It appears that America's Afghan translators are experiencing the same fate as their Iraqi counterparts.
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