Afghan Interpreter “Going to Die for a Good Thing” for Helping US

An Afghan interpreter who helped US forces in Afghanistan has accepted that he likely will not be evacuated from the country and is going to die, but does not regret sacrificing his life for doing “a good thing,” he said recently.

Many fear that the Taliban will retaliate against those who aided the US during their time in the country — along with their loved ones.

The man, identified only by the name “Carl,” who helped the US for over a decade, described witnessing the suicide bombings at the Kabul airport that killed 169 Afghan civilians and 13 US service members on Thursday.

The Afghan interpreter, himself part of the massive crowd of civilians hoping to flee the country at the airport, described the event in horrifying detail.

“When the explosion happened, so everybody started running … and I was pushing … toward the explosion because I knew that there would be casualties,” Carl stated to Fox News. The man hoped to help the injured.

“There was a woman, she was crying, and there was a baby that was lying on the ground, so I went for her. I grabbed her and put her on my shoulder… I tried to get her to the hospital – we got in a bad traffic… When I get to the hospital, she died right in my hands,” he recalled.

Chances of evacuation slim for Afghan interpreter after US withdrawal

The United States announced that it had completed its withdrawal of U.S. service members from Afghanistan on Monday evening. The U.S. had set August 31st as the deadline for their withdrawal from the middle eastern country, ending an occupation that has lasted for 20 years.

Now that the last US forces have left the country, signaling the end of one of the longest wars in US history, the Afghan interpreter’s chances of fleeing the country are slight.

There are at least 100 to 200 U.S. citizens remaining in Afghanistan who are currently awaiting evacuation, according to the most recent estimates. Residents of Afghanistan who hold U.S. passports have also been seeking alternate methods of leaving the country.

Jen Wilson, the COO of Army Week Association, who was included on the segment on Fox News in which Carl was interviewed, expressed her dedication to helping the man escape the country.

“I’m going to die for a good thing”

Despite this effort to extract him, the Afghan interpreter seemingly accepted that he will not be able to leave the country, and will likely be killed by the Taliban.

“I know that I’m going to be left behind … I know that I’m going to get killed,” Carl stated flatly.

Although he believes he will not survive, Carl stated that he does not regret helping the American effort in Afghanistan.

“The good thing is that I’m not going to die for a bad thing. I’m going to die for a good thing. What I did, I will never regret it because I have tried to help people,” he stated.

Wilson, clearly moved by Carl’s  statement, stressed that she will continue to help him leave. “If it is the last thing I do, we’re going to get you out,” she promised the Afghan interpreter who had for so long risked his life to help US forces.

US begins fight against ISIS-K

Although the US has officially left Afghanistan in a military capacity, the country is still focused on diplomatic efforts there.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that the US is entering a new phase of “engagement” with Afghanistan after the turbulence of the Taliban’s rise to power and the terrorist attack executed by ISIS-K at the Kabul airport:

“A new chapter of America’s engagement with Afghanistan has begun. It’s one in which we will lead with our diplomacy. The military mission is over. A new diplomatic mission has begun,” he vowed.