As U.S. troops pack up, many American allies trapped in Afghanistan are losing any hope of escaping and questioning why they’ve been left behind.
By Natashya Gutierrez
(VICE) Just two days before the United States is set to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan, a member of the Taliban slammed an American-funded media outlet and its journalists on Twitter.
Abdul saw that tweet and his heart sank. As an Afghan journalist working for that outlet, he had known that he was in danger, but the tweet felt like a confirmation of his fate. This, especially as his only hope to leave Afghanistan was dwindling, with the U.S. sticking to its withdrawal deadline of August 31. His name, like others in this piece, have been changed for his protection.
“I am scared of what will happen after they leave us here. We are already threatened, because of our association,” he told VICE World News, a day before the departure of U.S. troops.
Abdul is one of many Afghans whose hopes of departing are fading as the clock runs out. In recent weeks, the Taliban swiftly recaptured the country and overthrew the U.S.-supported Afghan government. Many Afghan allies fear retribution and a return to human rights abuses that characterised the Islamic fundamentalist group’s rule from 1996 to 2001.