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PETE: OUR NEXT GUEST IS AN
AFGHAN TRANSLATOR AND ADVISER
WHO WORKED WITH MY UNIT AND
OTHER U.S. FORCES FROM FROM
2007-2014.
WE KNEW HIM AS ABDUL BEFORE
BECOMING AN AMERICAN CITIZEN
THREE YEARS AGO.
RACHEL: NOW ONE YEAR AFTER THE
BOTCHED AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL
AND TALIBAN TAKEOVER OF HIS HOME
COUNTRY, HE SAYS HE FEELS LIKE
HE’S WATCHING THE NATION DIE IN
FRONT OF HIS EYES, AND THERE IS
NOTHING HE CAN DO.
HE JOINS US NOW.
SABOR, THANKS FOR JOINING US.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THE THING
THAT’S BREAKING MY HEART THE
MOST AS I READ REPORTS OUT OF
AFGHANISTAN IS THE FAMINE, IS
THE HUNGER AND PEOPLE SELLING
THEIR CHILDREN WHICH IS
MIND-BOGGLING BUT SHOWS A LEVEL
OF DESPERATION.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT?
>> WELL, GOOD MORNING,
EVERYBODY.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON THE
SHOW.
LISTEN, ONE OF THE WORST
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS HAPPENING IN
AFGHANISTAN RIGHT NOW.
IF YOU KNOW, AS YOU SAID
CLEARLY, PEOPLE ARE SLEEPING.
MY OWN RELATIVES, MY UNCLES AND
AUNTS HARD STILL THERE, THEY’RE
SLEEPING WITHOUT FOOD AT NIGHT.
AND THIS IS ALL TO SAGOS BACK
INTO THE LARGER CONTEXT OF WHAT
HAPPENED MANY AFGHANISTAN LESS
THAN A YEAR AGO, AND THAT WAS
THAT WE HANDED THE COUNTRY TO A
GROUP OF GUERRILLAS, GUERRILLA
FIGHTERS THAT DID NOT KNOW OR
DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO RUN A
GOVERNMENT.
THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT GOVERNANCE
IS ALL ABOUT.
SO ALL THEY KNOW IS HOW TO SHOOT
A WEAPON, AND THAT’S WHAT
HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAND A NATION
WITH SO MUCH HOPE INTO THE HANDS
OF THOSE KIND OF FIGHTERS, THOSE
KIND OF PEOPLE THAT DO CANNOT
UNDERSTAND THE RULE OF LAW, THAT
THAT DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IT
TAKES TO LEAD A NATION TO
PROSPERITY.
WILL: SABOOR, IT’S GREAT TO SEE
YOU.
HOW ARE YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS THAT
HAVE MADE IT TO THE STATES?
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE THE HERE
AND YET REFLECT THE WORLD AWAY
THAT IS AFGHANISTAN A YEAR
LATER?
>> PETE, REPEAT THAT ONE MORE
TIME.
YOU BROKE UP --
PETE: YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS THAT
ARE HERE, HOW ARE THEY, AND
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE HERE A
WORLD AWAY ONE YEAR LATER?
>> OH, NO, THIS IS A BLESSING TO
BE CONNECTED WITH RELATIVES AND
FAMILY.
PART OF, YOU KNOW, EMIGRATING TO
A NEW MISSION AND BUILDING A FEW
HOME -- NATION AND BUILDING A
NEW HOME IS THE SENSE OF
LONELINESS AND ISOLATION THAT
COMES WITH IT.
AND WHEN YOU SEE FAMILIES
CONNECT AND REJOIN WITH ONE
ANOTHER, IT’S TRULY A BLESSING.
AND IS WE ARE TRULY BLESSED WITH
THE SUPPORT AND LOVE THAT WE
HAVE RECEIVED FROM COMMUNITY
MEMBERS, OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS
THAT, YOU KNOW, WERE CONNECTED
BACK WITH THE9 LARGE E FAMILY.
MY BROTHERS ARE HERE, AND WE’RE
CELEBRATING.
BUT YET AT THE SAME TIME, AT THE
DINNER TABLE WE ARE LIVING WITH
SORROW AND IF GRIEF EVERY NIGHT
BECAUSE, REMEMBER, LAST YEAR AT
THIS TIME 13 SERVICEMEN AND
WOMEN OF UNITED STATES ARMED
FORCES DIED AT ABBY GATE.
170 PLUS AFGHANS DIED AT THE
ABBY GATE.
AND WHAT HAPPENED, YOU KNOW, WE
ALL TAKE THAT GRIEF WITH US.
THERE ARE FAMILIES, U.S. FAMILY
MEMBERS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE
GRIEVING OVER THE DEATH OF THEIR
LOVED ONES.
AND SO WE LIVE WITH THAT EVERY
SINGLE DAY.
DESPITE ALL OF THE HAPPINESS AND
JOY THAT WE HAVE, WE ARE -- OUR
HEARTS ARE BROKEN BECAUSE WE
KNOW MANY FRONT OF OUR EYES OUR
BIRTH NATION, A NATION WHICH WAS
FULL OF HOPE.
YOU KNOW IT, PETE, IT’S DYING
RIGHT NOW.
AND WE CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT
IT.
WILL: REALLY QUICKLY, SABOOR, WE
READ SO MUCH ABOUT THE
REGRESSION OF RIGHTS
SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO
WOMEN, BUT GENERALIZE IN
AFGHANISTAN OVER ONE YEAR, WHERE
IS THE SENSE OF -- WHAT IS THE
SENSE OF WHERE IT’S HEADED?
IS UNFOLDING SLOW WILY AND WE’RE
ONLY PARTLY THROUGH THE PROGRESS
OF THE VISION OF THE TALIBAN?
>> YEAH, THEY HAVE SAID IT, THEY
SAID WE HAVE NOT IMPLEMENTED LAW
AS OF YET.
THIS CAN ONLY GET WORSE.
LAST YEAR I WAS ON THE SHOW, AND
I SAID, LISTEN, GROUP DOES NOT
UNDERSTAND HOW TO DEAL WITH THE
MODERN WORLD.
AND THEY’RE STUCK IN POOCH -- IN
THE PAST.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE
TO UNDERSTAND WITH THIS GROUP IN
PARTICULAR AS IT RELATES TO
AFGHAN WOMEN AND THE GIRLS, AND,
YOU KNOW, NOW WE’RE COMING TO
THE FULL YEAR OF GIRLS BEING
UNABLE TO GO TO SCHOOL.
AND SO THEY’RE STUCK IN THIS, IN
THIS PATH OF SOMETHING THAT THEY
HAVE SAID THAT THAT WOMEN ARE
NOT ALLOWED, AND SO THE WORLD IS
BUILDING A LOT OF PRESSURE ON
THEM.
BUT WE’VE GOT TO DO MORE, RIGHT?
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW ALL THOSE
HOPES AND ASPIRATIONS THAT WOMEN
AND GIRLS HAD GOING TO
EDUCATION, BECOMING A BETTER
VERSION OF THEMSELVES AND DOING
BETTER THAN WHAT THEIR
COUNTERPARTS ARE ABLE TO DO
BECAUSE OF THESE BRUTAL LAWS AND
TOXIC CULTURES THAT ARE BEING
IMPLEMENTED IN AFGHANISTAN.
PETE: YOU DID SO MUCH FOR US,
YOU CONTINUE TO DO THE
EVERYTHING YOU CAN ALONGSIDE
VETS FOR OTHERS THAT ARE STILL
LEFT BEHIND IN AFGHANISTAN.
GOD BLESS YOU.
THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING SO
ELOQUENTLY ABOUT YOUR COUNTRY
BUT ALSO THE SERVICE OF
AMERICANS.
AND CONGRATULATIONS YET AGAIN ON
BEING A U.S. CITIZEN AND A
WONDERFUL MEMBER OF OUR COUNTRY.
>> PETE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
HAVING ME ON THE SHOW, AND THANK
YOU GUYS FOR ALL THAT YOU’RE
DOING.
AGAIN, ONE OF THE LAST THINGS
THAT I WILL SAY WITH REGARDS TO,
YOU KNOW, AFGHANISTAN AS A WHOLE
FALLING INTO OR GIVING --
HANDING AFGHANS INTO THE HANDS
OF SOME OF THE MOST BRUTAL
CRIMINALS OF WHAT SOME OF THEM
USED TO BE AND STILL ARE AND THE
MOST WANTED FBI LIST ARE
GOVERNING THE NATION OF OVER --
PETE: AND HARBORING al-QAEDA
AT THE SAME TIME.
T NOT GOOD.
>> YEAH.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT THIS IS
LIKE FOR THE NATION THAT, YOU
KNOW, IT’S REALLY HARD FOR
PEOPLE.
AND WE SAID IT, WE WARNED UNITED
STATES TO --
RACHEL: YOU DID.
>> -- THIS EVACUATION THAT TOOK
PLACE WAS VERY, VERY POORLY
DONE.
IT WAS NEVER DONE THE RIGHT WAY.