CNN reported in a story published today, Friday, that the Taliban executed an Afghan translator who had worked with the U.S. Army. The incident dates back to May 12, when Sohail Bardeis, 32, left his home in the Afghan capital of Kabul to pick up his sister in the nearby Khost province. During the five-hour journey, as Bardeis was driving through a stretch of desert, Taliban militants intercepted his vehicle at a checkpoint. Bardeis pressed the gas pedal to pass the checkpoint quickly. However, Taliban members shot at his vehicle, causing it to veer off and stop. They then dragged him out and beheaded him, according to witnesses cited by the Red Crescent.
Threats from the Taliban
A friend and coworker of Bardeis told CNN that he had informed him just days before his death that he was receiving threats from the Taliban and that the group had discovered he had served as a translator for the U.S. Army for 16 months. The friend explained that "they were telling him you are a spy for the Americans, you are the eyes of the Americans, and we will kill you and your family."
In response, the U.S. State Department strongly condemned the targeting and attacks by the Taliban on Afghan translators who worked with the U.S. Army. It’s noteworthy that despite the Taliban's pledge not to harm those who worked alongside foreign forces, many still fear reprisals they may face from the group following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
