The suspect in the Nov. 26 shooting worked for U.S. interests in Afghanistan, like many who have relocated to the United States to escape Taliban reprisals.
After working for U.S. forces in Afghanistan for about two years, Sammy Nemat’s luck had nearly run out.
As an interpreter, Nemat’s task was to help U.S. troops navigate a battlespace where their insurgent enemies blended in with the civilian population. In that time, he faced the same threats of ambushes and roadside bombs as some of America’s most highly trained warfighters.
For Nemat, and Afghans like him, the consequences of working with U.S. forces often fell on their family members.
“If you’re fighting against the Taliban, of course death awaits you—and not only you, but your family members,” Nemat said in a recent interview with The Epoch Times.
In 2009, members of the Taliban went to the home of Nemat’s parents and beat his father. To protect Nemat, his parents lied and told the Taliban their son was already dead.
As the risk to his family rose, Nemat left Afghanistan. He eventually immigrated to the United States and became a U.S. citizen in 2021.
After an Afghan national was arrested and charged for the Nov. 26 shooting of two National Guard members patrolling a short distance from the White House, the U.S. government began imposing new restrictions on individuals immigrating from Afghanistan.
On Dec. 2, the Department of Homeland Security announced it would halt and review all pending asylum applications from Afghanistan and 18 other countries of concern.
Now, Afghans living in the United States contend with heightened scrutiny and questions of whether they truly belong.
Allies Welcome
Among the U.S. troops who worked with Nemat in Afghanistan was Corey Terry, an Army Special Forces veteran. As Terry and Nemat spoke with The Epoch Times, they repeatedly referred to each other as a brother.
“When we were going on mission, and there was enemy, he would be at the front of our formation, so he would be the one taking the first rounds,” Terry said. “I have a lot of respect for Sammy.”
Terry attested to the added threat Nemat’s family faced due to his work with U.S. forces.
“There was a constant threat and hunt of Afghans that were contracting with, and working for, the United States military,” the Special Forces veteran said.
In recognition of the risks their partners faced, Congress began taking steps in 2006 to help resettle Afghans and Iraqis who assisted U.S. forces through the conflict in those two countries.
By Ryan Morgan
