‘We gave everything’: Afghan allies abandoned by U.S. share fears of life under Taliban
PBS News Hour - Segments
PBS NewsHour
4.1 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 5 September 2025
⏱️ 7 minutes
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| 0:00.0 | Four years ago this past Sunday, the last American soldier walked up the ramp of the last |
| 0:06.4 | departing military flight out of Kabul, ending nearly 20 years of the American war in Afghanistan. |
| 0:13.0 | The U.S. also left thousands of Afghans behind who had worked with the United States and believed |
| 0:18.1 | in the American-led war against the Taliban. |
| 0:21.2 | Many of them are still left behind after the Trump administration suspended all relocation |
| 0:25.8 | programs. |
| 0:27.0 | Nick Schifrin spoke with two men still in Afghanistan about the fear they live with today |
| 0:32.3 | and the dark memories from the Taliban takeover. Four years ago, a community forsaken. |
| 0:46.3 | Thousands of Afghans flooded Kabul airport, desperate to flee, |
| 0:51.3 | and many, having worked with the U.S., begged American soldiers for a chance to keep their freedom. |
| 1:01.9 | As the Taliban took back Afghanistan, and after two decades, the United States withdrew. |
| 1:08.9 | That was very, very bad scenario for us, not only for my family, for all the Afghans, |
| 1:13.6 | especially those who work with international India and for the U.S. |
| 1:18.6 | During that time, we have to say we lost our hope. |
| 1:21.6 | This is a man we'll call Mohammed, who's still in Afghanistan, |
| 1:24.6 | and whose identity we are concealing and voice we are |
| 1:28.0 | altering. |
| 1:29.2 | He was a humanitarian coordinator for more than 20 years. |
| 1:32.6 | He worked with USAID, the UN, and others to promote women's rights, expand education, |
| 1:39.6 | and bring together community leaders from across the country to build peace. |
| 1:48.8 | What were you trying to accomplish by helping the U.S. and the U.N. in Afghanistan? |
| 1:54.0 | The United States tried to develop or increase democracy in Afghanistan in human rights, |
... |
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