{"id":373068,"date":"2021-11-27T04:30:27","date_gmt":"2021-11-27T01:30:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/journalist-and-afghan-translator-finally-reunite-on-us-soil\/"},"modified":"2021-11-27T04:30:27","modified_gmt":"2021-11-27T01:30:27","slug":"journalist-and-afghan-translator-finally-reunite-on-us-soil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/journalist-and-afghan-translator-finally-reunite-on-us-soil\/","title":{"rendered":"#Journalist and Afghan translator finally reunite on US soil"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;<strong>#Journalist and Afghan translator finally reunite on US soil<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>They\u2019re thankful to see each other again. <\/p>\n<p>In late November 2020, journalist Toby Harnden was in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, researching his new book, \u201cFirst Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9\/11,\u201d and working with a resourceful young translator and medical student named Rohullah Sadat. <\/p>\n<p>A year later \u2014  the day after Thanksgiving \u2014 the pair were reunited outside of New Jersey\u2019s Fort Dix under very different circumstances. Harnden was taking Sadat, now a refugee, to his Virginia home, where his erstwhile translator will live in a spare room as he navigates his new life in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am going to Toby\u2019s house,\u201d Sadat, 29, told The Post. \u201cIt\u2019s exciting and emotional. I hugged him, and it was an amazing feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Harnden, who had driven three hours to the Garden State to pick up Sadat, had brought along his dog, Loafer, for the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a>. Sadat and the pooch bonded im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/Toby-Harnden-Rohullah-Sadat-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Journalist Toby Harnden and his Afghan translator Rohullah Sadat are reunited outside of Fort Dix, NJ\" class=\"wp-image-20282249\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/Toby-Harnden-Rohullah-Sadat-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/Toby-Harnden-Rohullah-Sadat-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/Toby-Harnden-Rohullah-Sadat-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/Toby-Harnden-Rohullah-Sadat-03.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Journalist Toby Harnden and his Afghan translator Rohullah Sadat are reunited outside of Fort Dix in New Jersey.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy Toby Harnden<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a>ly speaking, people in Afghanistan aren\u2019t used to having dogs as pets. But Loafer is a rescue \u2026 so they have a lot in common,\u201d Harnden told The Post from the road.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have to take Rohullah to some place that is classically American, like Cracker Barrel,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>After a harrowing few months, Sadat is finally getting a taste of America. <\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-nypost-inline-default\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/rohullah-sadat-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300\" alt=\"A selfie of Sadat when he first landed in Qatar after escaping Afghanistan\" class=\"wp-image-20283064\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/rohullah-sadat-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=600 600w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/rohullah-sadat-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=450 450w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/rohullah-sadat-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=300 300w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/rohullah-sadat-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=150 150w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/rohullah-sadat-2.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\"\/><figcaption>A selfie of Sadat when he first landed in Qatar after escaping Afghanistan.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of Rohullah Sadat<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>After the US withdrew from Afghanistan in late August and the Taliban subsequently seized power in the region, Sadat, like many of his countrymen, was desperate to flee. <\/p>\n<p>With no help coming from the US government, Harnden brought attention to Sadat\u2019s plight through social media and harnessed connections who facilitated his dangerous escape from Afghanistan. First Sadat flew to Doha, Qatar, where he spent a few weeks before finally heading to the US on a humanitarian parole visa. <\/p>\n<p>For the last 36 days, Sadat has been living in a refugee camp at Fort Dix \u2014 along with nearly 9,000 other Afghans \u2014 where he took classes to acclimate to life in the US.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe had culture classes and driving classes. They teach you about everything; how to go to the barber and what to tip waiters. They told us how to treat women and to respect them. In America, ladies are very kind so we don\u2019t have to take it seriously if they smile at you. Don\u2019t think they are in love with you,\u201d Sadat explained.<\/p>\n<p>They were also taught life-coping skills, such as patience and accountability. There were lessons on American history and geography. Sadat was particularly interested in Alaska and Hawaii, since they are physically detached from the mainland. And he played volleyball, basketball and football with troops on the base.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n    <\/aside>\n<p>\u201cWe beat the troops in volleyball, but football is new for us. You need a special technique to throw the ball accurately,\u201d said Sadat, who played cricket in his native land.<\/p>\n<p>He also had his first traditional turkey dinner on Thursday. During his time at Fort Dix, the polyglot, who speaks six languages, found himself acting as an interpreter for his fellow refugees. But he was eager to leave and embark on the new phase of his life.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you visit the camp, everyone is Afghan so you don\u2019t feel like you are in America. You feel like you are in Kabul,\u201d he said. But with Harnden as his established close contact, he was able to leave as an \u201cindependent departure.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/Toby-Harnden-Rohullah-Sadat-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1024\" alt=\"Harnden and Sadat in Afghanistan in November 2020\" class=\"wp-image-20283076\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/Toby-Harnden-Rohullah-Sadat-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/Toby-Harnden-Rohullah-Sadat-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/Toby-Harnden-Rohullah-Sadat-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/Toby-Harnden-Rohullah-Sadat-01.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Harnden and Sadat in Afghanistan in November 2020.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy Toby Harnden<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Most refugees remain in the camp until the government finds them housing. Currently, they are placing them in states such as Kentucky, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, according to Harnden.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was pretty keen to get out. If you have no relatives and connections, the government is finding housing. It takes time,\u201d said Harnden. <\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n    <\/aside>\n<p>The British-born US citizen, who has written two books on Afghanistan, said they will eat Thanksgiving leftovers for dinner. And Sadat is eager to try local seafood delicacies such as shrimp and crab legs. <\/p>\n<p>This weekend, they will meet with members of Team Alpha, the subject of Harnden\u2019s latest book, which chronicles the CIA\u2019s early invasion of Afghanistan. They will visit the grave of Alpha Team member and first American casualty Mike Spann, who died there 20 years ago on Nov. 25. <\/p>\n<p>Harnden said Sadat will continue to have assistance from Team Alpha members, including retired CIA officer\u00a0David Tyson, Spann\u2019s widow Shannon and a New Jersey-based doctor. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a Dr. [Abul] Azim who is an Afghan-American and left in the late \u201990s. He is a central figure in this little informal group helping Afghans. He is talking to them every day [and] seeing them through this process because he knows a lot about the system,\u201d said Harnden.<\/p>\n<p>Sadat, who was in his final year of medical school before leaving his homeland, has his own agenda.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want to continue medical school,\u201d Sadat said. But before he starts the complicated process of continuing his education and becoming a doctor, he hopes to find a job and secure his green card.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"682\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/journ-translator-giving-thanks-001.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=682\" alt=\"Sadat bonds with Loafer, Harnden's adorable rescue puppy Loafer\" class=\"wp-image-20283474\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/journ-translator-giving-thanks-001.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1023 1023w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/journ-translator-giving-thanks-001.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=682 682w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/journ-translator-giving-thanks-001.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=341 341w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/journ-translator-giving-thanks-001.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px\"\/><figcaption>Sadat bonds with Loafer, Harnden\u2019s adorable rescue puppy.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of Toby Harnden<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As Sadat drove with Harnden to his new digs in Virginia, he reflected on the horrors he witnessed while trying to escape his homeland. He saw desperate people fall off planes, watched women get trampled to death at the airport in Kabul and was tr<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ed on an overcrowded, hot bus for more than 24 hours. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a nightmare for me and I cannot get it out of my brain. I cannot forget [those who died or continue to suffer], and I feel guilty,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cBut I feel lucky and grateful, too.\u201d\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/11\/26\/journalist-and-afghan-translator-finally-reunite-on-us-soil\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Journalist and Afghan translator finally reunite on US soil&#8221; They\u2019re thankful to see each other again. In late November 2020, journalist Toby Harnden was in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, researching his new book, \u201cFirst Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9\/11,\u201d and working with a resourceful young translator and medical student named Rohullah&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":373069,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/11\/Toby-Harnden-Rohullah-Sadat-hp2-1.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[120349,70629,72315,120413],"class_list":["post-373068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-11-26-21","tag-9-11","tag-afghanistan","tag-refugee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/373068","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=373068"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/373068\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/373069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=373068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=373068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=373068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}