HOUSTON – A Houston-area Army veteran, who also worked as an interpreter for the United States military in Afghanistan, is desperately seeking help to rescue his family in the wake of the country’s takeover by the Taliban.
Ahmad Sayed said the Taliban recently captured and killed his brother and he doesn’t want anyone else to die.
“They videotaped how they killed my brother. They tortured him. They ripped the skin off his body. All of his feet were broken, his head was broken, ribs were broken. They shot him in the stomach many times,” Sayed said tearfully in an interview with KPRC 2.
He said the Taliban sent his brother’s body back with a message.
“They were saying this is the price when he sends his son to be a U.S. soldier,” Sayed said.
After the news of his brother’s murder, Sayed said he considered taking his own life.
“I was so guilty when I found out. I went to my bedroom, took my gun out, cocked it, (and) put it in my mouth. I was about to squeeze the trigger when my son came and knocked on the door,” Sayed said.
He called the Veteran Affairs Crisis Hotline and is now receiving the mental health support he needs.
Sayed served as an interpreter for American troops in Afghanistan for nearly a decade before officially joining their ranks.
“The first thing I did before getting my green card when I get out of the airport the next day, I went to the recruiter’s office and I asked them to allow me to enlist myself in the U.S. Army because I believed in this government,” he said.
He retired from the army in February. Now, he’s trusting in the country he loves to help him save his family.
“I contacted Ted Cruz’s office, I contacted John Cornyn’s office. I contacted Dan Crenshaw because he is a U.S. Army vet like me,” Sayed said.
He said he has filled out paperwork, but his family is in danger and doesn’t have time to wait for the bureaucratic process.
“I’m not asking the government to rescue my family. I am asking them to let me get to the plane. I’m going to fly to Qatar myself. Let me get to the military aircraft from Qatar to Kabul, let me pull my family in, let me bring them to Qatar or bring them to America. That’s all I want. Whatever I need just a pass, please give me a pass,” Sayed said.
KPRC 2 News requested comment on Sayed’s case and received the following responses from Senators Cornyn, Cruz and Congressman Crenshaw’s offices:
Spokesperson for Senator Ted Cruz:
“Sen. Cruz’s office is working diligently to connect the countless individuals who have reached out to his office regarding leaving Afghanistan and connecting them with the appropriate team at the State Department. To respect the privacy of the Senator’s Constituents, we do not discuss the details related to a constituent’s specific case or request for assistance.”
Spokesperson for Senator John Cornyn:
“Our office has been in contact with Mr. Sayed and has reached out to the State Department on his behalf. His service in the U.S. Army has been pivotal in the War on Terror and Sen. Cornyn stands ready to support other Texans and Afghanis in need despite President Biden’s botched exit strategy.”
Spokesperson for Congressman Dan Crenshaw:
“Ahmad reached out to our office on Thursday and we were immediately assisting him. Like we’ve done with the dozens of American citizens we’ve assisted in departing the country, and hundreds of Afghans we’re working to assist, we collected his family’s information and sent it to Department of Defense and Department of State contacts who’ve been helping our office process these requests. We are still in touch with our contacts trying to get his family out of the country.”