How a soldier staged a fake wedding to help save the lives of 400 people
US armed forces left Afghanistan after 20 years of torment in the summer of 2021.
Soon after the escape, the Taliban captured the country’s capital city, Kabul, giving them further power over the helpless nation.
As American troops were flown back to their loving families, they couldn’t forget about the Afghans clinging onto those very planes in the desperate hope of fleeing the Taliban.
But one soldier simply couldn’t accept the war was over while his ex-Afghan comrades were still trapped in the Middle East fearing for their lives.
Jason Kander, one of the soldiers to return home in 2021, told CBS News: ‘I mean it felt like defeat, because technically it was a defeat.
‘But it felt much more like leaving people behind personally.
‘To know that there were people there who had put their lives on the line for us. It felt like leaving a friend behind when you had promised them you wouldn’t.’
While in Afghanistan, Jason had been an Army Intelligence officer, speaking to people to try and gain information – along with his translator, Salam Raoufi.
Jason asked Salam if he had any family left stranded in the warzone, and was told that Salam’s cousin, Rahim, was wanted by the Taliban in Afghanistan because he was in possession of critical documents.
Rahim had received night letters directly from the terrorist group, one reading: ‘Your whole family is sentenced to death for betraying the Islamic Emirate (Taliban).’
And with the Taliban patrolling Kabul airport, Rahim and his family of 12 were without an escape route.
So Jason took it upon himself, along with a few others, to save Kabul’s family – and he did so in the most extraordinary way.
He said: ‘Ultimately, I just made the decision that it didn’t matter. I would deal with it afterwards.
‘And I made the decision, which I knew at the time was probably poor judgement, to say to Rahim: “No matter how long it takes, we’re gonna get this done.”
Jason began formulating a plan to transport the Rauffi family 11 hours north to the city of Mazar-e-Sharif, an area not so dominated by the Taliban – but the journey would be a treacherous one.
Rahim recalls being stopped by the Taliban just a few minutes into the drive.
He told CBS: ‘Suddenly, the Taliban came out in front of my car. And they had their gun in their hands.
‘The Taliban searched me and the driver, and they have their gun. And the kids thought that they are going to shoot me or the driver.
‘Only because of the kids crying and shouting they just released us.’
The Rauffis made it to the northern city, but shortly after their arrival the Taliban paraded trough the city, meaning the clan of 12 were forced to go into hiding.
A couple of weeks later, Jason sent Rahim a location, telling him: ‘Today’s the day. You’re moving.
‘One bag per person. This is the location I am sending you. You have a code and it’s Bella, my daughter’s name.’
The Rauffis went to the location, a large hall inside a wedding palace.
Rahim gave a person manning a door his code – Bella – and the door opened. What Rahim saw inside he couldn’t believe.
‘When they open the door, I was shocked,’ he said.
‘I see that there are more people. There are women, men, kids with their bag. 370 or 380 people.
‘Someone told me: “Welcome to the wedding party.”
Jason had organised a fake wedding – a foil to fool the Taliban -and it lasted three days.
Eventually, Jason and his helpers had raised enough money to put the entire wedding party on a flight to Albania.
The party were transported to a local airport, swarming with Taliban, on buses, with their handmade boarding passes packed to try and fool the Taliban.
Extraordinarily, it worked.
When they arrived in Albania, with champagne bottles to celebrate, the Afghans were taken to a seaside resort – it must have felt like heaven.
Rahim said: ‘That was a very beautiful hotel. with the ocean view.
‘When we arrive there, I say wow.’
But, as Jason pleaded with the Department of Homeland Security to let the escapees into America, the Afghans were stuck in Albania for more then a year.
Two years passed and, at last, they were granted permission to settle in America.
Jason, the Afghan’s saviour, said: ‘It was sort of an out-of-body experience.
‘And to see my kid and the Rauffi kids sitting on the floor playing and not needing any language, it really underlined for me what I had felt all along, which was that there’s not really any difference between these kids and my kids.
‘It was pretty special.’
Rahim now works in a bank in Kansas City, the very same city that Jason lives in.
Jason still suffers with PTSD from the war, but wants to remind Americans of one thing.
‘Every Afghan that you meet did something heroic to get here.
‘And when you first meet them they might be in a job where you may not think about that.
‘They might be bussing your table, they might be driving your Uber. But these are some of the most industrious and resilient and incredible people that you’ll ever meet.
‘And I just would like Americans to know that.’
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