U.S. troops 'blocking former Italian army interpeters access to Kabul airport'
INSIDER NEWSDESK
|
20 August 2021
Former Afghan interpreters to Italian army and families awaiting access to Kabul Airport as American troops deny access. PHOTO CREDIT: Copyright FM\ITALIAN INSIDER
KABUL -- Hundreds of Afghan for interpreters for the italian army in Afghanistan and their families have been denied entry to Kabul Airport to get on Italian flights to Italy because American soldiers controlling the airport gate are witholding access to the gate area to Italian authorities inside the facility, one of the interpreters said Friday.
"What I can say about Italians is that they unable to get the interpreters inside because of the huge presence of American forces at the gate who only allow people with valud visas, green cards, and other documents to enter," the interpreter told the italian Insider.
Italian authorities inside the airport only briefly came to the gate and were unable or unwilling to help bring the 300 into the airport, he added.
"Italians only showed up at the east gate twice in the last 36 hours for about 10 minutes and then they left," the interpreter said, speaking on condition he not be named.
"They could only get Ali Safdari, our representative inside who has probably been airlifted because we have lost contact with him since this afternoon."
"For the moment our group doesn't have any point of contact from anybody. All our group members have left the gate due to two days of going without food and sleep. plus our phone batteries have died too."
The Times of London quoted airport sources as saying that "flights bound for Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, France and Italy took off with only a few dozen people on board."
The Italian Defence ministry has not responded to Italian Insider's request for comment.
jp
