Twice-wounded and decorated Canadian embassy guard frustrated Ottawa won’t help him escape Afghanistan
An Afghan security guard who was twice wounded and decorated for protecting the Canadian embassy in Kabul has been stranded in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in August, his appeals for help from Canada left unanswered.
Walid and his family are now hiding in safe houses. They fear for their lives. The family’s home in Baghlan has been confiscated by the Taliban. Walid said he recently narrowly avoided capture when the Taliban came searching for him at a safe house while he was elsewhere. “I worked for 13 years for the embassy and I threw myself into the war zone so I could protect the staff of Canada while they were working in our country,” he said. “At one time, I thought if I get killed at least Canada will be protecting my children, because I am the only one supporting my family.”
The interview with Walid was translated by New Hampshire Democratic state legislator Safiya Wazir, who knows Walid’s family. She brought his situation to the attention of The Globe and Mail after her repeated attempts to contact Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government went unanswered. Seven months ago, an official in the Prime Minister’s Office promised to respond to Ms. Wazir’s e-mailed request for help. “I have never heard a single response,” she said.
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