Afghan interpreter must be rescued from Taliban, says retired N.L. military officer

When news broke that coalition forces were leaving Afghanistan this summer, James Camsell feared his friend "Joe" might be dead. The Taliban has tried to kill Joe before, and Camsell, a retired Canadian Armed Forces brigadier-general who served in Afghanistan between 2008 and 2009, hadn't spoken with him in more than a decade.

"I never thought I would hear from him again," he said. But then in August, Camsell got an email from the Afghan man who had worked alongside him as an interpreter in Kandahar province. Camsell calls him "Joe" to protect his real identity.

"He contacted me looking for help to immigrate to Canada," Camsell said. "I gave him some information, and then didn't hear from him for a few weeks."

Then Kabul fell.

"I assumed he was on the run or he had been killed," he said.

In early September, another email arrived. It was Joe, now desperate, who disclosed he was in hiding with his family.

"He's scared," Camsell said. "He's frightened about feeding his family because he can't get to a bank ... the Taliban [are] questioning people in lineups. He was saying, 'Help me. I need Canada to help me.'"