Skip to main content

New top story from Time: The Man the U.S. Didn’t Mean to Kill in Afghanistan

https://ift.tt/3B37b0V

It was a hot afternoon in late August, and two friends sat in a white Toyota Corolla, watching a long line of people waiting to get money from a bank in downtown Kabul. They were parked in Shahr-e Naw, a neighborhood that was, until recently, a trendy place where young urbanites liked to hang out. Two weeks after the Taliban had taken over, the friends talked about how different things looked. People weren’t wearing the same clothes. Everything had changed so fast.

The car’s driver, 43-year-old Zamarai Ahmadi, already had plans to get out. For the last 15 years, he had been working at a small, California-based organization that was trying to tackle malnutrition in Afghanistan by introducing soybean farming and processing. As the Taliban closed in on the capital, and the U.S. announced it would grant visas to the employees of U.S.-based organizations, Zamarai had rushed to get his paperwork in order, joking with colleagues that he’d be at the front of the line because he’d worked there the longest. Everyone knew the Taliban didn’t like foreigners, and Zamarai was nervous. “He didn’t feel safe at all,’” recalls Han, the friend with him in the car that day, who requested only part of his name be used for his own security.
[time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”]

Zamarai was in more danger than he knew, but the Taliban wasn’t the threat. By the time he headed home, the U.S. military had been tracking him for about eight hours. Three days earlier, on Aug. 26, ISIS-K operatives had killed 13 American troops and more than 100 Afghans in an attack on the Kabul airport as the U.S. evacuated people ahead of its withdrawal deadline. Now the U.S. military was fielding new intelligence that another ISIS-K assault was imminent, and that the group planned to carry it out using a white Toyota Corolla, a popular make and model in Afghanistan. After Zamarai stopped at a building the military believed was being used by ISIS-K, an MQ-9 Reaper drone locked onto his vehicle. As he backed his car into the cramped courtyard of his home a few miles from the airport, hours after his conversation with Han, a drone dropped a single Hellfire missile squarely on its target. It was 4:53PM.

The strike shredded the Corolla, warping part of its frame into a twisted half moon and killing ten people, including Zamarai and three of his children. It was precise and brutal—a “righteous” strike, as Gen. Mark Milley called it a few days later. But it wasn’t long before the U.S. military would conclude, along with several U.S. media outlets, that they had made a gross error; it was “highly unlikely” that the car or anyone killed that day was affiliated with ISIS-K, U.S. Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said. The intelligence, the car, the driver, the courtyard, the dead children were all a horrific, precision-guided coda to America’s misguided 20-year war in which tens of thousands of Afghan civilians lost their lives.

Relatives and neighbors of the Ahmadi family gathered around the incinerated husk of a vehicle, targeted a day earlier by an American drone strike, in Kabul on Aug. 30, 2021. Ten civilians, including seven children, were killed.
Marcus Yam—Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesRelatives and neighbors of the Ahmadi family gathered around the incinerated husk of a vehicle, targeted a day earlier by an American drone strike, in Kabul on Aug. 30, 2021. Ten civilians, including seven children, were killed.

Zamarai, as his friends called him, grew up in Kabul, where his family had lived for decades. He started working for Nutrition and Education International (NEI) as a handyman in 2006. He didn’t know how to read or write, but it quickly became obvious that he had a knack for mechanics. NEI regularly brought in international engineers to help set up soy processing factories around the country, and Zamarai would help them. He eventually rose through the ranks to become the organization’s technical engineer. “That title wasn’t given to him because we liked him,” says Dr. Steven Kwon, NEI’s president and founder in Pasadena, California. “It was because he was capable.”

But everyone did like Zamarai. By several friends and colleagues’ accounts, he was the kind of person that things naturally revolved around. “Not a quiet person,” laughs his boss, Dr. Walid, who also requested only part of his name be used. He was quick with a joke and a smile, trying to make people feel at ease in a country where things are so often uneasy. Years ago, his family asked him to step in after his uncle died and marry his widow. He did, becoming a stepfather and later having four children of his own. On his modest engineer’s salary, he helped support his younger brothers and their families, with whom he shared a home. Money was tight, but things were good, those who knew him said.

At work, Zamarai was the office’s go-to guy. He’d been there longer than almost anybody. Officially, his job was to make sure the organization’s soy processing facilities stayed up and running. But he also fixed the plumbing, gardened, and took overseas visitors out to a local lunch spot for a plate of palau. At the end of the work day, he’d hit the gym on the office compound, where he and Dr. Walid had set up a loudspeaker to play music while they worked out. Sometimes they took the party outside and played volleyball instead, blasting Bollywood tunes over the compound walls.

When NEI downsized a few years ago and let one of its drivers go, Zamarai stepped in and started driving a kind of office carpool. On workdays, he left his house in the morning in the Corolla to pick up colleagues on the way to the office, and at the end of the day, he dropped them off before returning home. “It was not his job, but he was a very humble person,” says one co-worker, who requested his name not be used due to security concerns. “Any way he was needed, he was ready to do it.”

Zamarai loved Afghanistan, but like so many others, he was growing desperate to leave.
Courtesy NEIZamarai loved Afghanistan, but like so many others, he was growing desperate to leave.

Zamarai ended up traveling around the country for work, troubleshooting at NEI’s various soy processing plants. He liked getting out of the dusty, frenetic capital, particularly if there was a friend from the office going with him. He’d use the opportunity to take in the local sites, something that got harder as the countryside got more dangerous during the war. He’d stop to take pictures, pick up local food, and play music from his phone in the car.

Zamarai loved Afghanistan, but like so many others, he was growing desperate to leave. Four days before he was killed, he went with another longtime colleague to distribute food to people living in a Kabul park after fleeing their homes during the last days of the war. The two aid workers sat and talked, discussing the situation since the Taliban had taken over. Zamarai was worried about his family’s safety, and wondered how, if the Taliban wouldn’t allow the U.S.-based organization to keep operating, they would make it. After he submitted his paperwork to leave, he was excited about the prospect of starting over in the U.S., several people said.

All of this may have been weighing on Zamarai the morning he was killed. Whatever it was, “he was not 100%,” recalls Han. Zamarai had picked Han up at his home. The friends hadn’t seen each other in a while and they caught up, talked about their U.S. paperwork. They bought french fries and bread for breakfast, picked up Dr. Walid’s computer that he’d forgotten at home, went to the NEI office, and later, the bank and a couple of Taliban security checkpoints to get permission to distribute emergency food for the non-profit.

To the U.S. military, scrambling to prevent another deadly attack on the U.S. troops, Zamarai’s very normal day apparently aligned with alarming intelligence they were receiving about a planned ISIS-K attack. As many as six Reapers were watching one of the buildings Zamarai stopped at that morning. Dr. Walid believes it was his home, where Zamarai picked up a laptop, that the U.S. thought was an ISIS-K safe house. He denies any association with ISIS-K. “We’ve been living here for 40 years,” he says. “None of us are affiliated with that group… We don’t even talk about it.”

A man bids farewell to Zamarai Ahmadi in his casket during a mass funeral in Kabul on Aug. 30, 2021.
Marcus Yam—Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesA man bids farewell to Zamarai Ahmadi in his casket during a mass funeral in Kabul on Aug. 30, 2021.

Nevertheless, the U.S. strike cell watching Zamarai apparently concluded his movements confirmed what they were hearing. By the time he arrived at the courtyard of his home, about two miles from the airport, the military decided they couldn’t wait for the car to get any closer to the U.S. troops nearby. They dropped the missile, killing Zamarai and his three sons, along with another adult and five other children. The explosion was heard across the neighborhood. In videos that circulated afterwards, a giant plume of smoke rises between rooftops. A man frantically aims a fire extinguisher at the vehicle as it burns.

The U.S. initially said it had thwarted an ISIS-K plot. But the people who had worked with Zamarai for years at NEI always knew the U.S. had the wrong person. It could never have been him, they all said. And three weeks later, McKenzie admitted as much, calling the assault a tragic mistake. “Clearly our intelligence was wrong on this particular white Toyota Corolla,” McKenzie told reporters. “We thought this was a good lead. We were wrong.”

The U.S. cleared Zamarai’s name, but it didn’t clear the lingering sense of suspicion his colleagues feel hangs over them now. It doesn’t solve the problem of what his widow and surviving children will do without any income, in a country where it’s an open question whether women will be allowed to work. They are now in a safe house in Kabul, where nobody will recognize them. NEI is asking the U.S. for help getting them and all of their Kabul staff out of the country, while Congress deliberates whether or not to offer the family compensation.

They, more than anyone, bear the burden of the last fatal mistake of America’s misguided war in Afghanistan. Kabul is full of white Corollas, clogging the roads, honking their horns, waiting at road blocks, stopping to hail a friend. It could have been anybody in any one of those cars that day. But it was Zamarai Ahmadi—jokester, gym rat, music lover, husband, father, optimist.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

India records 43,082 new Covid-19 cases, 492 deaths in a day; tally breaches 93 lakh-mark https://ift.tt/3mdvWjd

India on Friday reported 43,082 new coronavirus cases and 492 deaths, taking total number of cases in the country to 93 lakh. According to the Union Health Ministry data, there are currently 4 lakh active cases across the country, while over 87 lakh patients have been discharged.

New Muni Service Changes Start Saturday, August 19

New Muni Service Changes Start Saturday, August 19 By Clive Tsuma 28R 19th Avenue will run on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. starting Monday, August 21.  Back to School  With SFUSD students returning to school August 16, many families who rely on Muni to get to school will see service increase after school as part of the new schedule. Because Muni vehicles often become crowded during morning peak hours and sometimes pass up stops when there is not enough room for more riders, families are encouraged to plan their trips ahead of time and hop on Muni early to make sure students get to school on time.  With every public school in the San Francisco Unified School District being served by at least one Muni route , students can expect extra Muni service on the first day of the school this fall and continue providing service throughout the school year. While the Muni service changes won’t be implemented until August 19, school tripper service will be offered starting Au...

SFMTA’s Cable Car Signal Tower Gets a Refresh

SFMTA’s Cable Car Signal Tower Gets a Refresh By Jeremy Menzies At the corner of California and Powell Streets stands a diminutive but important building that has been in use for well over 100 years. This octagonal signal tower controls the crossing of the Powell and California Street cable car lines, and recently underwent a full restoration thanks to the skilled craftspeople at the Cable Car Division. A group photo of Muni craftspeople and shop management who worked to restore the signal tower in 2020-2021. The tower’s history dates to 1888 when the original was built by the Ferries and Cliff House Railroad, which operated cable cars on Powell Street at the time. That tower was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fires that ravaged Nob Hill. In March 1907, it was rebuilt by then-owner United Railroads of San Francisco (URR) and went back into operation. Photo showing signal tower in 1908 with the Fairmont Hotel and passengers waiting for a cable car in the background. Photo c...

PM Modi extends birthday wishes to Sonia Gandhi https://ift.tt/3lYD7eu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday extended birthday greetings to Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi. Taking to Twitter, Prime Minister Modi said, "Birthday greetings to Smt. Sonia Gandhi Ji. May God bless her with a long and healthy life."

Muni Moves You!

Muni Moves You! By Jeanne Brophy This week we are launching a campaign to welcome back Muni riders as San Francisco continues to move further into pandemic recovery. The campaign encourages transit trips to destinations throughout the city to reconnect you to the people and places that define our city and shape the communities we belong to. As many of us adopt new travel patterns for work commutes, school trips with visits to neighborhood businesses, and cultural and sporting activities, Muni offers a reliable, safe option to move about the city. The launch of the campaign coincides with steadily increasing ridership during the work week and even more increases for weekend ridership. This is good news for SF. Increased ridership will help the city wet its climate goals and reduce traffic congestion. Sustained lower transit ridership can have negative implications for the environment and traffic congestion. The campaign graphics feature the popular Muni “worm” logo originally desig...

Safer and Easier Parking in Every City-Owned Facility

Safer and Easier Parking in Every City-Owned Facility By Pamela Johnson Parking at any of our 22 city-owned facilities is now easier and safer than ever. Late last month we completed the Parking Access Revenue and Control Systems (PARCS) project. This four-year effort replaced aging parking equipment with modern technology and significant operational upgrades. Customer using new PARCS kiosk at North Beach parking garage Patrons will notice enhanced lighting, new wayfinding signs, audible alarms, cameras, gate arms, and payment machines with two-way digital intercoms . Behind the scenes is an all-new parking management system and 24/7 command center, connected to every machine. Can’t find your ticket to pay for parking?  No worries! Thanks to license plate recognition technology, cameras located at every facility’s entrance capture patrons’ plate numbers as they arrive . If a customer loses her ticket, the manager is able to re-issue a ticket based on her license plate...

Gene Henderson: Honoring Muni’s First Black Division Manager

Gene Henderson: Honoring Muni’s First Black Division Manager By Jeremy Menzies In recognition of Black History Month, we bring you the story of Gene Henderson, the first Black man to become the head of a Muni bus division, Muni’s Kirkland Division. Henderson’s Background Gene Henderson was born in Houston, Texas, in 1916. He married his wife Naomi in 1939 and then served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Following the war, Gene and his family moved to San Francisco where he began his career at the San Francisco Municipal Railway. Early Career On February 1, 1946, Henderson was hired as a streetcar motorman out of Sutro Division, which was located on the corner of 32nd Ave. and Clement St. He was hired just five years after Muni’s first Black transit operator, Audley Cole, had successfully fought to integrate the carmen’s union in 1941. In his early days at Muni, Gene worked one of the three lines running out of Sutro Division from the Ferry Building to the Richmond District o...

New Customer Information System Signs Coming to a Transit Shelter Near You!

New Customer Information System Signs Coming to a Transit Shelter Near You! By Kharima Mohamed As part of the Next Generation Customer Information System project, over 700 new Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) signs will display real-time information at Muni transit shelters. Approximately one-third of these signs will be double-sided to provide additional visibility at the highest-ridership stops and major transfer points. This week we installed a single-sided prototype at Eddy and Larkin streets. Serving the Tenderloin, an Equity Neighborhood , this sign will feature real-time predictions for the 19 Polk and 31 Balboa routes. The primary purpose for installing this prototype is to conduct in-field hardware testing, especially with rain, wind and colder temperatures.    We know there is an urgent need for more effective signage and are excited to roll out the new customer information system later this year.  The new LCD signs will eventually replace all existing Next...

Smarter Traffic Signals Prioritize Transit and People

Smarter Traffic Signals Prioritize Transit and People By Robert Lim Have you ever wondered how traffic signals could better balance the needs of all road users, whether driving, bicycling, walking or taking Muni? The SFMTA is rolling out its Connected Corridor Pilot this month to use transit platform and traffic signal sensor data to inform signal timing adjustments. The pilot also aims to collect information to support transit efficiency and street safety improvements.  Traffic engineers use signal timing adjustments as a tool to prioritize the flow of travel in specific directions or for different travel modes – Muni, people walking or driving – to meet the changing demands of the road network across different timepoints in a day. The Connected Corridors Pilot seeks to push the envelope of innovation by investing in advanced technologies, funded through a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) grant. These tools will better position the city to serve the potential future ne...

More Muni Service Coming in August

More Muni Service Coming in August By Julie Kirschbaum The SFMTA is updating and expanding our next big service change targeted for August 14. These adjustments take into account stakeholder feedback and changes in COVID-19 regulations like physical distancing and our ability to switch operators in the field rather than having to return vehicles to their yards first for cleaning. Enhancements to our previously announced plan include expanding evening service and restoring Muni Owl All-nighter service, adding back four more routes and restoring or adjusting segments on several others. Expanded Evening Service As San Francisco reopens, people are traveling later for work, shopping and dining. To help workers and shoppers get around town we plan to expand service hours on 16 key routes. Instead of 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., these routes will operate from 5 a.m. to midnight. Muni’s full late-night Owl network is scheduled to be restored in August, providing service from midnight to 5 a.m....