Since he is playing the part of an Afghan insurgent under the arrest of the U.S. Army, it was easy to understand Noor's concerns, and I assured him I'd adhere to his wishes.
I met Noor at Fort Riley this weekend where he, a family man from Afghanistan, now works to help U.S. troops better understand his country's culture and customs.
On a training run Friday at Fort Riley, Noor and three other men were ordered by Montana soldiers from a vehicle parked alongside a rural Kansas road. The vehicle had been listed by Army intelligence as suspicious, possibly belonging to insurgents operating in the area.
Shouting through an interpreter, guns trained on the four men, one Montana soldier ordered Noor and his peers to the ground. That's where they remained with their arms outstretched, lying on the cold pavement cutting that windswept Kansas field.
Fifteen minutes passed before the soldier, again shouting to his interpreter, who relayed the soldier's message in Dari, ordered Noor to his feet. The language barrier proved difficult, interpreter or not, and the scene was about to take a turn.
Either confused or disobedient, Noor tried to turn back for his car. He was tackled by a hulking Montana guardsman who tossed him to the ground, spilling Noor's change across the pavement.
That's how Noor ended up in the custody of the U.S. Army, red-faced, but none the worse for the wear.
A short while later, as the soldiers continued working with the three remaining insurgents, Noor composed himself in the dirt and mud alongside the road. He pulled his sweater back over his head, drew his gloves over his fingers, and zipped up his jacket to protect himself from the biting wind.
I asked Noor why he was doing what he did. Why would a man from Afghanistan work in Kansas for the U.S. Army, taking a beating from soldiers day after day?
Noor paused to think of his answer. Then he began to speak, slowly, sharing his thoughts and what he hoped might come from his help.
“I work with (the) United State's government and (the) United States people for (the) benefit of (the) Afghan people,” he began. “Our people suffered over 30 years, over 30 years (of) war. After (the) Taliban, our people suffered more.”
Noor paused and mentioned 9/11. He asked me if I knew the “problem” that was Sept. 11, 2001. I told him that I did.
In response, Noor said people all over the world know the “problem” that was 9/11. As a result, he said, they understand why he's working for the U.S. to ensure the “problem” doesn't happen again.
“I give my experience of Afghan culture, about the Afghan area, to United States troops, to be ready to build an Afghanistan democracy, to keep peace, to make peace,” Noor said. “They're very important things.”
“My people don't have clean water, their children don't have (a) school, their children don't have supplies for the schools. No doctor. Nothing,” he continued. “I appreciate (the) time and attention of (the) United States' government, of (the) United States' soldiers - they're making a good job.”
The very Montana soldiers who wrestled Noor to the ground that cold day in Kansas will soon head to Afghanistan to carry out Noor's greatest hope, that his willingness to help them may actually, in turn, help the people he left behind.
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