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American Morning
Interview of Ajmul Achekzai, U.S. Marine
Aired December 26, 2001 - 09:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: At the Kandahar air base in Southern Afghanistan, Santa distributed cards and gifts from to the 2000 Marines stationed there. Our own Bill Hemmer is CNN's point man in Kandahar today. I'm not sure if Bill got any holiday gifts while he was there, but he doesn't need them. Right, Bill?
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Not many. You're right, Miles. I'll pick that up in a stocking sometime when I get back. Thanks again, Miles, and good evening from Kandahar. With a really special guest right now, a U.S. Marine, Lance Corporal Ajmul Achekzai, born in 1975 in the Afghan capital of Kabul, he is now back as an American citizen to liberate his former country and his homeland. Merry Christmas to you, happy new year.
AJMUL ACHEKZAI, MARINE: Merry Christmas to you, sir.
HEMMER: You have an incredibly unique story. What does it feel like to you to be back here in Afghanistan during this time?
ACHEKZAI: When I first got here, it was Camp Rhino, I was like, oh, okay, just desert. But as we come along, we hit a couple villages and I saw these little kids with bare feet, nothing -- wearing nothing, and it just finally hit me, you know, I'm back home again. Kandahar is basically where my roots started, so it's a very great experience for me to be here.
HEMMER: We should point out your last name, Achekzai, is the last name for one of the main tribes, primarily in the southern part of Afghanistan. Had you been here before? I take it from your first answer that's a no.
ACHEKZAI: No, I haven't, this is probably my -- I might have, I was a kid when I left, so I don't remember too much as a child.
HEMMER: What have you tried to relay to your fellow Marines about life here, about Afghan culture?
ACHEKZAI: I just tell them, you know, people respect you for who you are. In Islam, they teach you to respect everyone, you know. It's a peaceful religion. So, basically, at first, people are confused as to what's going on here, and a lot of people are happy we're here, and it's like two percent that is just not happy that we're here, because the Russians -- ten years of war with the Russians just really hurt the people here in Afghanistan, then five more years with Taliban, and the terror they started here. So, people are getting used to us but it is going to take a while.
HEMMER: Your parents are back in Salt Lake. Have you had any contact with them?
ACHEKZAI: Yes, I have. Just -- probably a couple weeks ago, just talked to them and say hello.
HEMMER: Tell me a little bit about the conversation. I'm curious to know, not to eavesdrop into your family matters, but how do they feel about their own son being back in the country he was born.
ACHEKZAI: Well, of course, they're worried. You know, they don't want anything to happen to their son, but they are happy because they say a better way to learn about somewhere you're from is being there, experience it than being talked to or told. So, my parents are happy that I am here. My dad probably wants to come back someday out here and teach. He used to be a university professor. He wants to teach some day again.
HEMMER: You mentioned the children you have seen here in Afghanistan. How much, though, have you been able to see, in addition to the airport here and Camp Rhino, that you mentioned prior to --
ACHEKZAI: Well, basically, I'm a translator here to start setting up this area, so I communicate with the people that come in here and stuff, so I -- just basically, that's the only communications I have with them.
HEMMER: Tell me about your conversations, what do you talk about?
ACHEKZAI: Oh, they talk about where I'm from, how did I join, and how you like it, and they always say, you're one of us. They tell me, you are one of us, even though you are in the military, you're still one of us.
HEMMER: That is interesting. What more do they want to know from you?
ACHEKZAI: They want to know what it's like, what it's like to be a Marine, what is it like to be a Muslim Marine, you know. I just tell them, you know, it's nothing different, it's just my job, what I have to do, you know. I'm enjoying it. Coming here is a very great experience for me. Not only as a Marine, also as an Afghan.
HEMMER: Do they ask you what is it like to be an American too?
ACHEKZAI: Yeah, they do. They are like, what's going on out there? A lot of them they like staying here, you know, they grew up here. It is something that they like to be -- they like it out here a lot.
HEMMER: Thank you. Lance Corporal Achekzai, Ajmul Achekzai. Appreciate it, okay? We'll pass the word along to your parents back in Salt Lake too. Perhaps they're watching. Miles, more coming up momentarily, back to you now in Atlanta. O'BRIEN: All right. That's quite a story.
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