1208 Foundation

A unit of Afghan minesweepers, the NMRG cleared the way for Army Green Berets. They are now hunted by the Taliban. 501.c.3 nonprofit.

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

@shawnjvandiver get ahold of yourself and stop the reflexive politicization.

He was reported Monday night/Tuesday morning and arrested later that day. We know because our people brought it to the FBI/FWPD.

You are correct about one thing: it was Afghans who reported him.

[Shawn VanDiver @shawnjvandiver]

As ever, @TriciaOhio is leaving out important information.

This man was reported to federal, state, and local authorities on Tuesday. BY THE AFGHAN COMMUNITY.

And they ignored it til after the shooting in DC.

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

“To knowingly put someone in danger for the benefit of your movie is selfish... And I don’t think it makes it a better movie.”

A quote from Joe DeGrand, the only person from the Retrograde film crew who stepped up to do the right thing.

[Manuel Roig-Franzia @RoigFranzia]

New documents show makers of Matthew Heineman’s doc Retrograde were “very concerned” about an Afghan working for US military & they’d been warned he was in country before the film debuted. The man was shown in closeup & killed after the film came out. https://t.co/7ZOAE0ZnN7

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

"Four years after unsung war hero Abdul Rahman Waziri flew out of Kabul Airport to start a new life in America, his remains returned there in a coffin."

Five years of clearing IEDS in Afghanistan, only to be shot over a parking spot.

Houston DA @SeanTeareHCDAO remains silent.

[The Daily Beast @thedailybeast]

Abdul Rahman Waziri put his life on the line in Afghanistan to save American soldiers. But when his life was cruelly taken in a random act of violence on U.S. soil, no one did anything.

https://t.co/ewnCLTnjbN

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

NMRG members like Abdul Rahman advanced American interests in a way that very few of our fellow citizens have. The silence and utter lack of transparency from @SeanTeareHCDAO is breathtaking.

https://t.co/x7wK9DUjSW

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

Perhaps renewed attention is a net gain, but where are the calls to action from the documentary community?

This story isn't over: help is needed now, and limiting the focus to ethical debates won't fix anything. Where are the calls for accountability from @Disney and @NatGeo?

[Variety @Variety]

Alex Gibney and Sebastian Junger Weigh in on Doc World Controversy About Death of Afghan Man That Appeared in NatGeo's 'Retrograde' https://t.co/1WcvImPwBG

[Hope Hodge Seck @HopeSeck]

After his release from Taliban custody, the interpreter said the man told him: “They showed me Retrograde Movie and said you have worked with foreign forces and also worked in the movie. … They found me through Retrograde Movie.”
https://t.co/2sN6bkN773

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

The reactions seem are incredibly one-sided. When are @NatGeo, @Disney
And @MattHeineman going to make things right?

https://t.co/s5pPiofIIK

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

If Disney won't do the right thing, that leaves us.

Please consider donating to support Omar's family and the NMRG members who were exploited in National Geographic's Retrograde Documentary.

https://t.co/7LEtlPEqTU

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

The removal of Retrograde from streaming is not justice. Those affected by the film -many of whom are under our care- are still at risk, and Disney has thus far refused to provide safe passage or protection.

[The Washington Post @washingtonpost]

National Geographic has removed the Emmy-winning film “Retrograde” from its streaming platforms, after criticism from veterans and inquiries from The Washington Post. https://t.co/gJnXwDqaS5

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

Warnings were provided before & after the release of Retrograde, and despite its use as a Taliban hit-list, we are still seeking accountability.

An astounding level of effort was exerted to avoid doing the right thing.

@RoigFranzia @HopeSeck
https://t.co/8LvVhqPYXe

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

20 years ago, nobody was thinking about EVs or going to Mars. For Afghanistan, the objectives might be more modest and the time-horizon shorter, but a lot of interesting things can be done when the world isn’t looking.

[Thomas Kasza @TKasza1208]

I'm looking forward to discussing humanitarian innovation in Afghanistan, as a panelist for a webinar hosted by Johns Hopkins.

To many, "Innovation" and "Afghanistan" might not seem to fit in the same sentence. Tune in to see why we disagree.

Details:

https://t.co/vEA5Jpg2nR

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

It sure would be interesting to hear from
@NatGeo and @WaltDisneyCo.

If everything was copacetic, why not just deny the claim?

[Beth W. Bailey @BWBailey85]

My latest in @dcexaminer includes concerning updates about recent revocations and denials of Chief of Mission approval for special immigrant visa applicants, including National Mine Reduction Group personnel who searched for IEDs to protect Green Berets:

https://t.co/GEZgf10jpK

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

These latest comments from the State Department are particularly insulting:

Was the Green Beret veteran who gave 30 of his best years not deemed "credible"?

Or was the service of Afghans who risked taking IED blasts for US Soldiers not "faithful and valuable"?

[Beth W. Bailey @BWBailey85]

My latest in @dcexaminer includes concerning updates about recent revocations and denials of Chief of Mission approval for special immigrant visa applicants, including National Mine Reduction Group personnel who searched for IEDs to protect Green Berets:

https://t.co/GEZgf10jpK

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

Three weeks after 1208 testified in front of Congress, the Taliban's hit-list is still available on @DisneyPlus.

Help us change that: Remove Taliban Hit-list From Disney Plus https://t.co/XWEIAP5IQ4 via @Change

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

@NatGeo has built a stellar reputation over decades of work, gaining an exceptional degree of trust in the process. This trust is what gained them access to an extremely vulnerable population... which they then exposed to the Taliban.

They and @Disney should have known better.

[Thomas Kasza @TKasza1208]

The welfare of the #NMRG will always be the core mission of the @1208Foundation. We are profoundly disappointed in the decisions made by @NatGeo and @Disney, which in our opinion, lead to the death of one whom we pledged to safeguard and forced dozens more further underground.

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

The NMRG were our most trusted partners: While the war was marred by the infamous “Green on Blue Attacks”, our trust in them was so complete that they lived on our bases, with easy access to huge quantities of weaponry and explosives.

[Thomas Kasza @TKasza1208]

It was an honor to represent the @1208Foundation in front of Congress. With all that is going on in the world, we cannot forget the obligation our country still owes to our Afghan Allies.

@SayedSamiSadat @bsarwary @Mariamistan @Parwanisahil21 @JalilShahkar1

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

"The hazards they undertook were immense: From 2015 onwards, 22 Green Berets died, compared to 47 NMRG members. We owe them a debt, but they’ve been abandoned."

https://t.co/EaKk23Fegv

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

Spread the word!

Tune in Wednesday at 2:00ET to watch 1208 tell the story of the NMRG in front of Congress, and set the record straight about the Taliban's ongoing inhumanity.

https://t.co/FRSo3O8DtB

@SayedSamiSadat @bsarwary @Mariamistan

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

We're pleased to report that "More than Brothers", a documentary by Andrea von Siebenthal that features the work of 1208, has been selected for two more film festivals!

MTB will be at both the Big Sky and DC Independent Film Festivals in February; we hope to see you there!

[1208 Foundation @1208Foundation]

This is long overdue, but last month "Habib" finally made it to the US! Habib endured every conceivable hardship, from months in Taliban confinement to losing his wife to cancer.

1208 is thankful for people like him and the NMRG for keeping Special Forces safe for so many years.