Exodus Afghanistan: A Personal Story, Chapter 36, "Hi, this is Witt Bromley ..."

At first, Baker thought it was another one of Bromley’s telephone solicitation voice mail messages stumping for votes. He waited a few seconds for the rest of the message but there was silence on the line. He wanted to see just what pitch Bromley was going to make this time before he hung up. Baker was on his home phone. Bromley’s voice was unmistakable. It had a nasally, dragged-out aristocratic twang to it that had the same effect as fingernails scraping across a blackboard ...

(Author’s note: This Thomas Baker series novel is based on true events and contains opinion commentary. Thomas Baker is the ‘Sunset Playland’, ‘Sweet Land of Liberty’, and ‘Something for Nothing’ trilogy character as seen in the “Activity” section on this LinkedIn website. I’m using the Baker and company characters to tell the true story of Farid Nuri, a retired Afghanistan Army Colonel, a war hero and helicopter Medevac medic who worked closely with U.S. forces but is now being persecuted by the U.S. State Dept. for reasons they will not disclose, and possibly at this point, in their defense, they don’t even know. As you read this story, it is happening in real life, in real time, the outcome yet to be determined. Names have been changed and locations and incidents altered at the author's discretion, to protect the innocent in the name of privacy, safety, and national security.)

After a few seconds of silence and Bromley said, “Hello?”, Baker realized that it was actually a live call. It was Utah Senator Witt Bromley calling. Baker said, “Hello? ... Senator Bromley? ... is that you?”

Bromley answered, “Yes, is this Thomas Baker?” Baker, taken aback, said, “Yes sir. This is Thomas Baker.”

Although Baker was not particularly a fan of Bromley, he had panned him in several oped’s and criticized him openly, but he was respectful of him as a person and as a United States Senator.

Above all, Thomas Baker is a patriot. He’s respectful. He doesn’t agree with many things the government did and was doing, and he thinks that many of our elected congressmen are somewhere between loony, brain-dead, and just plain criminal. But at the end of the day, he would stand behind Bromley and defend him and the United States of America, every American, with all his heart and soul. It’s who he is.

Bromley said, “I understand you’ve been trying to contact me.” Baker answered, “Well, yes, I have, on behalf of Abbas Sayed. His brother is having some immigration issues in Afghanistan and, just as a friend, I’ve been helping him address the issue with the State Department.”

Bromley said, “Yes, I know. I have just spoken with Abbas and he asked me to call you. He appreciates your help and input.” Baker said, “Well, thank you for calling. I have to say, you really caught me by surprise.”

Bromley answered, “You have succeeded in moving my constituent staff out of their comfort zone, and me as well, but in our defense, we have tried to address the visa immigration situation with Abbas’s brother, but the State Department just won’t give us all the information.” Baker said, “I can appreciate that. They won’t tell me anything either, or Abbas, past their basic claim of Farid’s ‘providing material support to the Taliban’.”

Bromley continued, “... we’re not being complacent, Tom, or negligent, we’ve just run up against a brick wall. The State Department can be a tough nut to crack ... They are a powerful body and they do as they please. I think I have pushed them as far as I can on this issue, to the point of it having a negative effect on my political capital.”

From that statement Baker got the impression that Senator Bromley may be at odds with someone at the State Department. It could be a longstanding ‘division of powers’ feud which puts his political reputation on the line. Baker did not push the issue with him and took Bromley’s explanation at face value.

As a professional politician and businessman, Bromley was no stranger to rejection and criticism for which he had to have developed a thick skin. He was a tough nut himself (no pun intended). He was a political animal and he had to survive in the jungle to fight another day. He had to choose his battles and enemies wisely. Bromley put his integrity on the line in 2020 when he voted to impeach ‘President Goldfinger’ regarding his Ukrainian extortion ruse. Baker respected Bromley for that, as did many Americans, he wrote an oped praising Bromley for it, but it cost him politically within his party. Today, he is somewhat of a pariah, actually having to wear a disguise in public just to avoid open and sometimes violent criticism.

Baker said, “I can understand your position, Senator, but as a private citizen I can push it a little further and not have to worry about political or career consequences. I’m just an old man-nobody, just an American citizen with an attitude who is determined to get the truth about Farid.”

Bromley answered, “My thought is that the State Department either knows something so terrible about Farid Nuri that they won’t divulge it because of some national security reason. They are certainly not going to tell me about it, not now. Or they are covering up a colossal mistake they’ve made that has cost this man and his family twenty years of their lives.”

Baker followed up with, “His kids are college age now and they were just young children when this all started to go south for Farid. What could he have possibly done that was so awful that he gets tagged by the U.S. this way? His whole family is affected ... and devastated.”

Bromley said, “It’s terrible. It really is. I’m afraid that now with the war in Ukraine and the refugee issues there, Afghanistan issues are being given a lower priority.”

Baker continued, “That‘s no excuse. Farid’s situation is unique, and critical. Abbas has a new lawyer working on the case. She’s looking at trying to get Farid to a third country, and also looking at trying to get a special visa for the daughter to come to the U.S. on an education grant. He applied to USCIS for a humanitarian parole last May, over six months ago, but has not heard anything yet regarding acceptance. And I don’t like any of those options because it breaks up the family, unnecessarily in my opinion ... and the humanitarian parole application has no guarantee of being accepted, nor would it be permanent if accepted. It’s all too complex and muddled up in a ‘large and cold bureaucracy’. If the State Department would simply accept Farid’s original immigration visa application, they can all come to America as a family unit. That should be the goal here, and I don’t know why that can’t happen.”

Bromley offered, “Could the issue possibly be with one of the sons? They are both college age now, young men. Could there possibly be a Taliban connection there somehow?”

Baker answered, “I never though of that ... but whenever I question Abbas about the possibility that Farid actually did have some connection with the Taliban, somehow, unwittingly as it may have been, he says ‘absolutely not’. He says Farid is like a ‘Barney Fife’ type character and it’s just not in his personality to have willingly helped the Taliban. My impression of Farid, from talking to some of his U.S. military colleagues, is that he’s more of a Peter Sellers type character, the awkward Inspector Clouseau. Either way, he seems to be a victim here not a perpetrator. I understand your question about the sons though, but if they are anything like Farid or Abbas, they are squeaky clean. They are a very respectful and loyal family. But I’ll ask Abbas about that possibility just to eliminate it.”

Bromley changed directions and asked Baker, “So how are we related, you and me?”

Baker had put it out there that there was a family relation between his wife, Ilene, and the Romney family.

Baker said, “I don’t know the historic details about that, Senator, but it’s true. Frankly, I just used that headline thinking it would peak your interest, and you'd respond somehow.

Bromley said, “It did ...”

Baker continued, “As the family history goes, as I understand it ... you may want to speak with Ilene about it, Marion Bromley, the prominent Mormon ‘Apostle’ was my Ilene’s mother’s uncle. I don’t know how or if the polygamy thing played into it all, but apparently that part of the family migrated, immigrated, I guess you’d say ... ironic isn’t it that it was an ‘immigration’ issue? ... Anyway, they went to Mexico because of the religious persecution. They thought they’d be safe there. They settled in Colonia Juarez ...”

Bromley interrupted, “Right. Many people ask me about that Juarez business thinking it was the Mexican border town, Juarez. That, combined with my Mormon heritage and the polygamy and all the rest has had its challenges politically for me.”

Baker continued, “So you can imagine how Farid feels.” Bromley laughed ...

Baker continued, “Anyway, you probably know the story, it is interesting ... Colonia Juarez was deeper into Mexico. They lived there until the Mexicans kicked them out. It was quite dramatic involving their perilous exodus ... again a Farid reference, “exodus” ... there was a horse and wagon chase, shootings, a murder ... They finally made it to Los Angeles where most of them settled. The Bromley side ultimately settled in Utah and Idaho ...

... as a young girl Ilene can remember “Uncle Marion” coming to the house after church on Sundays for dinner and entertaining the family with his stories. He must have been a well liked and popular guy ...

... so I’m not sure just how that makes Ilene a relation to you, a cousin of some sort, but I think you’re safe not actually being related to me personally.”

With that, Bromley laughed again, “Well, I guess it’s for the better.” They both laughed at that one.

Bromley said he appreciated Baker’s tenacity and efforts, and that he would look into Farid’s case further. He didn’t know the current situation regarding “Deep Throat” or Yasir, or what had happened to Farid. Baker chose not to tell Bromley about any of that so as not to upset any balance that may have been achieved regarding Farid’s safety. Apparently, Abbas didn't tell Bromley about Farid’s current predicament either. Baker wasn’t even sure that Abbas had told his new attorney about it.

Before they ended the call, Bromley told Baker, “I’ve been reading your LinkedIn postings. My constituent staff alerted me about the ‘Exodus Afghanistan: A Personal Story’ chapters. Is that all true?”

Baker answered, “Most of it, yes. I want it to be a chronological documentation of this immigration visa issue with Farid. I’ve added a little drama here and there, but it’s pretty much the story as it’s unfolding.”

Bromley added, “You haven’t been very flattering to me or my staff, but hopefully, this chapter will show that we’re not the bad guys here. The State Department really isn’t either. They are just doing their job as they see it. It’s an unfortunate situation all around and I will do my best to get to the bottom of it, Tom, I promise you that. I made the same promise to Abbas.”

Baker said, “Thank you, Senator. That’s all we can ask or expect of you. Just keep calling ‘em like you see ‘em, lead with your heart ... and we’ll see you at the polls ...”

With that, Bromley laughed again and said, “Thank you, Tom. You know, I have to tell you, I’ve seen your file, both you and Hennessy ... I know about you and Ray Hennessy ... I want to thank you for your service. Both of you.”

Baker just said, “What file? I don’t know anything about a file or what you’re talking about. We’re just two grumpy old guys with bad attitudes.”

Bromley laughed again and said, “Okay, Tom, good luck ... see you at the polls.” ... Then he hung up.

Baker told Hennessy about his conversation with Bromley, and how Bromley said he knew of them from their “files”.

Hennessy just said, “Huh ... Files? We don’t need no stinking files!”

John Kushma is a communication consultant and lives in Logan, Utah https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/john-george-kushma-379a5762