The Lion of Sabray
Page 23
Panjshir men in, 55–56
Soviet advance during, 30–32
and Soviet airlift at Kabul, 13
Soviet retreat/defeat in, 8, 28–30, 33–34, 35–40
Soviet strategy/tactics during, 29–30
U.S. and, 25–26, 30–31, 32–33, 40, 71
weapons and explosives in, 1–2, 15, 20, 23–24, 28–29, 30–31, 32–33, 35, 40, 72, 114
See also specific person
Soviet Union
Cold War and, 25
dissolution of, 47
leadership in 1980s of, 39
Reagan comments about, 25
in World War II, 30
“Spanky.” See Peterson, Jeffrey Val
Special Forces, U.S.
beards on members of, 90
Camp Wright as base for, 230
and downing of Marcus, 157–58
and helicopter incident, 77, 78–79
and help from 920th Rescue Squad, 179
and reputation of Pashtun mountain men, 5
and rescue of Marcus, 160, 161, 166–67, 190
and search for bin Laden, 65
and Taliban, 81, 102, 190
and U.S. jihad, 77, 78–79
worst day in history of, 189
See also specific person
Spectator magazine, 9
SPECWARCOM, 222, 235
Stiner, Carl, 196–97
Stinger missiles (FIM-92), 30–33, 40, 86, 141, 158, 240
surrender
and Marcus and Gulab’s meeting with Shah, 152–53
and Pashtun rejection of defeat, 44–45
and Taliban demands for surrender of Marcus, 138–39
sword, tribal: and revenge for Gulab’s father’s murder, 46
Takhar Province: Massoud assassination in, 60–61
Taliban
Al Qaeda and, 58, 59
and Axelson search, 222, 224, 225
bin Laden and, 58, 59, 60–62, 73, 173–74
as “chosen people,” 73
cruelty of, 59–60, 74
differences between Pashtun and, 50
enemies of, 73–74
equipment for, 51
and establishment of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, 59
expansion of, 53–54
Kabul and, 50
Kandahar as stronghold of, 51
and Kunar Province, 68
and Maiwand battle, 51–53
Massoud and, 58–61
maximum attack force of, 166
members of, 50, 51
Northern Alliance and, 68
Pakistani troop support for, 58, 59
Pashtuns and, 4, 50, 51, 68, 73, 75–76, 80, 85
recruiting for, 73
rise of, 49–51, 53–54, 58
Sabray villagers and, 98–102, 103, 108–11, 120–21, 125–27, 129–30, 131–35, 141–42, 143, 188
unpopularity of, 75–76, 80, 85
and U.S. help to Sabray villagers, 229
weapons of, 87, 88–89, 147, 158, 210, 222
women and, 50, 51, 58, 60
See also Omar, Mohammed; Shah, Ahmad; Taliban—and Gulab; Taliban—and Marcus; Taliban—and U.S.
Taliban—and Gulab
and attempts on Gulab’s life by Taliban, 234, 239–40
and Gulab and family departure from Sabray, 229, 231, 232
and Gulab as enemy of Taliban, 96
and Gulab’s attempts to negotiate with Taliban, 125–26, 150–55
and Gulab finding Marcus, 94, 96, 100
and Gulab’s views about Taliban, 85, 88, 93, 94, 116, 124, 173, 175
and murder of Gulab’s father, 45–46
and Taliban’s fear of Gulab, 126
and threats against Gulab and his family by, 113, 125, 126, 168, 174–75, 218, 227–28, 231, 232, 234
Taliban—and Marcus
and capture and release of Marcus by Taliban, 111–14, 123
and downing of Marcus, 95, 102, 179, 182
Gulab’s attempts to negotiate with, 125–26, 150–55
and Gulab finding Marcus, 94, 96, 100
and Maluk’s journey to Asadabad, 129
and Marcus and Gulab’s meeting with Ahmad Shah, 150–55
and Marcus in cave, 114–19, 156
and moving of Marcus from Sabray, 132–35, 155–56
and plans for Marcus’s evacuation from Sabray, 125–56, 171, 193
and Sabray family ties to Taliban, 102, 103
and Sabray informers, 109, 111, 118, 148
and Sabray villagers saving/protecting Marcus, 98–102, 108–11, 120–21, 125–27, 131–35, 141–42, 143
and Taliban attacks on Sabray, 111–14, 123, 143, 144–48
and Taliban casualties, 141–42, 173
and U.S. air attacks on Taliban, 172–73, 174, 177, 193, 199, 202, 203–6, 216
and U.S. search and rescue of Marcus, 137, 138, 140–42, 143, 158–60, 162, 165–68, 172, 174, 177, 182, 186, 187, 189, 193, 199, 201–6, 207–10, 216, 217, 218
Taliban—and U.S.
and AC-130 Spectre gunships, 198
casualties among, 80, 81, 83, 154
and helicopter incidents, 78, 79, 86, 87, 88–89
and June 2005 battle between, 78–89, 189–90
and Kabul attack by U.S., 54, 68
and mujahideen declaration of jihad against U.S., 72–73
and search for bin Laden, 69, 70
Tenth Mountain Division, U.S., 69
Termez: Soviets in, 13, 38
terrorism: Gulab’s comments about, 42, 63
Texas
Gulab’s visit to, 240
as Marcus’s home, 124, 170, 229, 233, 240
timber
as Gulab’s family business, 47–48, 76, 78, 88
taxes on, 76
Tora Bora
AC-130 Spectre gunship attack on, 198
bin Laden in, 65, 67
U.S. bombing of, 65, 67, 75
Travis, Captain, 171
Travis, Staff Sergeant, 161, 162, 166
tumjeed (glory), 42
United Nations, 74
United States
Afghanistan relations with, 63–64
Gulab’s trip to, 236–37, 240, 241–42
mujahideen relations with, 25, 30–31, 32–33, 63
Pashtun relations with, 71–72, 75, 80, 130
and Soviet-Afghan war, 25–26, 30–31, 32–33, 40
See also mujahideen (Afghani Patriots)—and U.S. jihad; September 11, 2001; Taliban—and U.S.
unity (tauhid), as kalima, 42
Wall Street Journal, 58
war
Gulab’s views about, 12
See also jihad; specific war
warlords, Afghan: blood feuds among, 85
weather: and rescue of Marcus, 162
White Mountains
alterations in shape of, 66
bin Laden’s escape from, 66
U.S. bombing in, 64, 65–66, 67, 70
and U.S. search for bin Laden, 64, 65–66, 67, 70
white station wagon incident, 68–69, 70–72, 74, 75
Wilson, Charlie, 32, 33, 34, 40, 75
women
as casualties in U.S. search for bin Laden, 69
Massoud’s views about, 60
of Pashtun tribe, 4–5, 26, 50
rape of, 51
and Soviet-Afghan war, 26
Taliban and, 50, 51, 58, 60
and Taliban attack on Sabray, 148
and U.S. rescue of Marcus, 204
World Trade Center, 173, 189. See also September 11, 2001
World War II, 30, 162, 172, 204
Touchstone
An Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
Copyright © 2015 by Patrick Robinson
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Touchstone
Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Touchstone hardcover edition November 2015
TOUCHSTONE and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or business@simonandschuster.com.
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event, contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
Interior design by Jill Putorti
Jacket Design by Jae Song
Jacket Image by Staff Sgt. Joshua L. Demotts/Usaf
All photographs by Nawaz Rahini
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Robinson, Patrick, 1939-
The Lion of Sabray : the Afghani warrior who defied the Taliban and saved the life of Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell / by Patrick Robinson.
pages cm
1. Gulab, Mohammed. 2. Luttrell, Marcus. 3. Afghan War, 2001—Biography. 4. Rescues—Afghanistan—History—21st century. 5. Honor—Afghanistan—Case studies. 6. Pushtuns—Afghanistan—Biography. 7. Soldiers—Afghanistan—Biography. 8. United States. Navy. SEALs—Biography. 9. Soldiers—United States—Biography. I. Title.
DS371.43.G85R62 2015
958.104'7092—dc23
[B]
2015009149
ISBN 978-1-5011-1798-5
ISBN 978-1-5011-1800-5 (ebook)