As is typical in the Afghan jail system, the men were released a few days after their arrest, probably because someone paid a bribe to the local jail official(s). Upon returning to their village, it appeared they informed local Taliban members that they had seen Sonny working with American soldiers. The next day, a note (called a “night letter”) was found on Sonny’s front door, by his wife. The crudely written note stated that the Taliban was aware of Sonny’s employment status and that he would be killed the next time he was seen in the village. The Taliban consider the Americans, and anyone who works with them, to be their enemy. Even though thousands of Afghan men are now able to better support their families, and, thus, help grow the Afghan economy by working for Coalition Forces, the Taliban do not care. They view these workers as traitors and seek them out, killing as many as possible.
After the delivery of the note, Sonny felt he was confined to base and refused to travel to his village. Despite this, he realized this situation could not go on indefinitely and that, at some point, he needed to return home, to take care of household duties and visit his family and children. I enlisted the help of the Law Enforcement Professionals (LEPs), who were a group of American retired law enforcement officers, working side-by-side with Afghan police and legal system representatives. Because the men, who ultimately reported Sonny to the Taliban, had been in the local jail, the LEPs had some jurisdiction in the case. They also had much more leeway to respond to death threats, than the U.S. military. If they had information about Taliban members or sympathizers threatening local Afghan workers, they could arrest these men themselves and transport them to jail. The American military had a plethora of red tape and hoops to jump through before carrying out any such action.
It took several weeks of research and intelligence gathering before the LEPs felt they could act upon the death threats towards Sonny. One of the problems they had was identifying the individuals involved with the Taliban, living in Sonny’s village. They knew the Afghan men who had been in jail were likely involved with the insurgent group. At the time, there was no evidence of any further wrongdoing to arrest them again. In the meantime, Sonny became a prisoner of the base, unable to leave for fear of being attacked and killed.
By sheer coincidence, it was the former interpreter, Rocky, who broke the case. As I explained above, Rocky was no longer allowed on base, however I discovered that he lived in a neighboring village to Sonny’s and knew many of the residents of Sonny’s village. I linked up Rocky with the LEPs, who apparently obtained an abundance of information from him, concerning Taliban members in the area. He was the one who I feel was ultimately responsible for the arrest of several insurgents and the safety of Sonny. As a result, Sonny was able to return home, and Rocky earned some money from the LEPs, to support his family. Neither interpreter knew the effect each one had on the other, but it was enlightening to witness the dedication and sacrifice of each, to make the area a safer place.
Unfortunately, most local Afghans I spoke with had a very defeatist and resigned attitude towards the Taliban. The overall outlook seemed to be that once the U.S. military left Afghanistan, the Taliban would take over the country again, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Honestly, this is a real possibility although it bothered me that so many Afghans felt there was no way to change their fate. Most seemed almost accepting of this supposed bleak future for their country. I suspect the decades of war and turmoil had won out, leaving the locals to believe their country could never be a peaceful, democratic place.
Most felt the Taliban were biding their time until the Americans left, waiting to oust the current government and take over the country again. Despite this, many men I spoke with did have opinions on how the Taliban should be dealt with in the meantime. I asked one man what the Afghan government should do to get rid of the Taliban. He felt the solution was to “be-head them all in public.” Not a bad idea actually. Doing so might make other Taliban members and sympathizers think twice about joining or helping the group. On the other side of that coin, the Taliban would probably consider the be-headed to be martyrs, who are highly respected amongst extremists. Public be-headings could actually be interpreted as a reward or a straight path to the coveted afterlife.
During another interview, I asked a man what effect he thought the Taliban would have in his country when the Americans left in 2014. He quickly declared “If the Americans leave, the Taliban will turn us into ground beef. They will slice us up in pieces.” He was referring specifically to those Afghans who had worked on Coalition bases. Nearly everyone I spoke with believed the Taliban was intimately aware of every individual who worked with the Americans. The vast majority believed the Taliban would target and kill all of these people as soon as U.S. forces left the country. Although the Taliban undoubtedly knew some names of those working on bases, they certainly did not have a master list of names, as some believed.
The perceived threat of violence from the Taliban and other insurgent groups was evidenced in countless ways. I enjoyed talking with men about their hobbies and past times. Soccer and Cricket are popular sports in Afghanistan and are a positive outlet for those who participate. I asked one young man during an interview if he enjoyed playing these sports. He responded saying, “It is hard to play sports when you have to carry a weapon around with you everywhere.” His need to feel safe obviously won out over his desire to play team sports.
I was extremely alarmed one day when, during an interview, the man I was speaking with piped up and exclaimed, “I heard you guys (meaning me and my team) give our names to The Taliban, so they can hunt us down.” This was obviously propaganda and rumor being purposely circulated by local insurgents, but the effects were widespread. Nearly all the local workers on the base knew me and my team. They also knew, at some point, they would be subject to an interview at my office. If they thought we were reporting their names to the Taliban, we would never be able to gain their trust. Furthermore, if they believed this allegation, I knew they would likely shut down and refuse to talk to us. Part of our goal during interviews was to establish rapport and trust with each man, so they might feel comfortable reporting information about insurgent activity to us. I spent several minutes explaining to this man that we were there to protect the base and everyone on it. We had his safety and well-being at heart, as well as, all the other Afghans who worked with the Americans. In addition, we were allies of the Afghans and wanted peace and security throughout the country. He seemed to accept my explanation, although I will never truly know. Talking with another man about the future impact of the Taliban, he echoed a similar thought to many others, telling me “When the Coalition Forces leave, every ditch in this country will be filled with blood.” It was tragic to hear this same sentiment repeated over and over again, day after day.
Not only did the Taliban target those working on Coalition bases, they also looked for Afghans who were not following their Sharia law. This often included children who attended schools. Many times, I heard reports of bombs exploding at schools, often injuring children and teachers and destroying buildings. Because of attacks like these, many parents opted not to send their children to school at all. Although I understand the reasoning for this decision, the result of it would inevitably be an uneducated society, which is exactly what the Taliban wanted. An Afghan man I interviewed spoke the same sentiments of scores of others when he told me “My half-brother does not go to school because the Taliban might shoot him on the way.” In the Pashtun areas, it was quite common that a family decided the risk of going to school was not worth the benefit. Although I understood the concern for children’s safety, it was vital that Afghan kids be educated. After all, they would be the ones running the country someday. At least that was the plan…
OSAMA BIN LADEN
The wee hours of the morning of May 2, 2011 began with several rounds of heavy artillery, most likely fired in the direction of Abbottabad, Pakistan. Little did we know, as our building shook and creaked from the outgoing rounds, t
he most wanted man in the world was nearing the end of his life. A few hours later, a text message from my husband brought the good news of the death of Osama bin Laden. With our base situated within just a few miles of the Pakistan border, I can only assume our soldiers in the Artillery unit played a supportive role in the operation that ended bin Laden’s life as the world’s most wanted terrorist.
Naturally, we were all glued to the internet for the rest of day, scouring websites for details on the operation. There was a different atmosphere on base that day, as local Afghan workers gave us high-fives and thumbs ups. Everyone seemed jolly and in good spirits. And, why not? The man who brought so much terror, death and destruction to both Afghanistan and the United States had finally met his match. In the end, he met his fate at the hands of Navy Seal Team Six that day.
Prior to his death, I discovered that many Afghans had no idea who the terrorist leader was. Countless men told me that they had never heard of Osama bin Laden and had no idea of the many atrocities he had committed across the globe. However, following his death, word spread about bin Laden’s past history. With his death came a realm of new topics for discussion during my interviews with the local Afghans. Most locals who had some formal education knew of the brutalities bin Laden directed worldwide and understood his relationship with The Taliban. Those who had no education heard some of the stories through word of mouth, as information passed from one village to another.
Typically, when I asked local Afghan men their opinion about bin Laden’s death, the first response I received was a wide smile. A majority went on to explain how happy they were about the news because bin Laden, in their eyes, had played a large part in destroying their country during the Taliban regime in the 1990’s. Although bin Laden headed up the terrorist group, al-Qaeda, he did provide logistical and financial support to The Taliban, so he was a figurehead for them. Several men related stories of family members who were brutally murdered by The Taliban, often for trivial reasons, if there was any reason at all. One told me how his brother was tortured by The Taliban, and left for dead, because his beard was not in compliance with group’s grooming standards.
As I talked to more and more Afghans about Osama bin Laden, I found many differing opinions, especially amongst the uneducated and those who lived in rural areas. Individuals who had attended school usually knew very little about the world’s most infamous terrorist, other than his name. A common response, when I asked about his death was “I did not know him.” By me asking their opinion, they assumed I would judge them or look down upon them if they said anything at all about the man. Furthermore, I found many refused to provide any opinion because they were scared their words would come back to haunt them in the afterlife. I had several tell me they did not want to voice their beliefs, because if theirs did not match up with the opinion of Allah, they might go to hell. The brainwashing of Islam came into play yet again.
Trying to persuade some of the locals to tell me whether they thought bin Laden was a martyr was just as difficult. Often, the person would say they did not know if he was a martyr. So, my interpreter and I would ask them to tell us what a martyr meant. Most had a good understanding of the term. They described a martyr as a good Muslim, who is peaceful and follows the five pillars, or tenets, of Islam. In addition, a martyr is someone who endures great suffering on behalf of a belief, in this case Islam. They would agree with us, that a good Muslim does not murder innocent people and send airplanes crashing into buildings. Despite this, many still refused to verbalize their belief as to whether bin Laden should be viewed as a martyr. The typical response was “That decision is up to Allah.” They were scared they would suffer some punishment in the afterlife for badmouthing a fellow Muslim. Many just could not comprehend that technically bin Laden was not a Muslim, because he did not follow the tenants of Islam, as the Koran preaches.
Amazing still was the number of Afghans who had never heard of the 9/11 attacks, ten years after they occurred. Many living in rural areas never owned a radio, let alone a television. Although Afghans gossip like school girls, somehow the story of the attacks did not make its way to many parts of the country. One local man told me he had only just heard of the attacks, and seen the video, that morning while waiting at the front gate to enter the base. A large flat screen TV was installed which played propaganda videos for the locals to watch while waiting in line to access the base. Much of the video loop related to insurgent activity and how to report suspicious persons. But, part of the presentation also showed pictures of, and described, the 9/11 attacks, explaining the reasoning for the presence of Americans in Afghanistan. I generally gave a short synopsis of the 9/11 attacks to those who had never heard of it. They sat wide-eyed, in amazement, as my interpreter translated the details of the attacks. The enormity of the 9/11 attacks were nearly incomprehensible to some. Most had never seen a large airplane or skyscraper in person and had trouble computing the magnitude of the attack. I always told the locals that not only were thousands of innocent Americans and Christians killed, but also many people from dozens of other countries. I also pointed out that many innocent Muslims perished that day and offered my opinion that nobody deserved to die at the hands of those hijackers. They all agreed with me.
Those who had never heard of 9/11 had no idea why the American troops were in Afghanistan. Most understood we were fighting The Taliban, but they had no idea what had prompted us to deploy to their country. All they knew was schools were built and roads were paved when the Americans showed up. In addition, they could walk to the nearest base and apply for any number of jobs, most paying around $150 per month, a handsome salary by Afghan standards. So, they liked us and really did not think to question why we were there. Once I provided a little education about 9/11, some would finally admit that Osama bin Laden was certainly no martyr. Many agreed that he did not earn that coveted title after planning the attacks that led to the deaths of over 3,000 people. Even then, not everyone would commit to this. Though they would admit this type of attack planning was against Islam, they still would not verbally acknowledge that bin Laden did not meet the standards of a martyr.
Amazingly, although a large percentage of the local men were not aware of the 9/11 attacks, a significant percentage had heard the name Osama bin Laden. His name became much more well-known after his death. I wondered how one could know about bin Laden without knowing anything about 9/11. I asked one gentleman I spoke with what he knew about bin Laden. He told me “Osama bin Laden killed innocent people and caused some kind of problem in New York. I don’t know anything more than that.” At least he was honest.
Although I thoroughly respected men who gave me honest answers to my questions, occasionally one would be so honest, it made clench my fists. Talking to one man about 9/11 sparked anger in me when he informed me that, “9/11 was America’s fault.” I contained myself, despite the urge to put my hands around the guy’s throat. Instead, I calmly asked him to explain his point of view. According to this man, he credited the United States with ousting the Russian occupiers from Afghanistan during the 1980’s. But, he faulted our country for leaving Afghanistan after the Russians suffered defeat. He felt that if the U.S. military had maintained a presence in Afghanistan after the Russian invasion, al-Qaeda and The Taliban would not have had the opportunity to establish terrorist training camps, specifically in the eastern part of the country. The man continued, noting that it was these training facilities that played a vital role in the training of many personalities involved in the 9/11 attacks. His logic was valid and his previous comment then made a lot more sense to me.
In reality, although the U.S. was one of the largest providers of logistical and financial support to the Afghan Mujahedeen (who played a significant role in defeating the Russians when they invaded Afghanistan in the 1980’s), we did not have a traditional military presence in Afghanistan during those years. This man’s information was incorrect when he said that the U.S. “left” his country and returned home. With regards to actua
l personnel on the ground, we had very few American citizens in the country of Afghanistan during the Russian occupation. However, the idea that an American presence after the Soviet invasion may have prevented the creation of terrorist training camps in Afghanistan, may have been true, although we will never know. I suspect that, much like ousting drug dealers from a particular neighborhood, that the terrorist camps would have thrived elsewhere, in another country and bin Laden would have still planned and carried out the 9/11 attacks.
During interviews, I often asked the person sitting across from me their opinion as to whether the Navy Seals did the right thing by going into Pakistan to kill bin Laden, without informing the Pakistani government. Again, I would commonly get a non-opinionated answer like “I am not educated about politics. I would not know such a thing.” Afghans do not respond well to direct questioning, so I would find other ways to get the answer out of them. In this case, I would usually talk to them about Pakistan, in general (as explained earlier, Afghans traditionally hate the Pakistanis and vice versa). I could usually get them to admit they do not like Pakistan, so we would then discuss whether Pakistanis are trustworthy. Even the uneducated would say the Pakistanis cannot be trusted and that Pakistan citizens support The Taliban. At this point, I would re-phrase the original question and ask the person whether we can trust the Pakistani government. Nearly everyone answered “no” to this question. Only then would the light bulb come on and many would declare that we did the right thing by not informing Pakistan of our plans for bin Laden.
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