Salam was not a hard-core militant: “Often the Taliban use mentally challenged people to do their dirty work, whether it’s a small kid at the age of ten detonating himself, or this guy,” Hurlbut told me. “He was definitely mentally disturbed. We found out after the fact that he was not a Taliban sympathizer but became a Taliban agent provocateur kind of guy, that they just churned up, got high on, I think he was high on drugs and then did the thing. Why they were targeting Paula, if they were targeting Paula, remains to be seen.” After Salam was killed, the soldiers checked him against their biometric data system and found that he was “not on any watch list,” according to the Army investigation.
Salam, he told me, had been known around Chehel Gazi as “the village wacko”: Warren, interview by author, March 20, 2009.
“He didn’t have Taliban connections”: Ibid.
“People were just making a joke of him because he was an abnormal person”: Hajji Mohammad Ehsan, interview by author, October 12, 2010.
Abdul Salam had been about twenty-five years old: This and other details below are from Mohammad Umar, interview by Muhib Habibi with author, March 29, 2009.
Epilogue
news that a group of soldiers recently stationed there had been accused of killing Afghan civilians: The week I landed in Maiwand, the free copies of Stars and Stripes piled around Ramrod carried a story about allegations that a handful of American soldiers had killed three unarmed Afghan civilians between January and May 2010 while they were stationed in Maiwand. The soldiers, known as the “kill team,” belonged to the 5th Stryker Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division headquartered at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State. Four are now in prison for their crimes, including Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs, the ringleader, who was sentenced to life for the three murders, and Specialist Jeremy Morlock, who is serving twenty-four years for his role in the killings. See Megan McCloskey, “A Question of Accountability: Worst U.S. War Crimes Case to Emerge from Afghanistan Leaves Some Asking: Where Was the Leadership?” Stars and Stripes, October 5, 2010; Adam Ashton, “Army Sergeant Is Sentenced to Life in Murders of Afghan Civilians,” Stars and Stripes, November 11, 2011; Mark Boal, “The Kill Team: How U.S. Soldiers in Afghanistan Murdered Innocent Civilians,” Rolling Stone, March 27, 2011; and Luke Mogelson, “A Beast in the Heart of Every Fighting Man,” New York Times Magazine, April 27, 2011.
Abdul Salam’s brother was named Omar Bank: Hajji Lala, interview by author, October 10, 2010.
He griped that the Americans took his intelligence informants for granted: Lala said that the Americans had asked for help locating a Taliban prison in Maiwand. He had contacted an informant, who found the prison. The Americans took aerial photographs and paid the informant two thousand Afghanis, about forty dollars. “They came . . . and said to me, ‘Take this, this is for the informant.’ And I said, ‘Please be kind, keep your money in your pockets.’ It’s a shame and it’s a joke and it’s disrespect,” Lala told me. “This man, three days, four days, he was riding on a motorbike with his own expenses and he was looking for a Taliban prison for us, and he put his life in danger, and you are giving two thousand Afghanis. I’ll give something to him from my own money.”
He had met with her the day before she was attacked: “One day before the incident, she came to me and we had a meeting and she told me, ‘When will we have the next meeting in the FOB?’ I told her that I’m going to Kandahar today, when I return back I will see you. But after that she just went to the next village near the district office, and a man by the name of Salam, he came and he threw petrol on her and she was burned by that. She was alive in the beginning and after two months, she passed away.”
Lala and the Americans arrested Bank: They picked him up on November 5, 2010. For this and the additional details below, Lieutenant Roy Ragsdale, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, correspondence, March 11, 2011.
Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Denny, acknowledged that there was much he didn’t know: Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Denny, commander, 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, interview by author, October 8, 2010.
to train the local Afghan army unit so his men wouldn’t have to come back: “To me, winning means being able to turn Maiwand over to my Afghan army battalion counterparts,” Denny told me. “Winning for me means no American having to come here again.”
the project had come under scrutiny from Congress: The result was the Center for Naval Analyses study previously cited. See “National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, Report of the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, on H.R. 2647,” 154–55, http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-111hrpt166/pdf/CRPT-111hrpt166.pdf, accessed March 6, 2013.
it suffered from inadequate government oversight, an overreliance on unaccountable contractors: The Army’s Training and Doctrine Command initiated an investigation of the Human Terrain System in March 2010 to look into an array of allegations of impropriety ranging from sexual harassment to fraud. Department of the Army, Headquarters United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, “Appointment of Investigating Officer for an Informal Investigation,” March 5, 2010, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. The results noted here are from “Findings and Recommendations, AR 15–6 Investigation Concerning Human Terrain System (HTS) Project Inspector General Complaints,” 1–3, and attached memorandum of Lieutenant General John E. Sterling, Jr., Deputy Commanding General/Chief of Staff.
faced with a mess it had helped to create: Before becoming head of the Human Terrain System, Hamilton was the deputy chief of staff for intelligence at the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command. Jim Hodges, “Cover Story: U.S. Army’s Human Terrain Experts May Help Defuse Future Conflicts,” DefenseNews, March 22, 2012.
“He was right to a degree,” the official told me: A TRADOC official, interview by author, July 1, 2010.
“I want to retire to obscurity and raise llamas”: McFate, interview by author, July 1, 2010.
Clint Cooper had returned to Afghanistan briefly after Loyd’s attack: Cooper, interviews by author, April 19–22, 2010, and January 15, 2013.
Don Ayala had gone home to New Orleans and returned to painting: Ayala, interview by author, January 4, 2013.
“Your daughter was a remarkable public servant”: Letter of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to Patricia Ward, June 1, 2010.
INDEX
Abu Ghraib abuses, 118
Adamson, Bill, 29
Afghanistan, Afghans, 32, 69–99, 120, 123, 125, 167–95, 197, 243n, 257n
agriculture in, 11, 47, 56, 86–87, 89, 92, 94, 170, 174–75, 182, 185–86, 188, 190, 274n, 312n
Abdul Salam and, 133–35, 137, 204, 206–8, 216
Ayala and, 127, 131–39, 152, 158
bombings in, 27, 35, 64, 75–76, 88, 127, 131–39, 141, 144–47, 153–62, 169, 186, 190, 201, 208, 210, 223, 240n, 271n, 273n, 275n, 294n, 296n–98n, 307n
Canada and, 84, 169–70, 207, 268n–69n, 272n
casualties in, 14, 26, 35, 59–60, 63, 65, 74, 76, 84, 88–89, 96, 133–36, 139, 141, 161–62, 167–68, 202–3, 221, 270n, 273n, 294n–98n, 307n, 325n–26n
children in, 7–8, 11–13, 19, 57, 60, 74–75, 80, 85, 87, 93, 95, 98–99, 134–35, 156–57, 182–85, 187, 207, 213–14, 222, 232n–34n, 263n, 276n, 296n, 322n
civil war in, 26, 174–75, 313n
Cooper’s interrogation of detainees in, 72–77, 263n–64n
corruption in, 7, 21, 58, 86, 93, 96, 137, 174–75, 203, 237n, 276n
counterinsurgency in, 1–2, 10, 42–43, 83, 134, 136, 174–76, 187–89, 238n, 249n, 253n, 294n–95n, 307n
cultural intelligence and, 2–3, 10, 31, 41, 165, 171–73, 175–77, 187–88, 190–92, 195, 198
difficulty in finding hard facts in, 205–6
drug trade in, 7, 11, 86–87, 91, 97, 174–75, 203–4, 271n–72n, 278n
education in, 7, 11, 14–15, 56–57, 61–62, 65, 80, 88, 95, 98, 136, 185, 191, 209, 232n, 234n, 322n
ethnic groups in, 171–72, 182, 184, 226
health care in, 56–57, 180–87, 311n–12n
HTS and, 1–3, 7, 10–11, 40, 44–46, 77, 81–83, 89–96, 99, 138, 161–65, 167–73, 177–87, 189–95, 199–200, 225, 255n, 267n–68n, 275n, 291n, 303n–4n, 306n, 311n–12n, 315–17n
immolations in, 127–28, 130, 135, 206, 208–9
insurgency in, 10, 12–13, 25, 44–46, 58–59, 62, 65–66, 72, 74–76, 83, 86–88, 90, 94–96, 130, 134–36, 174–77, 186, 190–91, 195, 199–203, 209–10, 213–14, 216–17, 221–22, 268n, 271n, 273n, 276n, 310n–11n
Karzai’s treatment of, 79–80, 265n
lack of U.S. expertise on, 173–75
languages spoken in, 6, 72, 74–75, 90, 163–64, 172–73, 184, 188, 263n, 304n
Loyd’s military career and, 56–59, 259n–61n
McChrystal’s assessment of, 176–77, 252n, 310n
male-on-male affection in, 81, 266n, 273n
marriages in, 58, 206, 209
misogyny in, 199, 206, 208–10, 322n
NATO and, 59, 64–65, 83, 87, 134–35, 175–77, 179, 187, 190, 294n–95n, 311n
need for cooperation between military and civilian workers in, 64–66, 261n
Pakistani border with, 44, 60, 87
PRTs in, 58–64, 261n
reconciliation commission of, 202–3, 211, 320n
refugees and, 73–74, 95, 186, 210, 263n
religion in, 7–8, 210
Soviet war in, 7, 24–25, 31, 44, 61, 79, 85, 89–91, 171–72, 210, 238n, 263n, 311n
Taliban and, 7, 9, 26, 59, 73–74, 76, 78–79, 83, 85–86, 88, 91, 93–96, 99, 134–37, 172, 174–75, 177, 179, 188, 190, 199–210, 213–14, 216–18, 222, 224, 261n, 263n–64n, 295n, 311n, 319n–21n, 323n–25n
U.S. troop commitments in, 1, 10, 25, 174, 177, 187, 309n–10n, 316n
U.S. war in, 25–26, 39, 43, 66, 72, 74, 76, 78, 82–87, 90, 106, 118, 133–37, 151, 169, 174–77, 182, 195, 202–3, 208, 210, 241n, 248n–49n, 252n–53n, 271n–72n, 275n, 277n–78n, 297n, 309n–10n, 315n–16n
U.S. withdrawal from, 224, 326n
weather in, 69, 78, 84, 263n
women and girls in, 6–7, 12, 17, 56–59, 62–63, 80–81, 84–85, 91, 93–94, 136, 171–72, 177–87, 190, 192, 199–200, 206, 208–10, 220, 226, 234n, 259n, 266n, 270n, 275n, 296n, 311n–12n, 319n–23n
Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, 161
Africa, 113, 245n, 283n
agriculture:
in Afghanistan, 11, 47, 56, 86–87, 89, 92, 94, 170, 174–75, 182, 185–86, 188, 190, 274n, 312n
HTS and, 89, 92
Maiwand and, 86–87, 94
Agriculture Department, U.S., 58, 60
Ahmadullah, Hajji (Hajji Lala), 221–23, 325n
Air Force, U.S., 39, 64, 246n
Albro, Rob, 191–92, 315n
Al Fathy, 214–15
Al Qaeda, 26, 177, 186, 261n
American Anthropological Association (AAA), 118, 122, 125, 191, 291n, 315n
American Enterprise Institute, 248n
American Geographical Society, 40, 251n
anthropology, 34, 39, 82, 110–26, 251n, 315n
in Bali, 120–21
colonialism and, 119, 125, 283n–84n
comparisons between intelligence and, 30, 121–22, 288n–89n
counterinsurgencies and, 118–19, 124–25, 286n–87n
cultural intelligence and, 2–3, 29–31, 192, 243n
HTS and, 1–2, 10, 41, 45–46, 101–2, 125, 164, 166, 168, 191, 194, 198, 286n, 303n, 305n–6n
Iraq and, 29–31, 37, 118
Lévi-Strauss on, 119–20
Loyd and, 7, 50, 53–54, 56, 125, 256n, 258n
McFate and, 29–31, 43, 101, 105, 112–18, 125–26, 250n, 282n, 284n–86n, 291n, 316n
politics and, 114, 118, 125, 240n, 285n, 287n
war and, 101, 110–11, 115, 118, 121–22, 125–26, 289n
Arab Mind, The (Patai), 118
Arabs, Arabic, 31, 45, 79, 81, 164, 189, 194, 214, 240n, 303n
and cultural intelligence in Iraq, 36, 247n
and Grau’s trip to Iraq, 39–40
Lawrence and, 101, 120–21
Arkin, William M., 245n
Arman, Delbar, 61–63
army, Afghan, 12, 223–24, 269n, 274n
U.S. withdrawal and, 224, 326n
Army, U.S., 30, 40, 105, 118, 130, 134, 188, 209, 298n
and attack on Loyd, 16–21, 129, 132, 235n–36n, 293n
and Ayala’s arrest and imprisonment, 132, 138, 293n–94n
Ayala’s career in, 6, 78, 80, 82–83, 144–45, 149–51, 160, 166, 299n
Ayala’s sentencing and, 154–55, 158–59
Chehel Gazi patrols and, 6–11, 13–19, 207, 232n–35n
Cooper’s career in, 70–73, 262n–63n
cultural intelligence and, 2, 6, 28, 37–39, 41, 102, 165, 173, 192, 194–95, 241n
Culture Center of, 172, 225
Fondacaro and, 31–35, 44
Foreign Military Studies Office and, 25, 37–38, 238n
Forward Operating Base Ramrod and, 69, 93, 262n
and Grau’s trip to Iraq, 39–40
Grenada and, 150–51
HTS and, 2–3, 10, 24, 38, 41, 45–46, 77, 83, 92–93, 97, 124, 162–65, 168, 170, 173–74, 177, 187, 193–94, 224–25, 234n–35n, 303n, 308n, 313n–14n, 317n–18n, 326n
IED attacks and, 27–28, 35, 75–76, 246n–47n
intelligence defined by, 249n, 313n–14n
interpreters used by, 11, 16, 234n
Iraq and, 23–24, 27–28, 37, 239n, 246n–47n
and Jack Bauer’s monitoring of insurgents, 12–13
Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) and, 35–37, 43, 246n, 249n, 254n
Loyd’s career in, 7, 53–60, 82–83, 258n–61n
McFate and, 29, 31, 116
Maiwand and, 5–7, 9, 87–88, 90, 92, 94, 97, 207, 224, 232n, 235n, 272n–74n
Project Camelot and, 122–24
and revision of counterinsurgency doctrine, 42–43, 252n–53n
Salam and, 20, 131–33, 135, 137, 154–55, 158–59, 206–8, 211–12, 215–17, 236n–37n, 292n, 300n–301n, 319n–320n, 343n–25n
technology and, 239n
Vietnam War and, 23, 32, 244n
World Basic Information Library and, 39, 252n
Army, U.S., units of:
2nd Battalion, 2nd Regiment, 1st Infantry Division (2–2), 5, 83–84, 87, 90, 134, 155, 216, 262n, 268n–59n, 272n–74n, 276n, 296n
4th Mechanized Infantry Division, 239n
5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, 325n
10th Mountain Division, 41
82nd Airborne Division, 44, 149
101st Airborne Division, 38, 42, 162
450th Civil Affairs Battalion, 56, 259n
507th Maintenance Company, 246n
Air Defense Artillery, 116
Central Command, 10
Comanche Company, 5–6, 11, 15–18, 93, 141, 235n
Criminal Investigation Division, 139, 159, 215–16, 324n
Darkhorse Company, 93, 273n
Rangers, 6, 31, 33, 35, 82, 150–51
Special Forces, 24, 34, 45, 55, 59, 66, 72, 74–75, 77, 80, 83, 86, 144–45, 151, 156–57, 162, 261n, 271n–72n
Special Operations, 35, 55, 151, 175
Special Technical Operations, 33, 245n
Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), 35, 37–38, 46, 173, 196, 224–25, 246n, 317n–18n, 326n
Atkinson, Rick, 240n, 247n
Ayala, Don, 78–83, 131–39, 143–60, 292n–303n, 324n
Afghan police and, 21, 237n
on anthropology, 305n
artistic talent of, 80–81, 147–48, 225
and attack on Loyd, 16, 19–22, 127–28, 131–33, 146, 237n
bodyguard career of, 6, 78–81, 92, 136–38, 145, 152–53, 155, 265n–68n
Chehel Gazi patrol and, 6–9, 11, 16, 19, 232n, 235n
childhood and adolescence of, 145, 147–49
and civilian casualties in Afghanistan, 134–35
criminal charges against, 138–39, 143
cultural intelligence and, 91–93
education of, 147–48, 151
HTS and, 6–8, 11, 81–82, 88–89, 91–94, 98, 135, 137–39, 162, 166–70, 234n, 236n, 255n, 267n–68n, 274n, 277n, 298n, 305n–6n
injuries of, 149, 155
interpreters used by, 11–12
on Karzai’s treatment of Afghans, 79–80, 265n
letters from supporters of, 144–46, 156–57
and Loyd, 8, 18, 82–83, 92, 153, 157, 236n, 268n, 300n
Maiwand and, 23, 82, 88–89, 91–94, 97–98, 127–28, 131, 133, 135, 137, 153, 156, 159, 221, 273n–74n
mentoring skills of, 80–81, 137–38
military career of, 6, 78, 80, 82–83, 144–45, 149–51, 160, 166, 299n
nicknames of, 81, 266n
physical appearance of, 6, 20, 132, 139, 153, 232n
physical fitness of, 147–49
probation of, 160, 225
and Salam, 19–22, 127–28, 131–39, 144–47, 153–60, 212, 219–20, 236n–37n, 292n–94n, 301n
sentencing of, 144, 146, 153–60, 300n
144, 146, 154–56, 225
and Sunrise, 147–49, 152–53
Ayub Khan, 84, 270n
Azizabad, bombing of, 134
backtracking, 241n
BAE Systems, 168, 196, 265n, 275n, 306n, 308n, 317n–18n
Baghdad, 29, 64, 81, 139, 152, 162, 247n
IED attacks and, 27, 35–36
Bagram, Bagram Air Base, 73, 276n
Ayala’s imprisonment at, 133, 138
HTS and, 138, 162, 178
Bali, 120–21
Band-i-Timur, 91, 276n
Banger (Stephen James Lang), 170–72, 307n
Bank, Omar, 221–23
Barfield, Thomas, 283n
Barton, Susanna, 48–49
Bastion, Camp, 129, 178, 312n
Bateson, Gregory, 122, 289n
Bauer, Jack (interpreter), 11–18
and attack on Loyd, 16–18, 20–22
background of, 12, 234n
Chehel Gazi patrol and, 13–14, 16–17, 207, 234n–35n
injuries of, 141, 297n
Salam and, 13–16, 21–22, 131–32, 159, 236n–37n
The Tender Soldier: A True Story of War and Sacrifice Page 39