Winds of Change.NET: The Shepherd and the SEAL: An Afghan Tale

July 13, 2005

The Shepherd and the SEAL: An Afghan Tale

by Joe Katzman at July 13, 2005 5:23 PM

Bill Roggio covered Red Wing Down, the recent story of the Special Forces MH-47 Chinook helicopter downed while trying to recover a Navy SEAL team. Now TIME Magazine does a fine job telling the story of the SEAL who escaped.

Some excerpts - and explanations:

"U.S. officials say the commandos kept up a running fire fight with their pursuers for more than two miles. The known survivor recalls seeing two of his friends shot. At one point he blacked out, possibly from a mortar round landing close by. When he regained consciousness, two of his teammates - Petty Officer 2nd Class Danny Dietz, 25, and Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29 - were dead, and a third had vanished in the darkness and fog. The surviving SEAL dragged himself at least another mile up into the mountains. It was there he was found four days later by Gulab the shepherd."

Gulab took him in after an initial tense standoff, and brought him home. Shortly thereafter, a village council was called. The story doesn't say, but the purpose appears to have been to warn the village and, by making the American's presence clear, to obligate the whole village to defend him.

"The Taliban was not so agreeable. That night the fighters sent a message to the villagers: "We want this infidel." A firm reply from the village chief, Shinah, shot back. "The American is our guest, and we won't give him up as long as there's a man or a woman left alive in our village." As a precaution, the villagers moved the injured commando out of Gulab's house and hid him in a stable overnight, until it was safe for Gulab to make the six-hour trek down to the U.S. base at Asadabad and report that the SEAL - by then the subject of an intense search - was alive. Sometime later, Gulab went back to his village and then returned to Asadabad with the commando, this time reuniting the wounded and weary SEAL with his jubilant comrades."

Note that reply from Shinah. Unlike many of the Arab/Islamic utterances we've become used to hearing, this was not an idle boast. The Pashtun code of hospitality extends to everyone. Doesn't matter if you're an American commando or Osama Bin Laden himself - they're honour bound to give sanctuary to strangers, and to conceal or defend any guest to the death. To forfeit that obligation is a death sentence of its own if word gets out, and to attack a village harbouring a guest is likely to ignite a blood-feud.

This is, of course, one of the dynamics that complicates the search for Bin Laden and other senior Taliban/al-Qaeda figures, and explains why many are caught in Pakistani cities instead of Afghan hills.

Still, there are consequences to all decisions, and one's enemies may decide to hold a grudge:

"It is a testament to the persistent insecurity in Afghanistan that Gulab now fears that his act of compassion may mean his death warrant. After returning the SEAL, he went back to grab his family and flee before the Taliban would come round seeking revenge."

Ah, al-Qaeda's infamous "hearts and minds strategy" again. Feuds of this sort are hardly uncommon in Afghanistan, though it is considered poor form to persecute a Pashtun for honouring the code. And if the al-Qaedists do succeed in killing Gulab while he's out tending his sheep, those close to him will be honor-bound to seek revenge of their own. Reading this stuff, you begin to understand where that Draco guy was coming from, back in the day....

Back to Gulab, who is a human being and not a trend or an abstraction. Several years ago, the USA enacted a law that individuals rendering extraordinary assistance in the War on Terror can bypass normal immigration procedures, get Green Cards as permanent residents, and move to the USA with their families. The Iraqi lawyer who helped find and rescue Jessica Lynch fell under that provision, for instance.

Gulab's story isn't heroic in the same mold (good discussion for the comments section: why not?), but he has taken a significant risk on behalf of an American under attack by al-Qaeda and its allies. If he feels the need to flee his home, he and his family deserve to be relocated to America.

I'd be immensely disappointed in the SEALs and SOCOM if they aren't already working on this.

Printer-friendly Version

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.windsofchange.net/windsopcentre-cms/trackback.cgi/4923

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference
"The Shepherd and the SEAL: An Afghan Tale"

Comments

#1 from liberalhawk at 9:38 pm on Jul 13, 2005

while gulab should have the right to come here, id much rather he stayed there. This is just the kind of person afghanistan, and the whole Islamic world need.

#2 from NahnCee at 10:22 pm on Jul 13, 2005

Just because we have people kicking the doors down to get in here, every once in a while the thought does occur that just maybe someone would rather stay where they are, if they had their druthers.

I sort of think that whatever Gulab did, he didn't do it with the aim of getting a free ticket into America. And while I'm sure we would welcome him warmly, can you imagine the dislocation it would be for him and his family? That sort of shock in and of itself might be tantamount to a small death.

Assuming that the end-all be-all aspiration of anyone on earth would be to come to America can become an ego-thing on our part, perhaps. Maybe it would be just as cool to Gulab to give him a big pot of money so he can hire guards and educate his children and allow him to stay put. At least ask him what he wants for a reward.

#3 from GC at 1:23 am on Jul 14, 2005

Yup! A big pot of money or; come here (or anywhere he wants to go) and a big pot of money; - him and his family; and stuff for the whole village (schools, wells, whatever they need).

I will be more than disappointed if the Seal base is not holding fundraisers as I write and the generals aren't figuring out how to get the trucks with the stuff up there.

Is there anything I should do to help it happen?

#4 from Joe Katzman at 2:34 am on Jul 14, 2005

NahnCee, it's good to read the posts before commenting.

Exactly which part of "If he feels the need to flee his home..." was unclear?

#5 from Russ at 3:04 pm on Jul 14, 2005

Last I checked, "nanawatei" wasn't in the Arabic vocabulary... A big pot of money isn't going to keep him from getting murdered... though you're right in priciple, GC: some sort of heartfelt thank-you from the rest of us would be awesome if it could be arranged.

#6 from NahnCee at 9:54 pm on Jul 14, 2005

Katzman - I read the whole post. The options listed were "stay put", and "if feels the need to flee -- America". There was no option #3 or #4 or #5. I was pointing out that perhaps in addition to "staying put" and "America" there might, possibly, be alternatives to demonstrate thank-you. But thank you for your snarky concern about my ability to comprehend any way. Now I know how Gulab feels.

#7 from Nortius Maximus at 9:55 pm on Jul 14, 2005

Russ: A trust fund for his family, perhaps. Or some solemn obligations taken on by the Afghan government to honor and assist his descendants somehow? Sudden wealth has dislocation effects, sometimes in as little an increment as 10% of yearly income. Even if the increase is measured in goats. :|

#8 from Nortius Maximus at 10:09 pm on Jul 14, 2005

Please, folks. I have re-read this thread and am convinced you both meant the best in what you said. I respectfully suggest a breather.

#9 from lurker at 10:10 pm on Jul 14, 2005

Nahncee, The way I interpreted Joe's comment to you was your missing the "If he feels the need to flee his home" qualifier on his original post.

You mentioned "druthers" and then went straight to rant-mode without ever noticing that Joe had already allowed for that.

You are doing it again now with his reply. Perhaps you should try harder to understand what people write before you start tearing into them. Just a thought...

#10 from GR at 8:15 pm on Jul 15, 2005

HEY, Katzman, is there anything we can do?

I know there are lots of soldier organizations that collect supplies for Afghanistan. It is crap that we have no way to have direct contacts with the right people in a situation like this. Is there a Seal Veterans group? Can you take charge of this? Just tell us how and what.

I know lots of places we can post a request for donations. They are giving billions for the bad guys, we should help the good guys.

I put half your story on my blog and then linked to here. I hope that is OK?

#11 from Joe Katzman at 10:07 pm on Jul 15, 2005

GR, that's OK. Don't know of anything available that would be specific to Gulab, though I suppose you could contact the Public Affairs Office of SOCOM to express your wishes.

#12 from GR at 7:13 pm on Jul 16, 2005

DONE!! Russ I included your comment. Mr. Katzman, I would have sent you a copy but I could not find your e-mail so, here it is:

Joe Katzman WROTE THIS STORY BELOW AND MANY OF US WANT TO HELP GULAB WHO SAVED THE SEAL. READ THE COMMENTS BELOW THE ARTICLE. YOU COULD HOOK UP WITH "SPIRIT OF AMERICA"(SOA). PUBLICIZE IT THERE BY REPRINTING KATZMAN'S ARTICLE ON THAT SITE.

I BELIEVE AMERICANS WOULD CONTRIBUTE ALL YOU NEED FOR THE VILLAGE IF YOU WOULD PROVIDE THE TROOPS AND TRUCKS TO GET THE STUFF UP THERE. (THIS IS WHAT THE SOA SITE DOES, HOOKS UP CITIZENS AND SOLDIERS TO HELP PEOPLE WHERE THE WAR FIGHTERS ARE).

SOMEONE SHOULD GO SEE WHAT GULAB'S VILLAGE NEEDS AND MAKE SURE THEY GET IT, INCLUDING PROTECTION.

THANKS

#13 from Maxwell at 5:16 pm on Apr 13, 2006

Lets start a BLOG FUND to help get Mohammed Gulab and his family out of Afghanistan!!