The Lion of Sabray Read online

  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

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  Copyright © 2015 by Patrick Robinson

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  Interior design by Jill Putorti

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  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)