The problem is that the the Convoy of Death story is false. Meanwhile, Im hunkered down, waiting for Dostum. Despite knowledge of the mission being available to the public, it had remained largely unheard of until the book. Arent you the guy who goes to all those dangerous places?. It took about an hour to get the aircraft. Its a gritty reminder of who our common enemy wasone that not only strove to kill Americans, but also attempted to force its archaic way of life on whole countries. The prisoners were not properly searched by members of the Northern Alliance before they were crammed onto trucks and the troops had not realized the American Lindh was among them. But the US Armed Forces were thin on the ground, and were potentially facing around 50,000 Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters. We moved our targeting up along the ridgeline to the second bunker. I had first tried to meet the General in May of 1997. Or maybe that scene in Star Wars: These sand people started jabbering in a language we had never heard. The Americans shouldered their hundred-pound rucksacks while the Afghans hefted the rest of the equipment. Now the CIA and spec ops have been let loose., Dostums men were a loose alliance that grew with every victory against the Taliban. They use simple wooden saddles covered with a piece of carpet, and short stirrups that put our knees up by our heads. I waited for it, that inevitable politicization of our troops presence in Afghanistan, but was happily surprised when it never came. Dostum stays in contact with the Americans by radio, working to help focus the bombing: a man with a seventh-grade education directing the fire of the worlds most powerful military. But coordination soon improved, and the improbable allies fell into a rhythm: The Americans would bomb; Dostums men would attack. The steel gate to the guest house opens, and Dostum strolls out, hands in pockets, and is ushered into a black Audi Quattro with tinted windows. -Horse Soldiers book, Yes. He refused to talk to his parents and he was takenback to our guesthouse for his protection. Then Bob Pennington (played by Michael Shannon in the movie) announced they had another gift and handed Dostum a bottle of Russian vodka. -ABC News. Headstrong and known to get into fights,was adept at the game of buzkashi, in which horsemen attempt to toss the headless carcass of a calf into a circle. Who were the 12 strong in real life? - JOUNIMARTIKAINEN It's a miracle of sorts given what they faced, a feat that the movie does a good job conveying. There were some deep unresolved internal conflicts because of the death of Mike Spann and why they over their protests had been sent to Kunduz. Three hours later, I am awakened by a massive explosion a few yards from the houseanother near miss by a rocket fired from inside the fort. Where you from? The man finally answers. 21st Century Horse Soldiers - Special Operations Forces and Operation Blackened, twisted vehicles are perforated with thousands of jagged holes. "Sir," he said. I talk to an Iraqi, as well as to Pakistanis and Saudisall of whom speak English. I asked for a few Americans, he says finally. I was asked to sit on the same row as the team during his funeral. Dostums men are touring the battle scene. real general dostum and mitch nelson - diagrammix.com Robert Young Pelton, all rights reserved. Both of the named Green Berets are commanding officers, John Mulholland and Max Bowers. The Regulators flew in from Uzbekistan at night on a blacked-out Chinook helicopter. is the manner in which military members tend to downplay their service or push aside thanks, rarely focusing on themselves, but on their team or country as a whole. I could see the horses blasting out the other side. The only mystery was the lack of interest in the NGO, governments and media in investigating the facts. Its a high, lonely place. Later that week, Dostum casually mentions that 3,000 other foreign fighters from the surrender at Kunduz are in a Soviet-era prison in the city of Sheberghan, 80 miles west. Since he cant speak Urdu, he was assigned to the Arab-speaking branch of Ansar (the helpers), a faction that Walker claims is sponsored by Osama bin Ladenwhom Walker says he saw many times in the training camps and on the front lines. Mitch Nelson | Historica Wiki | Fandom Ironically, he actually served under the man he is portraying. Accused of Rape and Torture, Exiled Afghan Vice President Returns The bread we ate was half-mixed with dirt. Not exactly. The Green Berets call it the Gap of Doom. 12 Strong: Directed by Nicolai Fuglsig. The new graves belong to those who were fighting terrorists. He is silhouetted against the slate-blue sky, the long tails of his silver turban whipping in the wind. Up until now the CIA has been hog-tied. They huddle in brown blankets, trying to avoid the soaking rain. He knew that he had to put in his time shuffling papers in order to move up in rank. The Regulators rush to catch up in two mud-covered cars. However, the mission quickly changed and became about convincing ethnic leaders (some were more similar to warlords) to join forces with them to fight their common enemy: the Taliban and its Al Qaeda allies. On another truck are the seriously wounded. Dostum and troops bid farewell to US special forces. - YouTube More than 400 prisoners are said to have died; I count only about 50 bodies in the courtyard. In real life, they learned of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center over the truck's radio on their way back to the base. Soon were winding past an ancient brick bridge that crosses a roaring gorge; on the west side are large caves that shepherds have scooped out of the soft rock over the centuries. The team set up on the roof of a building about 400 meters from the madrasah and called in a strike. A bizarre story called The Convoy of Death surfaced and painted Dostum and the team in a negative light. Dostums father talks to his son as though he were a child, telling him that he and the teacher have been praying for his success. Of course, war is cruel and brutal; any person who has ever read a single page of history understands the unfortunate necessity and commonality of war in all cultures, in all countries around . There are tanks. Nutsch is portrayed by Chris Hemsworth in the movie and renamed Mitch Nelson. The soldiers stay well away from the al Qaeda prisoners as I interview them. We only had the time it takes 250 horses to travel 1,500 meters, so I told the pilot to step on it, Will says. Late in the afternoon, a convoy of mud-spattered off-road vehicles pulls up, and a dozen dusty Americans in tan chocolate chip camo climb out. I had jumped a train in Tajikistan, snuck into Uzbekistan and remained holed up in a dusty border town. After our time in country, I became friends with the men and defended them when they were accused of war crimes by the media. The Horse Soldiers monument in New York City is not based on any one person. DP hats, so I dig them out of my bag and pass them around. The team was under orders not to talk to journalists. In an effort to trim Dostums control the CIA would insist that rival commander Ustad Atta Mohammed get his own Green Beret escort several weeks later as he raced Dostum to claim Mazar. Their home base is Fort Campbell, Kentucky, but they spend only a few months of the year there. Mark Nutsch shares the true-life story of helping lead what is considered the most successful . General Abdul Rashid Dostum is a man who has rarely been interviewed but has often been typecast as a brutal warlordusually because of his reputation for winning. We jump in a Toyota off-road vehicle and set off. Soldiers run up to the bite in the wall, shoot into the fort, and then scurry back down. They chose not bullets or grenades but ordnance that ranged from Maverick missiles to laser-guided bombs. We set up in a bomb crater and used it as our bunker. Dostum and the Green Berets drove by them as they headed for Kunduz. "We dispersed the team at several positions along the ridges of the Tiangi." At a full gallop, its a smooth ride. Buzkashi is the way Afghan boys learn to rideand its the way Afghan politics is played: There are few rules and the toughest, meanest, and most brutal player takes the prize. I now have a friend named Mark, Dostum says, referring to the Green Beret captain. Although I spoke out on behalf of the team the media, didntpublish my eyewitness photos and testimony because it would go against a narrative thata Pashtun backed by a European-backed central government must rule Kabul, not a coalition of regional leaders.We did not want the Taliban voting themselves back into power, yet we restrained the grass roots power of the ethnic minorities. Various close ups of American Specia. Advertise They were forced to spend the night on the river bank after dense fog made it impossible to navigate their Zodiac inflatable boats. Its a helluva thing we do, isnt it? Transfixed, they watch the Christmas tree being lit in Rockefeller Center. An NGO insisted that thousands of corpses were dumped at a graveyard calledDasht-i-Leili outside of Shiberghan but refused to actual exhume them. Some are provided by Dostum and others. However, when the 2009 Horse Soldiers book was being written, Mark Nutsch had requested that his name be changed to protect his identity, as was the case with most of the other Horse Soldiers. Until a group of 480 al Qaeda and talibs showed up at the gates of Mazar. We fought with nothing but hope.. Dostum, a former Communist general, had a reputation for violence. Bill finds a shrapnel wound in the emaciated mans right upper thigh and wounds from grenade shrapnel in his back; he also finds that part of the second toe on his left foot has been shot away. They had gone only about 600 meters when they started taking fire. Nutsch commented: Were humbled that a movie has been made about our teams mission in that pivotal post 9/11 period. Chris Hemsworth's character's real-life counterpart, Mark Nutsch, had worked on a cattle ranch when he was younger and was one of the few members of the 12-man team who had experience riding horses. "Very Good," replied Dostum. Next door, in Dostums pink house, Mullah Faizal and Mullah Nuri sit on pillows in a small room. When a local singer wrote a song about Dostum, the name stuck. "Excellent." Nelson must convince Col. Mulholland (William Fichtner) that his team is ready to meet with Northern Alliance General Dostum (Navid Negahban) to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Later on he had a dark premonition. Our Team The horses cast long shadows in the late afternoon. He freely admits that in two decades of war, abuses have been committed by the troops of every commander. Yes. Images of them doing this can be seen below and in Alex Quade's short documentary Horse Soldiers of 9/11. Then the bombs are dropped, and I look through the scope and see body parts flying everywhere. The 12 Strong movie has Chris Hemsworth's character (Mark Nutsch in real life) being given the candy-bar-sized piece of metal by Colonel Mulholland. And I believe it will mean a lot to the Afghan people because it shows their service in that conflict.. When the two aircraft were on location, the Green Berets radioed Alliance commanders to evacuate civilians from the area. The Regulators job was to invent a new form of warfare: coordinating lightly armed horseback attacks with massive applications of American air powerall without hitting civilians or friendly forces. We havent seen a TV or news in two months, one soldier says apologetically. The rest mounted up and rode north. None of the 12 soldiers died during the 2001 Afghanistan mission. As we approach the village, the men and boys are lined up in a perfect row a hundred yards long, waiting to greet Dostum. In the movie, Nelson and his men must link up with General Abdul Rashid Dostum and his small band of fightersa partnership as much diplomatic as military, according to 12 Strong's director. Twenty Urgan missiles point toward the village. When he returns, the dark weariness has lifted. We jumped in the back of a truck and drove up to Dostums HQ here in this house.. Yes, but the tagline is a bit of an exaggeration. Then came September 11. One Leadership Skill That Turned 12 'Horse Soldiers' Into An Elite There are 86 al Qaeda fighter in the basement, including John Walker Lindh. They were all quitting demanding to be sent to other units rather than put up with new commander ideas on what soldiering was. How do you love your family and leave them to go to war? who will play the wife of Mitch Nelson opposite her real-life husband, Chris Hemsworth. General Abdul Rashid Dostum had arrived. I looked at Lahl and said, Bombs away. We had 30 seconds till impact; meanwhile, the Afghan horde is screaming down this ridgeline. . "When I went to Afghanistan, I reported to Lieutenant Colonel Max Bowers. He waves the accomplishment aside with a shy smile even as he promises to introduce me to his new trophiesthe mullahs. Compliance. Instead, 12 Strong simply tells a storya true one. Nuri has the black look of a Pashtun who has endured a lifetime of war. Theres one time Ill never forget, he says. At eight that night, we pulled in to Shulgareh, which is the biggest town in the valley. We grabbed our stuff and ran., The team knew that their story would be stolen, rewritten and misused as Rumsfeld and others seized the moment. The wholesale conversion of talibs to the government side during theKunduz surrender had created confusion in how many Taliban existed in the North. I thought the guy was this ruthless warlord, one soldier says. They also need blankets.". Captain Mitch Nelson (played by Chris Hemsworth) refuses. It was then that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld showed the press an image of a bearded Green Beret on a horse and explained that the man was directing air strikes against Taliban and al-Qaeda targets in northern Afghanistan. Horse Soldiers Analysis - eNotes.com In a tiny, sparse room are his father, Dostums former teacher, and a village elder. Lined up against a wall is the most pathetic display of humanity I have ever seen: the survivors of the bunker at Qala Jangi fortress. They are direct military descendants of the Devils Brigade, a joint Canadian-American unit that fought in Italy during the Second World War. Dostum, a former Communist general, had a reputation for violence. This scandal would tarnish General Dostums very realaccomplishment of being Americas most aggressive and stalwart allyagainst the Taliban and al Qaeda. This time I had less worries with just a few hours waiting for Uzbek guards to look the other way while we hustled our kit over the blockade Friendship Bridge at night. There was talk that the team might be split uprumors of differences with a commanding officer who didnt appreciate the traditional independence of the Green Berets. His men rounded up vehicles that the Taliban had left behind, and Heavy D entered the city as a conquering hero, standing through the sunroof of a Toyota Land Cruiser. This is the first close-air-support strike in years in an urban area, says Air Force Steve. Sidelined, and in exile in Turkey, In 2009, Dostum was begged by President Karzai to come back from exile to reelect him and again in 2014 Dostum engineered the victory ofPresidentGhani.only to go back into exile. Nelson commits to leading 595 into Afghanistan as word of the disastrous terrorist attacks that day breaks. The teacher giggles, his white beard shaking with joy. Dostum and Mitch Nelson remain close friends to this day. Privacy Policy He couldnt expose his small force to Taliban missile strikes, explains Captain Mark, so they would hit and retreat. At first he is hostile, like a kitten baring its claws. He was quick to defend the weak and if negotiations failed he had no shortage of armed men that would stand beside him. That, says Dostum, was when the war against terror began., Living in caves and raiding Taliban positions, Dostums men slowly began to harass the well-entrenched Taliban along the Darra-e Suf. Support Dostum. Based on history and dossiers full of Pakistani provided intelligence, theAgency wanted nothing to do with Dostum. Men wept as the imam prayed and thanked Dostum for deliverance. All I see is grass growing beside abandoned trenches. The old creed is that we never leave a guy behind. The Regulators wanted to find the prisoners who had killed Spann and attacked a second CIA man who was questioning the Taliban. No more Taliban. At the time, General Dostum did have a reputation for violence and turning on allies during battle. He lies staring at the ceiling. Once the plane got there, it circled about six times, Paul says. They reach out to shake his hand, to embrace him. He is a kingmaker who works the ethnic minority to choose who will rule and who will fail. The men who first defended this post with me are all dead now. Robert Young Pelton, all rights reserved. A man whois said by some journalists to define violence and treachery. The team had been working together for two years and the average age was 32 years old. What '12 Strong' Tells Us about Afghanistan - The National Interest Nutsch was the commander of the 12-man Green Berets from 5th Special Forces Group on a mission to Afghanistan in the weeks after 9/11 terrorist attacks. Theyd heard rumors that he was 80 years old, that he didnt have use of his right arm. Six months ago, he traveled to Kabul with some Pakistanis to join the Taliban. The bomb lands and hits and bam! A military man and his wife hold each other, knowing they will be separated in the morning, unsure of the future. He went on to serve in the US Army, although he did not see combat until the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. The 12 Strong true story reveals that they finally left Kentucky on October 5, 2001. One key point noted repeatedly (and military spouses already know this!) to talk. He did have trouble getting off his horse, and like in the movie, the medic gave him something for the pain. Three years of drought have broken: A cold rain pours down in gray sheets. He told them his name was Abdul Hamid. He confesses that he had worried at first how the Americans would handle Afghan warfare: It was cold; the food was bad. . Captain Nelson was determined to get the mission done in a timely fashion because of the promise he made to his superiors. If we had been there, Mikes death would not have happened., When they got word of the incident, the unit desperately wanted to get back to the prison. Our commanders said they didnt know what to expect, but at least they were honest enough to admit it, the Green Beret continues. The post was in an uproar, says Paul. Mitch Nelson, a U.S. Army captain with Green Berets Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 595, . I whip my horse, it takes three steps, and stops. The two Afghan leaders study a map with Captain Mark, just in case air strikes are needed. Our mission was simple, another soldier says. My opinion is an unequivocal yes. 12 Strong, from Warner Bros. Pictures, will release on January 19, 2018. Was it ten thousand, five thousand, The actual number was around 3,500 who surrendered, another460 al Qaeda showed up at thegates of Mazar and around 250 300 died of their wounds, diseaseor suffocation during transport in the frigid weather. Washington, D.C.. Fittingly, a lot of the actors in the movie had very little or no experience on a horse as well, so there wasn't very much acting needed to convey the team's lack of experience riding horses. As he leans into the Afghan wind, the light falls, and a moment in history fades. In an air attack, says Air Force Steve, you do one of two things. I ride in the warlords communications truck, a white Land Cruiser. A wife buried shoulders deep in her oven, scrubbing it out as if her life depends on it, as if it will make any sort of difference in whats coming (Angry cleaning, I call it.). It took a few hours for bombers to arrive from their carriers. First, a soft gray cloud of smoke rises in a lazy ring. Although nighttime gunfire is normal in Afghanistan, there is an urgency to the sound of the deep explosions that come from the 19th-century fortress of Qala Jangi, just over a mile east from Khoda Barq, a Soviet-era apartment complex west of Mazar.
How Important Is The Wesleyan Interview,
What Is The Difference Between Omnipod And Dexcom,
Articles R
