Notebook
entry
10
reports given, Skype, Sammy, what for, interviews, sleep.
Journal
entry
I slept in until about 0730. Did the regular 3S routine, cut
my hair and came back.
I got on the phone and on Skype with Suzan because the connection
wasn't fast enough to do both at the same time. I missed her even more
for having seen her.
After that I went to interview two guys who came in from Durzay who
were beat up and shot by the TB. This is what I came up with.
Interview #1
Time 1140 Local
Interviewee: Ali Riza, Sgt 2nd Kandak
Place of Birth: Mazar-i-Sherif
Height: 65in, weight 150lbs
Marital status: married
Place: Clinic, Camp Garmsir
After initial questions about his biography to determine a baseline
the interviewee was asked to describe the circumstances that led to him being
in his hospital bed. This
was an open-ended question with no prompting.
‘Two of us left our post looking for food. First we went to a shop with energy
drinks. I purchased some
with the Pakistani Money that I had. I
wanted to call home and next door there was a shop that allowed me to make the
call, so I went in there. There
were three men in the shop. The
shopkeeper said that two of them were his relatives. They asked him if me if I would like
to stay for dinner, and I said no. At that time the two relatives left the
building. I asked the shopkeeper for change to make a telephone call. While I was on the phone my soldier
came in and told me that the two guys who went outside were smoking hashish
drinking Fanta. As he was
speaking the men returned to the shop on a motorcycle and began to shoot, they
shot me in the arm and then in the butt, then they ran out of ammunition. I tried to return fire, but they
pulled on my weapon and because I only had one good arm, they pulled it
free. They tried to shoot
me with it, but they didn’t know how to use it, so they started to beat me with
it. The shopkeeper also
started to beat me. While they were beating my weapon broke from the
force. I tried to grab the
shopkeeper’s legs to keep him from beating me, but I was not able to stop
him. I made my way out of
the shop and tried to run back to the post, but I could not. I saw a shepherd boy and yelled to him
to tell the soldiers and Marines that we were being attacked. The next thing I remember is the
Marine Doctor telling me to stay awake, giving me medicine. After that the next thing I remember
is being in the Marine hospital. Now I don’t know what is going to happen to me
they might put me in jail. I
tried to hold onto my weapon, but I just couldn’t. The S2 says I am Taliban.’
Through subsequent questioning the Sergeant revealed the following.
There are five soldiers at the post. The post is approx 300m from the
Bazaar. The Marines only
have the ANA stand post in the evening, so he was free to go during the
day. Most of the patrols
they do with the Marines, but since this was just a resupply they only had two
soldiers. His fellow
soldiers knew that he left and gave him money to buy them things in the bazaar.
As soon as he left the shop he believes his attackers got on their motorcycle and
fled because they saw the shepherd boy running to get help. He has spent four months in
Durzay. He feels bad
because his soldier was hurt worse than him. He believes the shopkeeper is
going to accuse him of trying to steal Fanta or pressure him into getting him
some, but that doesn’t make sense because he already had Fanta.
Comments:
Before beginning his narrative of events he tried to sit up to
speak more emphatically. This was a break from the previous baseline, but it
could be attributed to him having been questioned before by the S2 and his
desire to emphasize his innocence.
Interview #2
Time 1300 Local
Interviewee: Salim, Soldier, 2nd Kandak
Place of Birth: Bamyan
Height: 65in, weight 150lbs
Marital status: Married
Place: Combat Surgical Hospital, Camp Dwyer
After initial questions about his biography to determine a baseline
the interviewee was asked to describe the circumstances that led to him being
in his hospital bed. This
was an open-ended question with no prompting.
‘We left to go to Headquarters, but stopped in a bazaar at a shop
with a bunch of energy drinks and bought some. I saw the shopkeeper leave the shop
and he went to meet up with two guys who were sitting some distance away. When I approached them they moved
behind the bazaar. I came
back to tell my Sergeant and when I came back they came up behind me with a
motorcycle and started to shoot. After
they shot me they beat me and my sergeant with our weapons. I don’t know how my
Sergeant got out of the shop.’
Through subsequent questioning the solder revealed the following:
He had not spoken to his sergeant since the event. He claimed that they were going to
Headquarters to get supplies.
Comments:
The soldier’s tone became more emphatic as he continued with his story,
but none of the questions broke his natural rythmn.
Irregularities:
The first sergeant claimed that he entered two shops, while the
Soldier only claimed that they went to one shop.
The Soldier said he could did not see the sergeant leave the shop,
and had not seen him leave, but the soldier did know that he left the shop.
Assessment
It is the interviewer’s assessment that these soldiers left to buy
food in the bazaar. Leaving
with this number of soldiers is probably a common occurrence, and not seen as
irregular based on them both offering the same information with no prompting.
They may or may not have tried to pressure the shopkeeper to give them energy
drinks at a reduced price. They
were both attacked in the manner they described. They were overpowered by their
assailants and had their weapons taken. It
is unlikely that they sold their weapons to the Taliban. The reason for the attack could be
many. Their small size,
their ethnic/linguist/religious background (Hazara/Dari/Shia as opposed to
Pashtun/Pashto/Sunni). Their
assailants could have had ties to the Taliban, but this is not necessarily the
case.
The irregularities in their stories are slight, and can be
attributed to translation errors, medication, and forgetfulness.
I spoke with Sammy about it after I was done. I just couldn't
understand why people here hate each other so much. There has to be a damn good
reason to kill someone else, and I just don't see it around here. I
understand the history of these tribes and clans, but so much of what they did
to each other happened 10 years ago. Let it go. He started saying
that he doesn't understand either. He is a Pashai, and I don't understand
it, but we even see it in the terp tent Naikpai being hazara, Dinar, Tajik,
Fareed, pashtun.
I listened as Josh and Maj Davidson reported on their trip to the Corps. The Marines up there seem to think that most ANA don't steal, and that they are not in it for themselves. Speaking to the Danes who run the GSU up there, they were told that the GSU commander recieves about $30,000 US per month and pays off Malouk the Corps commander, directly. I think they take it personally when you tell them their Afghans suck.
I the afternoon we worked on turnover stuff and Iwas ordered to take a nap. I slept much monger than expected and the boss excused me from the meeting after I briefed my portion.
I have been thinking about two other things.
It doesn't matter what you want, only what is possible. I think that should be the dictum of advising.
I also wonder whether or not the awards process at the end of tours prevents Marines soldiers etc from being unbiased observers. Everyone wants to feel like they made a difference. Commanders write up awards for the hard work of subordinates and are not going to talk about the things that they couldn't accomplish because they were too hard because people are self-rationalizing. People also start to believe what they continually say, write and read, regardless of veracity. It is just the way people are. This is especially true of things that people write/create themselves and put effort into. America expects unbiased observations from the military, but is that really possible after all, they are human beings.
I listened as Josh and Maj Davidson reported on their trip to the Corps. The Marines up there seem to think that most ANA don't steal, and that they are not in it for themselves. Speaking to the Danes who run the GSU up there, they were told that the GSU commander recieves about $30,000 US per month and pays off Malouk the Corps commander, directly. I think they take it personally when you tell them their Afghans suck.
I the afternoon we worked on turnover stuff and Iwas ordered to take a nap. I slept much monger than expected and the boss excused me from the meeting after I briefed my portion.
I have been thinking about two other things.
It doesn't matter what you want, only what is possible. I think that should be the dictum of advising.
I also wonder whether or not the awards process at the end of tours prevents Marines soldiers etc from being unbiased observers. Everyone wants to feel like they made a difference. Commanders write up awards for the hard work of subordinates and are not going to talk about the things that they couldn't accomplish because they were too hard because people are self-rationalizing. People also start to believe what they continually say, write and read, regardless of veracity. It is just the way people are. This is especially true of things that people write/create themselves and put effort into. America expects unbiased observations from the military, but is that really possible after all, they are human beings.
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