The Taliban - Afghanistan’s Most Lethal Insurgent Group - Podcast

The Taliban - Chapter Six Episode Thirteen

Hello and welcome to a reading from The Taliban – Afghanistan’s Most Lethal Insurgent Group, written by Mark Silinsky and published by Praeger, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing in New York, New York. This reading is brought to you by Kensington Security Consulting, where we bring education to national security. This reading will conclude chapter six and introduce Jihad Johnny Walker and Adam Gahdahn.   Profile 20: Jihad “Johnny” Lind Walker and Adam Gahdahn The Taliban are mostly Afghan, but there are exceptions. In October 2001, an estimated 150 British-born Muslims fought alongside the Taliban. James McLinton was nicknamed the Tartan Taliban because the Scottish-born, Catholic-raised Briton moved to Pakistan and became involved in the insurgency. The British Tipton Taliban, or Tipton Five, were captured on Afghan battlefields. Raised in the English Midlands and committed to jihad in Afghanistan, they were sent to Guantanamo Bay for interrogation. There were other Westerners as well, but only one was known as Jihad Johnny. Intelligent and self-motivated, the California boy John Phillip Walker Lindh converted to Islam at age 16 after reading Malcolm X’s autobiography. Coming from an upper-middle-class background with parents who described themselves as progressive and divorced when he was young, he wanted to learn to speak and read Koranic Arabic. This was unusual for a boy raised in the leafy suburbs of Washington, D.C. Few who knew Walker as a teenager would have predicted he’d join any militant organization. His father said, “John is a very sweet kid, devoted, and religious.” Walker moved to Pakistan, enrolled in a madrassa, and immersed himself in Urdu, Pashto, and Islamic studies. He became valuable to Islamist groups because he understood American customs, ceremonies, and sensitivities, and his open dedication to Salafist Islam impressed fellow Muslims. His mother told Newsweek that his son was not “totally streetwise.” In a broad understatement, his father acknowledged that his boy “made a bad decision going to Afghanistan,” but added, “we love him unconditionally.” Few Americans were sympathetic to him when he was caught, wet, simpering, and hiding in a cave. A December 2001 poll showed that 70 percent of respondents believed Walker should be jailed or executed. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, where he remains today. While John Walker is introspective and intellectual, his fellow Californian, Adam Gadahn, displays a foolish persona. Like Walker, he converted to Islam to find spirituality lacking in his countercultural lifestyle. His early religious background was eclectic and confusing. His grandfather was Jewish and married a Presbyterian, and his father is a self-described atheist. His mother is nominally Roman Catholic. Adam spent part of his childhood living with family on a California goat farm. Dissatisfied with farm life, he searched online for employment and found Islam instead. He embraced Islam after seeing videotapes of Muslims killing Americans and others. He joined al-Qaeda and acts as a propagandist of questionable effectiveness. For his numerous calls to kill Americans, Adam Gadahn is wanted for treason. However, he is mostly regarded as an embarrassment to al-Qaeda. Few non-Muslim Americans see his Jihadist bombast as anything more than tired chatter. **Summary** The Taliban’s fighting capabilities have significantly improved. They employ infiltration, ambushes, hit-and-run tactics, sniper strategies, roadside bombs, and other methods. Advocating a narrow, militaristic ideology, they are well-organized and often ruthless. Since 2001, the Taliban’s tactics and abilities have steadily grown, despite many international observers initially believing they had been defeated. Their more effective tactics include assassinations, roadside bombs, infiltration, impersonation, and suicide attacks. The Taliban are also skilled in offensive and counterintelligence operations. Two of the more colorful, if unbalanced, figures linked to the Taliban and al-Qaeda-supported insurgency are the Californians John “Taliban Johnny” Walker and Adam “Azzam the American” Gahdahn. Thank you for listening to this reading from “The Taliban – Afghanistan’s Most Lethal Insurgent Group.” If you enjoyed it, please consider subscribing and liking it. Nothing in this book represents the official position of any person or agency of the United States government. On behalf of Kensington Security Consulting, thank you for listening.

The Taliban - Chapter Six Episode Twelve

Hello and welcome to a reading from The Taliban – Afghanistan’s Most Lethal Insurgent Group, written by Mark Silinsky and published by Praeger, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing in New York, New York. This reading is brought to you by Kensington Security Consulting, where we bring education to national security. There are many attacks that are difficult to thwart. For example, in Herat Province in April 2007, Taliban fighters dressed in fake ANP police uniforms set up an illegal checkpoint and tried to ambush a combined ANA and Coalition patrol as they approached. Afghan and Coalition forces seized over 100 fake uniforms and recovered more than a dozen false ID documents in a single raid. The Taliban might have acted alone or received the uniforms and IDs from inside sources. Another example of a carefully planned, multi-tactic attack was against the Defense Ministry in Kabul in 2011. The attacker had a special pass allowing him entry. Once inside, a man in an army uniform jumped from a car and stormed the main office building, shooting and killing two soldiers before he was shot. This attack involved pre-operation surveillance, understanding the security system and staff schedule, predicting when a high-ranking official would be present, obtaining the necessary passes, possibly securing inside agents, and training at least two operatives for what was almost certainly a suicide mission. The Taliban may have had insiders involved. The police are heavily targeted by infiltrators. Since 2006, infiltration efforts have steadily increased. By 2010, concerns arose about a potential plot to assassinate British Prime Minister David Cameron during his visit. Since then, infiltration techniques have become more advanced and widespread. One of the most notorious infiltration operations was the assassination of President Karzai’s brother in July 2011. A trusted bodyguard, a longtime family friend, shot him after asking to speak privately with Karzai. The Taliban claimed responsibility, and it’s likely they had a hand in the operation, which was almost certainly a suicide attack. The bodyguard was quickly killed and did not reveal his motives. Successful Taliban infiltration has also enabled large-scale, theatrical escapes. Similar to the famous World War II “Great Escape,” in June 2008, 480 inmates escaped from Kandahar prison by tunneling for over five months, constructing a 1,050-foot tunnel to the main prison, bypassing checkpoints, watchtowers, and razor-wire-topped barriers. In August 2011, the U.S. announced it would keep control of Afghanistan’s high-profile prison indefinitely, citing concerns about the rule of law. Profile 19: Three Bullets and One Leg - The Life and Death of the Taliban’s “al-Zarqawi” – Mullah Dadullah Akhund Born in Kandahar Province, Daduallah Akhund, known as Mullah Dadullah, was educated in a madrassa in Balochistan. He fought against the Soviets and lost a leg to a landmine. Despite this, he continued fighting the Soviets, the Northern Alliance, the Karzai government, and Coalition forces. Using contacts with Pakistani leaders, he helped the Taliban protect supply convoys from Turkmenistan to Pakistan traveling through Herat. He made his mark. He fought the Northern Alliance in the late 1990s and helped capture Mazar-e Sharif. He was captured by Adul Rashid Dostum’s forces but escaped despite his missing leg. He became a hero among his tribesmen. Most accounts say Dadullah had many lives on his hands. He was closely linked to atrocities against the Hazarra. After 2001, he became a leading field commander for Mullah Omar but was disliked by his associates because of kidnappings, beheadings, his ego, and unpredictable violent fits. In his final years, he earned the nickname the “al Zarqawi” of Afghanistan because of his bloodthirsty zeal for beheading hostages. He’s also credited with creating the “kamikaze tactic” discussed earlier. Feared by enemies and peers alike, he produced ghastly propaganda films. One showed him and others slitting six men’s throats, accused of spying for the Americans. Dadullah was most active in FATA, where he helped build the Taliban to about 20,000 fighters, with help from Pakistani agencies. In 2005, a Pakistani court sentenced him to life for trying to kill a politician, but he still moved freely in Quetta. When he was killed in May 2007 at age 39, his body—with one leg and three bullet wounds—was shown to journalists to prove he was truly dead and hadn’t once again dodged Coalition forces. Once a prolific killer, he had been on the coalition’s most-wanted list for years, and eventually, he was taken off. Now, lying motionless on a stainless-steel table, Dadullah was truly dead, having stopped his violent ways.no more.

The Taliban - Chapter Six Episode Nine

Hello and welcome to a reading from The Taliban – Afghanistan’s Most Lethal Insurgent Group, written by Mark Silinsky and published by Praeger, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing in New York, New York. This reading is brought to you by Kensington Security Consulting, where we bring education to national security. Profile 17: Best Friends and Broken Hearts in the Afghan Hurt Locker Two Britons, Liam and Theo, were partners in a particularly dangerous assignment. They were counter-IED specialists whose mission was to find hidden IEDs planted by the Taliban. This required steady nerves and precision. The two had undergone rigorous, specialized training before serving together. Although they shared much beyond their courage, they were also physically quite different. Lance Cpl. Liam Tasker was a Scottish-born soldier in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, and Theo was a Springer Spaniel. They were also best friends. The two were inseparable, hunting for roadside bombs in Helmand province. Once, Theo discovered a Taliban underground facility where IEDs were probably made. They set a record for finding the most weapons and bombs in Afghanistan. They loved each other. Tasker’s father recalled, "Theo would sleep at the bottom of his (Tasker’s) bed, but he would wait until he thought Liam was asleep and then get in beside him." They slept together, lived together, and worked together. They both died on the same day in Afghanistan. The UK Ministry of Defence issued the following statement: “On 1 March 2011, LCpl Tasker was participating in a patrol with his dog, Theo, when they were engaged by small arms fire, during which LCpl Tasker was struck and died from his injuries. Sadly, on return to Camp Bastion, Theo suffered a seizure and died. Earlier, Liam had nominated his partner for a special medal of valor for combat animals. Liam’s mother said, "Liam was so proud of Theo. He was his world. I treasure the letter he wrote recommending him for the medal." Their remains returned to Britain together on the same flight. Theo’s ashes were handed to Liam’s girlfriend, Leah. Both Liam and Theo were remembered with love and respect by their unit’s soldiers. One soldier said, “Theo and LCpl Tasker did a brave job together in Afghanistan and … saved a lot of lives.” British Defence Secretary Dr. Liam Fox added that Britain will be “eternally grateful.” Liam’s mother expressed her gratitude for the love Theo gave her son, but she remains unsure whether her boy’s best friend died of a seizure. “He and Theo had a very special bond. They worked together and died together.” Tasker’s mother believes Theo “died of a broken heart.” Unlike Theo, most dogs deployed in Afghanistan come home safely. Courageous canines, like their human comrades, are recognized for valor in Britain. Treo, not to be confused with Theo from Profile 17, is an 8-year-old black Labrador who received the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross for bravery in Afghanistan on February 25, 2010. Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra presented Treo with the medal at the Imperial War Museum. The citation praised Treo “for his gallantry in saving countless human lives. He continued his duties despite the dangers and, in the process, saved many lives." Treo is also the subject of a biography written by his owner.   Since 2012, American and British forces have increased their use of dogs to detect explosives. As one handler said, “If something is not supposed to be in the ground, a dog will find it." The U.S. Army also uses dogs in Afghanistan. The “Houn Dawg,” 203rd Engineer Battalion, Missouri National Guard’s explosive detection team, has cleared about 75 percent of the IEDs in their area. They sometimes receive K9 support, but often rely on route clearance equipment and ground troops.   Profile 18: Collin J. Bowen—“He Went to Afghanistan to Protect the Land”   “It's been 3 yrs, Bud… you will never be forgotten.” — SFC Carl Olney   If he hadn’t been in his vehicle on Khost Road on January 2, 2008, he probably would have been home, safe, two weeks later. His wife and children eagerly awaited his return. His home was in Maryland, where the 38-year-old Staff Sgt. Collin J. Bowen had earned his computer science degree, hunted, fished, and raised his family. He loved the Army, especially teaching computer skills to eager Afghan soldiers. A natural teacher and a warm man, he completed his first combat deployment and signed up for another. Very popular with children, Collin loved giving out candy, pencils, and trinkets to street kids, who would smile and rush along with their gifts.     He finished his last mission and was 6 miles from his base when his vehicle was blown up by a roadside bomb. He sustained burns over 50% of his body, but was expected to survive. With a breathing tube in his throat, he was sent home. After the attack, he couldn’t talk, but on good days he could lift his fingers to signal that he understood some words. Unfortunately, his injuries were too severe, and multiple infections proved lethal. He passed away after 13 surgeries in March 2008 and was buried at Arlington. Posthumously, he was promoted to E7. His sacrifice was honored by the People’s Burn Foundation, which awarded him the True Blue Award for loyalty after his death. They quoted the Greeks: "all men have fears… but the brave put down their fears and go forward… sometimes to death… but always to victory."

The Taliban - Chapter Six Episode Eight

Hello and welcome to a reading from The Taliban – Afghanistan’s Most Lethal Insurgent Group, written by Mark Silinsky and published by Praeger, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing in New York, New York. This reading is brought to you by Kensington Security Consulting, where we bring education to national security. Roadside Bombs and “Pink Mist”             Roadside bombs continue to terrorize soldiers and hinder movement. Like ambushes hidden among the greenery of the Afghan spring, roadside bombs have a devastating psychological impact on Coalition Forces. About 70% of attacks on Coalition Forces are caused by roadside bombs, and their sophistication has increased over the past 11 years. Many bombs are still quite simple but remain powerful, deadly, and difficult to detect.  `           Afghanistan was heavily mined during the war against the Soviets. In farms, footpaths, and roads, landmines injured and killed Afghans for generations. The so-called “butterfly bomb" was the weapon, frequently planted in areas suspected of harboring mujahedin, designed to maim insurgents. These munitions could not tell the difference between fighters and civilians and were triggered by the weight of an average person. Hundreds of thousands of these bombs were dropped by helicopters. As they fell, their small wings fluttered, earning them their seemingly gentle nickname.             The dread of landmines became a dramatic theme for journalists and dramatists. In David Edgar's play, Black Tulips, Soviet soldiers are briefed by a sapper on the profusion and lethality of their own landmines, which were retrieved by the mujahedin and used against Soviet armor resourcefully. The mujahedin would place an anti-personnel mine on top of other mines, and the blast power would destroy armor. The Taliban used this tactic effectively against ISAF forces.  The tactic still works.             The Soviets left stockpiles of munitions for the Afghans, but there are many other sources of weapons. Today, bombs and bomb components pour into Afghanistan from other countries, namely Pakistan, Iran, and China. British diplomats claimed that advanced anti-aircraft missiles, components for armor-piercing roadside bombs, and land mines were discovered and traced back to Chinese factories. But Pakistan is, by far, the major source of munitions and chemical elements needed to fabricate improvised bombs. Particularly threatening has been the stream of ammonium nitrate.  Senator Richard Blumenthal has demanded, "The Pakistanis need to prove that they are stopping and stemming the flow of fertilizer." His is not a lone voice.             Much of the ammonium nitrate is imported from Pakistan, but most of the bombs are fabricated in Afghanistan. In one raid in 2009, Coalition Forces uncovered 225,000 kilograms, or half a million pounds, of ammonium nitrate. This single haul could have powered thousands of bombs. A typical improvised bomb weighs less than 30 kilograms.   Seizures of ammonium-nitrate fertilizer in Afghanistan doubled in the first 7 months of 2012 compared to the same period last year in 2011. According to a senior U.S. advisor, “We are sweeping ammonium nitrate fertilizer off the battlefield at historic rates. But the bombs are going up at historic rates, too, and it is directly related. It is a supply issue."             Roadside bombs are very difficult to detect. For this reason, Coalition Forces have experimented with both offensive and defensive tactics and vehicles. Transportation vehicles have become more rugged. Mine-protected troop carriers have been developed to withstand direct hits from roadside bombs, with personnel escaping with relatively minor injuries. Mini-flails have become much more effective than the traditional flails, attached in front of armored anti-mine vehicles.  But there is the constant dread by soldiers and Marines on patrol. U.S. Marine Cpl. Matt Bowman explained, “We were on patrol.  We ran into an IED. I was the one who got hit by it.” The high school wrestler from Indiana lost both legs above the knee and most of his left hand.

The Taliban - Chapter Six Episode Seven

Hello and welcome to a reading from The Taliban – Afghanistan’s Most Lethal Insurgent Group, written by Mark Silinsky and published by Praeger, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing in New York, New York. This reading is brought to you by Kensington Security Consulting, where we bring education to national security Murder Holes and Snipers             Ambushes in Afghanistan happen both in the countryside and within the 'green hell.' A senior NATO official compared these tactics to those used by Hezbollah in Lebanon. In cities, Taliban disguise themselves in many outfits, including women’s clothing. "This kind of strategy is very, very difficult not only for NATO in Afghanistan but also in other parts of the world." The city Taliban have created their own hell for Coalition and Afghan security forces within urban areas. They cleverly hide sniper fire inside buildings, often with remarkable precision. In towns and cities, Taliban gunmen bored holes in the homes of sympathizers or hostages that provide a sniper with a direct shot up to 400 meters. The Taliban use camouflage and keep the holes small enough to go unnoticed from a distance.             The Taliban’s marksmanship has grown sharper. Although U.S. trainers have had difficulty improving the overall accuracy of ANA marksmen, the Taliban have developed outstanding sharpshooters. The Taliban’s use of camouflage, stealth, high-powered optics, and coordinated attacks has made them tough marksmen.             One Taliban sniper was particularly deadly. In 2009, an intense battle began that resembled the famous sniper duel in Stalingrad, where elite snipers from the Red Army and Wehrmacht faced off in a deadly contest. A British officer was determined to find and eliminate the Taliban’s top shooter. By April 2010, the Taliban sniper had killed seven British troops over five months. The youngest victim was 19. “Their sniper is giving us real problems, and we’ve not yet figured out how to take him out,” said a British officer. Three of the sniper’s victims were British sharpshooters. Coalition leaders believe Taliban snipers are being trained outside of Afghanistan. The snipers kill and wound civilians. One was a middle-aged, part-time postman in England, who previously served in elite British units like the SAS. An official combat artist deployed to Afghanistan, Graeme Lothian was photographing military operations when a Taliban sniper shot him in his left hand in late June 2013. “The tragic thing is that he was a fine artist—his painting is his life—and he is left-handed," said his physician girlfriend.             There is one case of a Taliban sniper killing two British soldiers with one bullet. These victims had the mission of finding and killing Taliban snipers, but it was they who became prey. Taliban snipers are effective in cities where they can hide more easily.  Sometimes, Taliban snipers reveal their positions, which proves to be a lethal mistake. A British lieutenant explained that the Taliban place wet leaves around their murder hole so dust does not emerge. But sometimes it doesn’t work. “One of these guys (Taliban) used a murder hole to shoot one of my guys, so we used a guided missile to take him out.              But Coalition snipers are often the match of their Taliban counterparts. Like the best Taliban snipers, Coalition snipers frequently hit their targets at long distances and sometimes lie in wait for days to kill their prey. In 2009, British Corporal Christopher Reynolds killed his 33rd suspected Taliban. Firing from a tiny hole at a target over 2,000 yards away, “Crackshot Christopher” shot a man carrying an AK-47 who collapsed in the arms of the Taliban behind him. “Crackshot” guffawed as he delivered a “lead sleeping pill.” “I was quite proud of that – it is the longest record kill in Afghanistan. I am going to use that fact as a chat-up line in the pub when I get back home.” He did, and it scored him a girlfriend.