The Spy Who Rode with Warlords | The First Casualty | 3

0:00Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of The Spy Who ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. A note to listeners This episode contains graphic depictions of violence Mental illness And strong language

0:22November 25th, 2001 Afghanistan Alright, we've got an ace on the river, boys Who's in? Who's out? Bollocks, I'm out British Sergeant Paul Scruff McGough Of the Special Boat Service sits watching as his men play cards. The Special Boat Service, or SBS, is often overshadowed by the SAS, but they are at least as highly trained, the absolute elite of Britain's armed forces. But right now, they are killing time in the classroom of a former Turkish school that's been turned into the US military headquarters in Mazar-e-Sharif. Scruff's squad of eight have been in Afghanistan for over a week now, sent to support the US-led invasion, but so far their main duty has been to escort an American admiral on a visit to a local hospital.

1:15They're also operating under strict rules of engagement from the British government under orders not to open fire unless fired upon first. Watching them play poker for ration packs, Scruff can tell his men are bored. And to his mind, there's almost nothing as dangerous in the world as a bored SBS squad. Scruff grabs his satellite phone Rising to his feet As he listens to the frantic voice on the other end Yeah? Yeah, alright Bloody hell Yeah, I reckon about 30 minutes On our way Scruff walks over to his troops They've abandoned their game And are looking at him expectantly Alright lads Seems the Americans have had some sort of prison break And we've got to clean it up Get to The SBS squad is on their feet before he's finished speaking, grabbing their gear and sprinting towards their trucks.

2:15Thirty minutes later, the SBS squad's two pickup trucks arrive outside the Kalijangi fort. They leap out, carrying their GPMG heavy machine guns. An American Green Beret sprints over. Scruff gives him a cursory salute. Alright, what's the story? Where do you need us? The American motions the squad to follow him up a slope, where they can see over the walls into the fortress itself. We've got somewhere around 400 al-Qaeda jihadis holed up in that large building there, the Pink House. They've got automatic weapons, RPGs, God knows what else. We've got one American down and another trapped inside in the headquarters building to the north, along with a film crew from Germany.

2:54The Afghan troops have been engaging, but they're overwhelmed and taking heavy casualties. Scruff scans the fort's huge network of alleys, paths and courtyards. He sees dead bodies strewn around, horses loose from stables, and a team of Northern Alliance soldiers advancing on a pink-coloured building, only to be driven back by volleys of deadly accurate fire. It's obvious that the militants occupying the building are highly trained. He turns back to the Green Beret. Looks like you got yourself a right old closter bug, yeah? That's one way to say it, sir. We could really use you laying down some heavy fire here.

3:31Hey, aren't you Brits on restricted rules of engagement? Are you guys even allowed to engage on this? One of the SPS soldiers frowns. Fuck that, mate. This is a shoot-first-questions-later scenario. Scruff, calls his squad together. Alright, lads. I'm naming this Operation Save the Yankees. Stay focused, don't get shot, and let's fucking have it, yeah? Yeah!

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5:38Now, CIA officer Mike Spann is dead. and his colleague David Tyson is trapped in the fortress of Khali Jangi, overrun with armed Al-Qaeda militants. This is Episode 3, The First Casualty.

6:02November 25th, 2001, two hours after the arrival of the SBS squad, Khali Jangi fought. David Tyson stares through the sights of his AK-47. He's lying on the floor, his rifle pointed out through a large window on the upper floors of the fort's headquarters. Behind him, a small wooden staircase leads down to where German TV reporter Arnim Stout is taking cover with his crew. Tyson's eyes are fixed on the small gateway that separates the northern half of the fortress from the southern half, where the Al-Qaeda fighters are. It's about 100 yards away. The space between is strewn with dead bodies and injured fighters screaming for help.

6:42He breathes slowly, keeping his finger on the rifle's trigger. An Al-Qaeda fighter in black robes breaks cover and sprints straight at Tyson's position, his rifle raised. Tyson squeezes the trigger. The fighter falls. But then, from behind the same gateway, another fighter appears, kneeling down with an RPG rocket launcher on his shoulder. There's no time for Tyson to line up another shot as the man fires. Time seems to slow as the rocket swoops towards his position. Tyson flattens himself against the floor with the cold, matter-of-fact thought that he's about to die. The building shakes as the rocket strikes the floor below his position.

7:25Tyson immediately crawls forward to try and get a shot off before the Al-Qaeda fighter can reload his RPG, but he's already gone. Just as he's beginning to scan the courtyard once again, Tyson hears a violent commotion from below. He runs down the stairs to see Sayyid Kamal, Dostum's intelligence chief, bleeding heavily from his leg. Kamal locks eyes with Tyson, then collapses on the floor. Tyson rushes over and feels around for the wound, but it's almost impossible with the amount of blood welling up. Tyson is almost certain that the bullet has hit Kamal's femoral artery, and there's not much hope.

8:02But he rips up a piece of fabric and uses it as a tourniquet above the wound. Tyson looks down and realizes that Kamal is saying the Shahada, the declaration of faith that Muslims recite when they're about to die. He and Kamal's eyes meet again. And without thinking, Tyson reaches down to grasp Kamal's hand as he struggles for breath.

8:33Several hours later, Tyson once again scans the courtyard through the sights of his AK-47. Stout and his cameraman have joined him on the upper level and are recording a broadcast for German TV. In the distance, Tyson hears bursts of heavy machine gun fire. Neither his team nor the Northern Alliance have that kind of firepower, so reinforcements must have arrived from somewhere. Then Tyson notices an elderly Afghan on crutches, silhouetted by the setting sun and limping along the parapet of the fort's northwestern wall. Then the man stops, lifts himself over the fort's wall and disappears. Tyson does the mental calculation in a flash.

9:17If that old man has found a way out, he and the civilians he's protecting can surely make it as well. It will mean a dangerous hustle along the parapets, But with darkness falling soon, their current position will become almost impossible to defend. Tyson turns and grabs Stout's arm, interrupting his news report. Get everyone together. It's time to get out of here.

9:44Tyson stays low as he creeps along the fort's parapet, with his rifle at the ready. Behind him, the German TV crew mirror his actions. Tyson throws himself to the floor. As the gunfire subsides, he crawls forward again. He has led the civilians on this escape attempt, but now bullets are ricocheting around them. Finally, they reach the place where the old man lifted himself over the walls. Tyson peeks over the edge. Behind the wall isn't a sheer drop, but a mountain slope, leading to a valley below. Tyson takes a breath, then heaves himself over. Tyson leads the civilians in a fast scramble down the slope.

10:29His one concern, getting as far away from Kali Djangi as possible. They come to a rutted field at the bottom of the slope and run towards the road. As they do, they see a small white van, the kind that serve as taxis between Afghan villages, trundling along towards them. It seems utterly incomprehensible that life as normal is still going on outside the fortress. But Tyson marches straight out into the middle of the road and raises his rifle. Tyson approaches and the driver lifts his hands but seems unfazed by having a gun stuck in his face. He looks at Tyson with curiosity. America? Tyson nods, motioning down the road.

11:13Mazar-e-Sharif, the Turkish school. We go. The driver simply jerks his head towards the back of the van. Tyson and the TV crew get into the van. The other passengers already inside shuffle up to make space for them. Tyson finds it surreal to be sitting in a shared taxi, when moments before, he'd been battling Al-Qaeda terrorists with rocket launchers. On the bench opposite him sits a woman in a burqa. Tyson glances down at the AK-47 now resting between his legs. He looks up at her. It's okay. don't worry. But the woman is impassive, sitting completely silent amidst the shaking of the van as it drives towards Mazayi Sharif.

12:00One hour later, Erganak Pass, west of Kunduz, Afghanistan. Team Alpha leader J.R. Seeger and CIA paramilitary officer Scott Spellmire watch as Northern Alliance warlord Abdul Rashid Dostoum raises a bottle of vodka and swigs deeply. Dostum wipes his mouth with his sleeve before turning to the two Americans with a manic gaze. That bastard Faisal, son of a goat herder, he betrayed me. We made an agreement, he surrendered, then this, this! Since learning that Muller Faisal had reneged on his surrender, coordinating simultaneous uprisings at Kali Jangi and west of Kunduz, Dostum has been drinking himself into a self-pitying rage.

12:45It's a side of him that Seeger hasn't seen before. Calls himself a muller. I know his father was a goat herder. The bastard thinks he can trick me. There's no honor. The snake. As Dostum staggers aggressively around the room, Spellmire pulls Seeger aside. He's falling apart. You need to get him to man up and figure this out. If his men see him like this. Seeger knows that Spellmire is right. If Dostum goes haywire, the entire fragile alliance with the other anti-Taliban leaders will collapse. Seeger takes a breath, and then steps forward. General Dostum, it's time to rally your troops. We still have air superiority.

13:32It's time Faisal learned what it means to betray Dostum. Some way through the boozy haze, Dostum's eyes swim into focus. Suddenly he lurches forward, grabbing Siga's lapels. His face is so close that Siga can smell the vodka. Yes, yes! We will bomb them all to dust! They will know. The bastards will all know! Give me the radio. Siga pushes the radio transmitter towards Dostum, still swaying unsteadily. but with a murderous look of revenge in his eyes.

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14:56And sometimes we get to hear from survivors themselves in their own words. On our next episode, Sujo John will tell his story of September 11, 2001. That day, he clocked into his job at the World Trade Center's North Tower. Sujo's wife, Mary, pregnant with their first child, worked just next door in the South Tower. Suddenly, an explosion rocked the building, collapsing cubicles and walls. But as Sujo and his office mates raced to escape the smoldering building, they heard another massive explosion. and Sujo realized his wife and unborn child were also in grave danger. Follow Against the Odds wherever you get your podcasts.

15:35Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of Against the Odds early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

15:51November 26th, 2001. Early morning. the day after Tyson's escape from Kalijangi and Dostum's drunken rage. Green Beret master Sergeant David Betts stands in the gateway of Kalijangi, watching a battered Soviet-era tank struggle up the slope towards the fort. The Northern Alliance have brought one of their few armoured vehicles to the fort, but now the tank is being followed by several freelance TV crews and Afghan soldiers who seem more interested in posing for the cameras than taking cover from incoming fire. Betts turns to the men next to him, Green Beret Major Mark Mitchell and Sergeant Scruff of the British SPS.

16:34Okay, what's the actual plan here? Mitchell glances at the chaotic scene behind the tank, equally unimpressed. Here's my call. The prisoners have barricaded themselves in the Pink House, so all we have to do is keep them there and call in an airstrike. One JDAM missile could solve the whole problem. But a team will have to get close enough to call in the strike. So, if the SBS get up to the East Tower, they can provide suppressive fire. Then, Dave, you can lead a small team into the North Tower and call in the strike. Scruff looks at the two Americans and grins. Oh yeah, we'll keep them pinned down.

17:16Betts salutes in confirmation. The previous day he saw the SPS in action, and he's got no doubt about their capabilities. He's beginning to think his plan might just work. At the base of the fort's eastern tower, Betts crouches behind a low wall with his radio operator and a few Northern Alliance soldiers. From inside the pink house, the Al-Qaeda fighters are laying down a brutal rain of fire, making movement almost impossible. All right, SPS squad in place. They're gonna lay down suppressive fire. Ready? Go, go, go! Betz sprints out from behind his cover, racing across the north courtyard followed by his team.

17:59A few bullets pepper the ground at their feet, but the cover fire from the SPS seems to work. The whole team makes it into the northeastern tower, unscathed. Betz leans out of a low window, scoping the pink house through his rifle sight. Betz frantically scans the area Then he sees that the prisoners have set up a mortar And are shelling the SBS position His team may be about to lose its cover fire Betz fires to keep the prisoners at bay As others on the team use a laser targeter To mark the precise coordinates for the pink house Then the radio operator calls in the airstrike Shuster 22, this is Boxer 81 You're cleared to engage.

18:43Over. This is Shasta. Your danger closed, Boxer 81. You sure you want the 2 ,000 pound J-DAM? We've got 500 pounders here too. The radio operator shakes his head. Negative, Shasta. We need the 2 ,000 pounder. We're taking fire here. Get out, Boxer 81. Engaging now. Betz braces himself against the wall, taking cover from the incoming fire and waiting for the bomb to fall. The Northern Alliance soldiers cluster around the window. No matter the danger, they always want to see American air power at work. Betts hears the whine of the incoming missile. Then... He is thrown across the room and slammed into the wall.

19:34Betts' lungs burn as he pulls himself to his knees. His right side of his face is in agony. Frantically, he checks his limbs. Two arms, two legs, still there. He sees his radio operator staggering through the clouds of brown dust that now fills the room. Several Northern Alliance fighters lie dead, and several more are horrifically injured. Amidst the chaos and death, the thought comes to him with horrifying clarity. This was the bomb they called in. The bomb hit the wrong target. Them. Later that day, Team Alpha leader J.R. Seeger clings to the pickup truck's assist grip as it speeds along the dirt track road leading to Kalijangi.

20:19He has to get there fast. The Northern Alliance commanders are furious about the misfired bomb, and Seeger has to make things right before they abandon the fight. The truck slows to a stop outside the fort's east gate. Seeger jumps out and walks to where one of Dostum's commanders Fakir is standing with an aide. Commander Fakir, I must apologize. The United States must apologize for what happened this morning. This was a terrible mistake. Fakir pauses, almost as if trying to read in Seeger's eyes whether this apology is sincere. We have lost many men today, and our tank. This is war. It is what happens.

21:01But now the men are afraid of American bombs. For now, we cannot use them again here. Seeger nods. There are alternatives to bombs. I can bring in a couple of AC-130 gunships, no bombs, but it can fire up to 6 ,000 rounds per minute. They'll blast those terrorists to dust. 6 ,000 in one minute? Honesty, Commander, these planes are the end of the world, with wings. Fakir approaches, grasps Seeger's shoulder and looks him in the eye. Okay, bring these plates. Around the same time, Washington DC. CIA Director George Tenet watches President George W. Bush read David Tyson's report on Mike Spann's death.

21:53They're in the Oval Office for the President's daily intelligence briefing, along with Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. Grim resolve spreads across Bush's face as he finishes reading the report and looks up at Tenet. So, Mike Spahn? You're saying he's now confirmed dead? Yes, sir. I'm afraid so. But this prison uprising at Kalejangi was just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The air is heavy, as everyone in the room grasps the significance. Spann is the first confirmed American death in the post-9-11 fight pack. Bush, in particular, seems to register that this is the inevitable consequence of the mission he ordered.

22:42He faces Tenet once again. Mike Spann. Did he have a family? Yes, sir. A wife, Shannon. And three young children. Shannon's also an officer with the agency. Tenet can see the hint of a tear glisten in Bush's eye. Alright, I need to call Shannon. This one's on me.

23:11November 26, 2001. Two hours after Seeger agreed with Fakir to call in strikes with AC-130 gunships. Seeger presses himself against the wall in a room in the northeast tower of Kalijangi Beside him are Major Mitchell and a small team of green boys The room shakes as the Al-Qaeda mortar team in the Pink House maintain a steady barrage with increasing accuracy Even though night is falling, the prisoners inside aren't letting up Despite himself, Seeger can't help but almost admire the ferocity with which these militants are fighting on Mitchell leans forwards towards Seeger keeping his head below window level These are some tough bastards How the hell are they keeping going in there?

23:58And whoever's bright idea it was to put the prison right next to the armory in this place needs their head examined The two men fall beside them listening to the low rumble of an approaching plane I reckon this is it Crown, this is Grim and then We're inbound, clear the area and light up the target Roger that, Grim 11. Mitchell twists his body and fires a green flare through the window. This is the signal for the Northern Alliance fighters in the courtyard to fall back, out of harm's way. Then Mitchell kneels, raises his head above the window frame, and uses a laser targeter to paint the pink house for the aircraft.

24:37He ignores the bullets whipping by. He has to keep the plane on target. Then suddenly, the AC-130 is directly above. Seeger can feel the roar of the engines in his bones. The huge plane banks so that its entire port side faces down towards the pink house as it circles the fortress. Then, it lets rip. Multiple autocannons and howitzers all firing at once, unleashing thousands of rounds straight to the building. As he ducks back behind the wall, Seeger catches a glimpse of the building's facade torn to shreds like tissue paper under the hail of fire. Then, the building is rocked by an enormous explosion, echoing through the guard.

25:22The force is so huge the entire northeast tower shakes. Seeger grabs Mitchell's arm. They must have hit the goddamn armory.

25:38The next morning, November 27th, 2001. David Tyson stands at the gateway of Kalijangi, frozen to the spot. It's two days since he escaped and got a taxi back to the Team Alpha's local headquarters. Since then, he's been trying to process what happened while writing reports for Langley about how the uprising began. But now, he's back outside the fortress. In his head, he knows the battle is effectively over. He knows he is safe, but his legs just won't move to carry him over the threshold. CIA paramilitary officer Scott Spellmire, who was meant to guide him on this mission, walks back over. Dave's a cool man.

26:19They've got the last of those Al-Qaeda fuckers pinned in the basement. They're still shooting, but we can go around them. Tyson just stares at Spellmire, stricken, motionless. A look of understanding flashes across Scott's face. He places a hand on Tyson's shoulder. Look, man, I know. But we've got to get in there and recover Mike's body. You're the only one who knows where he is. Mike's family? They'll want him back home. We'll be quick, in and out. But we need to do this, man. Tyson knows that Scott is right. He pauses for a moment, then steals himself. Takes a breath, and walks back into Kali Jangi.