Chapter 11: Precious Cargo

1 That was the situation … the meeting. A TF Sword source who attended the meeting.

2 In early November … “order out,” he said. A Langley source.

3 When Reese … director beamed. A Langley source.

4 … November 3 … The Only Thing Worth Dying For, by Eric Blehm (New York: Harper, 2011), pp. 4, 69. In his autobiography, At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA (New York: HarperCollins, 2007), George Tenet, the CIA director at the time, said Karzai made his satellite call to “Greg V.” on November 3, but the helicopter mission to pull him out occurred the night of November 4–5. I have gone with the date in The Only Thing Worth Dying For because author Eric Blehm appears to have interviewed several individuals—including Hamid Karzai—in detail about the events of those few days.

5 … two Black Hawks … A TF Brown source. The helicopters were MH-60K models.

6 … Team 6 SEALs and a bearded case officer … The Only Thing Worth Dying For, pp. 4, 62, 69.

7 … nicknamed … Division … Not a Good Day to Die, p. 73.

8 … central province … dangerous mission. The Only Thing Worth Dying For, pp. 4, 44–45.… October 8 … Tenet gives the date as October 9.

9 The Taliban … same thing. The Afghan Solution: The Inside Story of Abdul Haq, the CIA and How Western Hubris Lost Afghanistan, by Lucy Morgan Edwards (London: Bactria, 2011), passim.

10 In fact … mountains of Oruzgan. The Only Thing Worth Dying For, p. 4.… sack of cash … Crumpton.

11 Overwatched … climbed aboard. 160th SOAR sources.

12 … landed at Jacobabad … U.S. forces. The Only Thing Worth Dying For, p. 67.

13 But Karzai … city of Peshawar. The author met Karzai on several occasions in Peshawar in 1987.

14 On November 14 … into Afghanistan. The Only Thing Worth Dying For, pp. 12–16; a TF Brown source.

15 In his mid-forties … and the Balkans. Not a Good Day to Die, p. 73.… a former Marine officer … Jawbreaker, by Gary Berntsen and Ralph Pezzullo (New York: Crown, 2005), p. 80. (In Jawbreaker Spider is referred to as “Craig.”) … Fu Manchu mustache … skinny … Two Delta sources.

16 … less than six months … Crumpton.

17 It was Spider … uprising.” At the Center of the Storm, p. 219.

18 Also on … darkness. The Only Thing Worth Dying For, pp. 9–12, 90; a Special Forces source who was present. Weapon of Choice (p. 156) says there were only four MH-60Ks.

19 On August 3 … mounted. Prisoners of Hope: The Story of Our Captivity and Freedom in Afghanistan, by Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer with Stacy Mattingly (New York: Doubleday, 2002), passim; First In, p. 149.

20 The first CIA … realistic. First In, pp. 149–50, 156, 190–91, 231, 258, 262–63.

21 Just after … together. First In, pp. 263–64; a Delta source.

22 … underwhelmed … First In, p. 299.

23 (Schroen’s assessment … Support Troop.) A JSOC staff officer;… 1984 … Pardal’s LinkedIn page: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/manny-pardal/8/468/829. Referring to Pardal by his first name, Greer describes his initial role in Afghanistan in Kill bin Laden, pp. 97–98. (Dalton Fury is the pen name of Tom Greer.)

24 After being … to safety. First In, pp. 299–300.

25 As the three … “confrontation.” Kill bin Laden, pp. 65–66; a Delta source.

26 Schroen’s CIA … layouts. First In, pp. 177–78.

27 Armed with … of success. Kill bin Laden, p. 66; a Delta source.

28 But Schroen was distinctly … “rescue plans.” First In, p. 300; a Delta source.

29 Nonetheless … moot. First In, p. 319; Jawbreaker, pp. 159, 167, 180; Crumpton; a TF Sword source.

30 That evening … the capital. Prisoners of Hope, pp. 254–70.

31 … using a mobile phone … Crumpton; a TF Sword source.

32 … November 13 … embassy in Islamabad … Prisoners of Hope, pp. 271–72, 286.

33 The intelligence … in twenty minutes. A TF Sword source.

34 But this gave … (PZ). Prisoners of Hope, pp. 288–94.

35 A Predator was … impossible task. A TF Sword source.… Mitch Bradley … A Team 6 source.

36 The hostages … away again. Prisoners of Hope, pp. 294–97.

37 As Brown … figures. A TF Sword source.

38 Twenty agonizing … “we say!” Prisoners of Hope, p. 297.

39 The aircrew … medical care. A TF Sword source.

40 For the Shelter Now personnel … Bush. Prisoners of Hope, pp. 300–301.

41 “Congrats to the Blue shooters” … A Delta operator.

42 The arrival … “battlefield.” From the Sea, p. 99. TF Sword’s desire for what the official history termed an “opportunity to refit and reorganize” is attributed to an interview with Mattis.

43 Barely forty-eight … small capital. The Only Thing Worth Dying For, pp. 111–137; Weapon of Choice, pp. 155–57.

44 (Having … one account.) The Only Thing Worth Dying For, pp. 113, 117; a Special Forces source who was present.

45 From there … either direction. The Only Thing Worth Dying For, passim; Weapon of Choice, pp. 175–78.

46 To the surprise … and mobility. A Special Forces source who was present; The Only Thing Worth Dying For, p. 264; a Delta source.

47 Later that day … in triumph. The Only Thing Worth Dying For, passim.

48 … December 14 … From the Sea, p. 385.

49 After the successful … “to follow.” Jawbreaker, p. 233.

50 … Erwin … Support Troop. Two Delta sources.

51 Erwin had … infantry officer … Details on Erwin’s soccer career and commissioning are from Wake Forest’s website, accessed at: http://www.wakeforestsports.com/trads/hof-2008.html and here: http://www.wakeforestsports.com/genrel/011108aaa.html.

52 That job … “as nails.” Jawbreaker, p. 233. In their books both Berntsen and Greer give Erwin the pseudonym “Lieutenant Colonel Mark Sutter.” … November 20 … “Franks: Much Work Ahead,” by Liam Pleven, Newsday, November 22, 2001. (The Newsday article and other news stories say Franks visited Bagram November 20, 2001. However, while not precisely dating the visit, Berntsen in Jawbreaker puts it a few days later.) … October 21. Not a Good Day to Die, p. 29.… rusted hulks … The author has traveled this route on multiple occasions.

53 Erwin and Berntsen … in country. Jawbreaker, p. 234.

54 Dailey thought … to Afghanistan. Tom Greer memo widely circulated in the special operations community and obtained by the author; Kill bin Laden, pp. 72–73; Not a Good Day to Die, p. 30; a TF Brown source; a Delta source.

55 After flying … to Japan. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/k4/kitty_hawk-ii.html.

56 The move … “strength.” Kill bin Laden, p. 72; Greer memo; a TF Sword source; a Delta source.