Exodus Afghanistan: A Personal Story, Chapter 42, "Go!"

Both God and Allah work in mysterious ways. Sometimes I even think they’re the same guy. There’s this old joke about a priest, an imam, and a rabbi who walk into a bar ...

(Author’s note: This Thomas Baker series novel is based on true events and contains opinion commentary. Thomas Baker is the ‘Sunset Playland’, ‘Sweet Land of Liberty’, and ‘Something for Nothing’ trilogy character as seen in the “Activity” section on this LinkedIn website. I’m using the Baker and company characters to tell the true story of Farid Nuri, a retired Afghanistan Army Colonel, a war hero and helicopter Medevac medic who worked closely with U.S. forces but is now being persecuted by the U.S. State Dept. for reasons they will not disclose, and possibly at this point, in their defense, they don’t even know. As you read this story, it is happening in real life, in real time, the outcome yet to be determined. Names have been changed and locations and incidents altered at the author's discretion, to protect the innocent in the name of privacy, safety, and national security. Any reference or similarity to real persons is purely coincidental.)

After much planning, practice, and roleplaying, and with the logistical support of the Pentagon and State Department, and blessing from the White House, the team is assembled and ready to go. The CIA is heading the operation, but spooks will be spooks and plausible deniability is the name of the game. All bets are off if things go afoul. Every man for himself. This was truly a mission impossible, in more ways than one.

Baker sincerely hopes that the separation of powers between and among the contested government agencies does not present a problem either now or down the road. The last thing they all want is a failed mission. Lives are at stake. He tells his State Department contacts, “We’re all on the same team here, my brothers.”

Baker is writing this at about 30,000 feet somewhere over the Persian Gulf en route to Kabul. He is sitting in a jump seat behind the pilot of the C-17 Globemaster USAF military transport that has just left Qatar. The plane is immense. It’s a small city with wings. Hennessy and Abbas are lost somewhere in the cargo bay seated and comfortable along with seven CIA agents who will pose as U.S. diplomats, all of whom had flown by a State Department Gulfstream 550 aircraft from the U.S. to Qatar the day before. Other crew members and cargo handlers are milling about preparing for their role in the upcoming mission.

Back in August, the C-17 played a major role in an unprecedented airlift to rush Americans and Afghan allies to safety. It was the largest noncombatant evacuation in U.S. military history. Over 123,000 people were evacuated. Unfortunately, many were left behind including Farid and his family. Some, both Americans and Afghans, stayed behind for their own personal reasons. The Pentagon reports that the U.S. left behind more than $7 billion in military equipment in Afghanistan after its withdrawal last August. The equipment left in Taliban hands includes 23,825 Humvees, nearly 900 combat vehicles, 250,000 automatic rifles, 95 drones, and more than 1 million mortar rounds.

The C-17 now en route to Kabul marks another chapter in the Afghanistan War story. Typically a story of deception, fear, hope, and prayers. Hopefully, not another disappointment.

Ilene suggested that Baker not go on this mission with Hennessy, that he’d just be in the way, not to mention that he may get himself killed. She was worried that something might go wrong. Abbas was invited to go as an interpreter and because it was ultimately determined that his presence would help his brother’s case with the Taliban. He readily accepted, and his wife, Janice, although she was worried as well, agreed that he should go. Abbas wanted to go to help this brother. Baker felt obligated to go as well, come what may. He wanted to document the mission in real time as a participant, and finish this chapter 42, and the last few chapters of ‘Exodus Afghanistan: A Personal Story’.

The overall ruse deception of negotiating the bogus Taliban demands that Yasir (Joe) had tendered, now include the bogus story that the State Department has reversed Farid’s visa refusal, now accepting it. He and his family are now welcome to come to America. It was determined that this would give Farid more value to the Taliban as a hostage, making him a legitimate bartering chip for them in an exchange for their demands. It gives the negotiation conversations more legitimacy, and strengthens the illusion of the overall deception plan. It’s a brazen and dangerous ploy using Farid as a pawn, but this is a story of deception ... fear, hope, and prayers ... and hopefully, not disappointment.

The idea for the excessive demands ... the money, presidential Camp David meeting, Roy Rogers, etc., came from Deep Throat and Joe. Joe agreed that the demands were outrageous, but that they were just inside the ability of the Taliban leaders to grasp ... as in “grasp the nettle” ... or more like “grasping for straws.” In particular, their deputy leader, who has just granted an exclusive interview with CNN international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour, realizes that the Taliban is between a rock and a hard place. They want to be recognized as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, and improve their imagery in the world community.

Essentially, they are broke. They need money. They want the U.S. sanctions to be lifted because they are smothering the Taliban initiative.

But the Taliban is its own worst enemy. It is fractured in ideology and practice. While the deputy leader tells Christiane Amanpour how he has helped women and wants to be a good leader and join the world community, at the same time, separatists and dissidents within the Taliban continue their cruel ways, especially toward women. This is a major concern for Farid regarding his wife and daughter.

In a world community environment of laws and protocol, working with the Taliban would be like herding cats. If they don’t revisit some of their ideological ideas and present a more cohesive body of governance in conjunction with the norms of society, not necessarily a Western society, but social norms and civility generally, they will always be outliers and never be accepted as a legitimate world citizen entity.

One complication, the big one, is that the FBI has a $1 million bounty on the head of this Taliban leader. So, no matter how he tries to plead that now he wants to be a good boy scout, no good deed goes unpunished. The Taliban has the blood of many American servicemen on its hands, and that’s pretty much a deal breaker, and a hard pill to swallow ... and an impossible atrocity to forgive and go unpunished.

As the C-17 nears Kabul, Hennessy reviews the plan with Abbas. He tells Abbas not to get involved with the set of demand negotiations as such, just to be there to see if his brother is okay and to appeal for his release now that the State Department has accepted his immigration visa (which they have not ... yet).

The ruse of wanting a few specific military vehicles and the diplomatic SUV’s returned is based on the illusion that there is a sentimental value to a few generals and State Department officials. The premise of this idea is as outrageously imperative to the overall escape plan as are the ridiculous demands tendered by the Taliban. Perhaps the two ideas will crossover and lend credibility to each other, and mask the imprudence of the deal. The negotiation team is counting on the gullibility of the Taliban, and their desperation for recognized legitimacy. Their request to meet Roy Rogers, however, has everyone wondering just how legitimate they could possibly be. The SUV’s requested by the team negotiators will be used to export Farid and his family to the airport and directly into the C-17’s cargo bay. These are critical to the plan. There are two SUV’s requested to be returned.

The deception in the air is so strong you could choke on it. On the other hand, and looking at this optimistically, maybe this will improve relations with the Taliban, start a meaningful dialogue, and somehow turn into a win, win situation, unlikely as that may be.

Inflight Hennessy tells Abbas, “Your passports are all in order. Make sure Mina brings the exit visa and airport processing instructions you were given by the State Department last August. When we get to the U.S., if anyone asks you for a visa, you just show them that document. They can’t contest it. It’s legitimate. Don’t accept any response to the contrary ... We’ll all back you on that.”

Abbas says “I will make sure of it. This whole thing could have been avoided had Farid been able to get on that plane back in August. It could even be this plane. Is that likely? It has been an unfortunate fate and turn of events for Farid and our family.”

Hennessy answers, “Fate is a hunter, Abe (Hennessy calls him by his nickname, ‘Abe’). It was unfortunate that Farid couldn’t get to the plane six months ago, maybe even this plane, we can check, but here we are now, so let’s concentrate on pulling this extraction off and make sure he gets on the plane this time. It would be ironic if this is the same C-17.”

Abbas says, “Lots of irony going around these days.”

Hennessy continues, “Right ... Look, there are a lot of moving parts and anything could go wrong at any time. Just know your role. We’ll have to play it by ear once we get on the ground, so be ready for anything. I am in contact with Deep Throat, and he is in contact with Joe. We’ll have to rely on Joe for ground instructions and acquisition of the SUV’s, which is still not a guarantee.”

Abbas says, “Okay, I can do that. I’m ready.”

Hennessy says, “Good. Let’s give Baker something good to write about. You know, both God and Allah work in mysterious ways, Abe. I swear, sometimes I think they’re the same guy.

Abbas says, “You shouldn’t swear, Ray.”

Hennessy continues, “Fate may be a hunter, but I think it’s all random, actually. Like the universe, a precision randomness, with a purpose. This plane, Joe, Baker writing this story ... maybe he can write us all out of this unharmed and with a happy ending.”

Abbas answers, “Let’s hope and pray that will be the outcome.”

Hennessy then says, “Abe, did I ever tell you the joke about the priest, the imam, and the rabbi who walk into a bar?”

Abbas answers, “No. But that seems an unlikely scenario.”

Hennessy answers, “Right, and that’s the point! They all represent the same guy, the same intentions whether it be God, Allah, whoever runs the big show. Their intentions are all the same, it’s just their individual approach that’s different.”

Abbas says, “And you know what they say about good intentions, Ray. ‘A good intention with a poor approach often leads to a poor result’ ”...

... Hennessy interrupts, “I didn’t say good intentions, Abe, I just said intentions. And there’s the point again. There are always both good and bad intentions ... and there are usually crossovers. It depends on whose intention is being proffered, and for what reason. It’s the way of the world. Fate, destiny, luck ... the precision randomness of the universe. They all catch up eventually. No good deed goes unpunished. We’re all clueless and subject to our own musings.”

Abbas just nodded like he understood what Hennessy was trying to say, but he didn’t. He wasn’t sure Hennessy knew either. He just answered saying, “Let’s just hope our approach is a good one ...”

The C-17 pilot announces they are 20 minutes out ...

John Kushma is a communication consultant and lives in Logan, Utah https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/john-george-kushma-379a5762