Afghanistan: The Trap
52 mins- November 2009
Script



10.00.00.00 TEXT: In 1979 the Soviet Army went into Afghanistan, to fight the Islamic Mujahideen in the bloody Afghan Civil War.But massive Soviet firepower failed to break the resistance of the Mujahideen.10 long years passed before Soviet troops finally pulled out, during which more than 13,000 Russian soldiers lost their lives. Over 1 million Afghans were killed.Afghanistan has a long history of resisting foreign invaders …
00.38 V/O On 24th December, 1979, the first divisions of the Soviet Armed Forces crossed the Amu Darya River, invading Afghanistan.Landing at Kabul airport, elite airborne troops secured the capital. The Soviets simultaneously seized control of all strategic airfields and major towns in the country.
01.08 V/O Storming the Presidential Palace, KGB agents murdered Marxist President Amin, who had proved unable to subdue the Muslim resistance.Within 3 days of the invasion, the Soviets installed Barbak Karmal as the new Head of State.
01.30 V/O Fervent Muslims had already declared ‘Jihad’ – Holy War – against Afghanistan’s two ruling Communist Parties, the Khalqis and Parchamis.Jihad was now declared against the Soviet Union.
01.45 Song/ TITLE Afghanistan: The Trap
A Film Directed by JEFF B. HARMON
Photographed by ALEXANDER LINDSAY
02.0402.0802.1202.1602.2802.3202.3602.4003.0403.0803.1203.1603.1903.2203.26 Song - SUBTITLE God bless us with luck.We must die, but fulfil our task.So we flyWhere the paratroopers are fightingThe reckoning is simple and the aims are clear.Let’s have another cigarette.We’ll remain loyal to each other.How else can we live?Truth and lie live side by side.Somewhere nearby death is lurking.We crouch close to the rocks.Turmoil awaits us.It wont end with a simple brawl.God bless us with luck.We must die but fulfil our task.
03.55 V/O Afghan guerrillas, known as Mujahideen, armed with simple and obsolete weapons, are fighting a modern and well-equipped force of 120 000 Soviet troops.
04.09 V/O The Russians are the most recent in a long line of invading armies. Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and the British Empire have all attempted to conquer Afghanistan. But this is not a modern war.This is Jihad – a holy war fought with an ancient mentality.
04.31 V/O The Soviets control the main cities and highways.The Mujahideen have withdrawn to their strongholds in the mountains and countryside.There is one exception: Kandahar. The former Imperial capital, and second largest city in present day Afghanistan.
04.50 V/O The Mujahideen and the Soviets occupy different parts of the city.The Mujahideen control this district known as Mahalajat.
05.05 V/O The Soviet and Afghan armies have posts dotted around the city, and control the airport and military district. In Kandahar, 4500 Mujahideen wage war against 11 000 Soviet and Afghan army troops.
05.20 V/O The Soviets could destroy Mahalajat but large-scale civilian casualties would only escalate the resistance.Most educated Afghans opposed to the Russians have left Afghanistan.It is the peasants who remain to fight the war.
05.47 Haji Abdul Latif“The Lion of Kandahar” My name is Razi Haji Abdul Latif. I am 76 years old. For seven years I have been fighting jihad in Kandahar city.I have 4500 Mujahideen under my command. We fight in the fields, streets and bazaars.In Kandahar, we have no mountains to hide in. Kandahar is the most important province in Afghanistan, so the Russians have concentrated their greatest force here.Though we must fight in the open, we are not afraid. My Mujahideen stand fast and fiercely resist the infidels.
06.29 Capt Vladimir KolesnikSoviet Armed Forces I am a military pilot of the Soviet Air Force, Vladimir Kolesnik.Pilots have various tasks. That’s why we fly from morning till night. The first task is the shielding of the airfields and planes during landing. Then flights delivering food and ammunition to the outposts around Kabul. Air reconnaissance by night; the evacuation of wounded.Today for example, I was carrying out a task of searching for caravans or other moving targets.When they are detected, a regular investigation is carried out.If there are no weapons, if it’s a peaceful caravan, nobody touches them.If there are weapons, to be more precise missiles like stinger or blow-pipe, if these weapons are found, and a position is encountered, we use our weapons.
07.59 Haji Abdul Latif Barbrak Karmal and the Russians have offered 150 000 rupees for my capture, dead or alive. But they will never succeed because God, the Prophet and the Holy Koran are on my side.God is my friend and will banish Karmal in shame from our land. Thousands of men have been martyred. But we have paid the infidels back.My Mujahideen have killed Russians and the communist Khalqis and Parchamis by the thousands. No place in Afghanistan has given as many martyrs as Kandahar.The Russians are dropping bombs on our land. They are murdering our children… violating our women and the Holy Koran.We have therefore proclaimed a jihad against our enemies and have vowed to fight on till our last breath.
08.58 Haji Latif This boy is nine years old. He is a “Cherokee” – a hit-and-run guerrilla. I have many other children like this who throw grenades at communists in the bazaar.
09.13 Cherokee My job is to sneak up to Russians and communists and shoot them with my pistol. If there is a large group of them, I throw a grenade. I throw it like this. Sometimes I shoot them with a machine-gun.
09.50 SONG
12.05 Commander Gul Agha,Son of Haji Latif When the Communists came, our properties were destroyed. The Soviet infidels killed my mother and sister.Since the Russians invaded, many people have left the city. But the people who remain are on the side of the Mujahideen.All the people of Kandahar – even the children – support jihad.We have spies everywhere. The people tell us what the infidels are up to.The Communists live among the people, so there are no secrets from us.The infidels know they are never safe. Here in Kandahar we fight and live together. We pass the communists in the streets and bazaars.Because of the leadership of my father, Razi Haji Abdul Latif, the Mujahideen can move freely throughout all of Kandahar.Many times the Russians have tried to kill him. But even with all their tanks and helicopters, the Russians cannot stop us. Each week they shell Mahalajat. Each week we rocket the airport.
13.16 Soviet Command headquartersSUBTITLES Information has just come through from Vali-Kalai village.A group of 15 men with PZRK anti-aircraft missiles is moving towards Kabul airport. Their immediate aim is to shoot down a USSR air force plane.
13.45 V/O In Kandahar, war is often a casual affair. An accepted way of life. The weekly rocket attack on Kandahar airport results in severe Soviet casualties, but is treated as a mundane chore.
14.17 Capt Vladimir Kolesnik In the time of war an enemy is an enemy. I shoot him or he shoots me.God forbid if I am shot down I hope my comrades will have time to rescue us from the place we are forced to land or jump with a parachute.If not, it means the same fate awaits me as happened to my former comrades.In other words, death, unless the enemy changes in their attitude.I don’t intend to get captured.In every society there are people occupied only by their own affairs; they don’t know what is happening in Afghanistan. Once our comrades return from Afghanistan, there are people in our own country who will misunderstand what took place here.Real war is going on here, and a serious war at that.
15.31 LalwanMujahed I am Lalwan, a soldier of Grandfather Haji Abdul Latif. Three years ago, Russian soldiers captured me. They accused me of being a Mujahed and threw me into Pol-i-Charki prison. They beat me and gave electric shocks to my testicles. But even under torture, I did not confess. They kept me in prison for seven months… then they forced me into the army.I escaped to Chaman and joined Grandfather Haji’s Mujahideen. Since then I have been fighting jihad against the Russians.I am here with the permission of my parents to defend my sacred land, Islam and the Holy Koran.
16.20 CHANSING Men praying in desert
17.15 Rahim Wardak, Chief of Staff, National Islamic Front of Afghanistan (NIFA) The war which we are waging against the Soviet Union is a Jihad, because it is a war to defend the faith and to defend the faith against an infidel. An atheist power which believes in no god and no religion so that’s why we call it “a holy war”.It is the duty of every Afghan to fight back – to defend the faith – to defend their country.
18.17 Malak MalimMujahed We are on our way to fight the infidels.I am Malak Malim, the one who cuts the throats of communists. In Mahalajat and Argastan, I cut the throats of ten infidels with my bayonet. If there are 150 infidels in Maruf, I shall cut the throats of all of them! God willing. Do you hear me? (LAUGHS)
18.58 - Be careful you don’t cut your throat! (LAUGHS)
19.10 Suleiman KhalifayevSoviet Armed Forces It was a day when the enemy entered the village and fired on the outpost. We were on duty. Me and my friend Habib were in defensive positions… we were laying an ambush.I could sense they were close.When they fired, it was clear they were somewhere close. Then I sat there, with the blood running, lots of it. I was soaking wet. I felt as if I’d been shot time and again. I kept looking and saw something moving out there. It was the dushmans, the same enemy who had shot us.I lay down on my back. I looked at them, I couldn’t not look at them. They came and had a look at me first, then my friend. They’d shot him in the chest and he was unconscious. They threw my friend into the water and came over to me.Then they cut my finger off.I could feel it.I thought they might cut my head off. I was so scared I didn’t even feel the pain.
20.27 Snr Lt Sergei Gayduk,Soviet Armed Forces This road runs from the Soviet border at Hairaton all the way to Kabul. We call it the road of life.It’s a very ancient road and, in his day, Alexander the Great passed through here, so that this gorge carries his name.I’m Seniro Lieutenant Sergei Gadyuk of the Kommandatura, the army traffic control unit. Our task is to escort convoys along the road of life.Another task is the evacuation of wounded servicemen, of which there are many. Danger awaits us the whole length of this route, especially near the Salang Pass and nearer Kabul.
21.40 Soldier We control the road during the day, from five in the morning till six in the evening. After six, neither Soviet nor Afghan transport travels on this road because it is controlled by the Mujahideen. Who even during the day come out onto the road armed and carry out their observations and perform their tasks.Today, the road is controlled by two masters.
22.2122.2322.2822.34 Sergei & soldier(subtitles) - Andrei, what happened?-A vehicle from Hairaton was coming. It was evening.The enemy fired from the ruins.The driver was killed. There was a fire.
22.46 Snr Lt Sergei Gayduk,Soviet Armed Forces I never had to take coffins to the Soviet Union, but the hardest thing in our service is a trip such as this. I thought a lot about what the person accompanying the coffin can say to the parents of the guy who died here.No words about fulfilling the International Duty, about fulfilling a human or soldier’s duty will replace the lost son in a mother’s heart. This is the hardest thing for us.In the Soviet army, the Third Toast is silent and traditionally reserved for comrades killed in action.
23.5123.5524.00 Soldier in tank(subtitled – needs redoing) Now we’re going through Charikar.The stretch from here to Kabul…… is the most dangerous on the road
24.08 Music, tank driving
25.3925.45 Soldier in tank They’re shooting over there.Get inside!
25.57 MUJ FIRING
26.44 V/O After seven years of fighting, war has become a ritual, like “Buzkashi”, the national sport, and “Atan-i-Milli”, the ancient warrior dance performed before a battle.
DRUMS
27.30 V/O Spetsnaz, the most elite and secretive unit in the Soviet Armed Forces.
27.39 Spetsnaz soldier Our main task has been the detection of launching grounds for land-to-land missiles aimed at Kabul and the prevention of armed caravans from Pakistan and Iran entering Afghanistan. Also the destruction of enemy guerrilla groups in their base camps.
28.05 Spetsnaz soldier We destroy the caravans which bring death to Kabul.
28.13 Spetsnaz soldier The Afghan Army, the Afghan Government Army, is of course not very strong. In comparison with our army, it’s not very well prepared. It’s still raw.
28.41 Soviet helicopter tracer fire
29.03 Spetsnaz soldier We often have to confront the enemy face-to-face, while other units only see the consequence of their work. They fire rockets, artillery. They don’t know what the face of a dushman in a turban coming towards you looks like, where it’s a matter of either I kill him or he kills me.Many of us in the Army have had to confront the fact that we have to shoot people instead of targets… . We have to kill. This is not natural for us. We are all going back to civilian life and I think that Afgan will remain like a nightmare in our memories.
30.19 Mujahideen group - We’ll be going to fight in Maruf and we’ll wipe out the garrison. We’ll be taking mortars and anti-aircraft guns.- We’ll put rockets on the mountain by the side of Daru Baba Shrine. It will be a long siege. We’ll overrun the garrison with four attack groups.If we capture the communists alive, what should we do with them?We will hand them over to Judge Malawi Abdul Bari’s court to decide.
30.5430.57 Mujahideen group(subtitles) God is great!Death to Gorbachev!
31.06 V/O Six different Mujahideen organisations, in a combined operation, leave Walla camp to attack Maruf Division – a Soviet and Afghan Army garrison.
EXPLOSIONS
31.43 V/O The Mujahideen have scored successive hits on Maruf garrison.The Soviets retaliate with helicopter gunships and Migs – strafing and bombing the Mujahideen positions.
31.5732.00 Mujahed(needs subtitles) - Are you blind?- Get up you weakling and fire again!
GUNFIRE & EXPLOSIONS
3258 V/O The siege lasts for over a month with neither side gaining ground.
33.3133.3433.3633.3833.4433.5633.5934.1134.2334.3234.42 Prisoner & Judge(subtitles) - How did you get here?- I was captured.- What were you doing?- I was fighting the Mujahideen.- You were fighting against the Mujahideen? For how long did you fight them?- 2 years.- You were fighting against the Mujahideen for 2 years? Do you repent? What should I do with you?- You were fighting with the Russians so now you are here. What are you going to do now?- We will fight Jihad for Allah.- When we fired our mortars on your positions, what were your losses?- Two armoured personnel carriers were destroyed. Khalqis and Parchamis were killed. Russian advisers and their families were killed. Some others were wounded.
35.00 Malawi Abdul Bari Judge, I, Malawi Adbul Bari, have been the chief judge in Kandahar province for the past seven years. Razi Haji Abdul Latif is the chief commander of Kandahar province. Together we pass sentence according to Islamic Law and we both issue orders in Kandahar.In the past seven years, we have ordered the execution of 6000 to 7000 prisoners and the chopping off of 1000 hands.We follow the instructions of our respected leaders in Peshawar. So we cannot cut any throats until we get orders from Peshawar. After passing sentence, we issue orders to the Head Executioner who is sitting here. If we order him to behead prisoners with a blow from his axe, then he beheads them. If we order him to hang any prisoners then he hangs them by their necks. When I give the Head Executioner any order, he carries it out.
36.00 Mohammed Juma Executioner I am Mohammed Juma, Head Executioner. I carry out sentences of Judge Malawi Abdul Bari of the Islamic court and Razi Haji Abdul Latif. They issue me the order to kill prisoners by shooting, beheading or stoning to death.In the past three years, I have executed 1500 prisoners. I chop off their heads, like this.
36.36 Mujahed We captured this man in Dumbar – he was wearing a military uniform. We don’t know if he is a militiaman, government agent or spy. According to Koranic law we cannot execute him until he confesses. Since we captured him, he refuses to speak.
37.0337.1837.3437.3938.0538.12 Mujahed to prisoner Are you a Russian or a Parchami? Where do you come from son-of-an-English infidel? Where do you come from? Who sent you? Which country are you from?(LAUGHING) Where is your gun? Speak!Hurry up! Hurry up!(Don’t do this to him)Talk you son-of-a-whore! What are you?Look, he’s wet his pants! It’s useless brother, he wont talk.Sit down, sit down!
38.25 Mujahed When we captured him, we cut the soles of his feet with a dagger, but still he did not confess. We broke his knees so he could not escape.
MACHINE GUN FIRE
38.3738.41 Mujaheds(subtitles) - Look! The Russians are coming over the bridge!- Look, they can see us! Keep your head down!
38.5038.52 subtitles - Move your fat arse and shoot the fucking rocket!- Russians! Russians!
GUNFIRE & EXPLOSIONS
39.16 V/O Trapped for three hours, the Mujahideen managed to blast their way free with 82mm recoilless rifles.
41.10 V/O After the initial battle, 27 Mujahideen lay dead, 35 were wounded. For three days and nights, the Soviet and Afghan armies shelled Mahalajat and then withdrew.
GUNFIRE
42.02 Mujahed So why is it a great deed to fight Jihad?God gives those who fight Jihad a special place in Paradise. Those who fight Jihad for the sake of Allah attain a higher rank than even the prophets. A martyr need not be washed or buried in clean clothes. On the contrary. A martyr can be buried with his clothes soaked in blood. This is an honour not even reserved for prophets and saints.
42.27 Mujahed We have had many martyrs in our Jihad.We have had many martyrs in Kandahar.Once of those martyrs was Ahmed Shah. He was martyred one-and-a-half months ago near Heart Gate in Kandahar City. He was wounded in his stomach by anti-personnel mine.Even though he was only 15 years old, he was very brave and the best Mujahed.For ten days he was conscious and in great pain, but he never cried out.Razi Haji Abdul Latif and the Mujahideen are very sad about his death.
43.45 Valentina Toronenko (Nurse) I’m Valentina Toronenko. I have been in Afghanistan for 2 years now.My duties are to carry out the doctor’s orders and to be sensitive to our wounded and sick.Sometimes, a word from someone like a sister is better treatment than any injection. We have many lads in the ward that are seriously ill. We lose many of them.When a soldier departs this life, you are drawn to him with all your heart and soul. It’s like a bit of your heart is torn away.Afghanistan changes a lot in a person’s character. You know, I have come to understand a lot in my life and in my character. I believe I can overcome what normally would be too great a hardship for a woman.
44.38 Ahmed Shah The money that comes for Jihad outside Afghanistan – we never see any of it in Kandahar. The Mujahideen organisations in Pakistan spend half of their money on expensive pick-up trucks and the other half on their offices.After all the amount is divided and spent, nothing remains for the Mujahideen. The poor Mujahideen just have their old, torn clothes and a little bit of food.We have no caps to wear on our heads… we have no sandals… so we are fighting Jihad in our bare feet.
45.16 The Russians bombard us – fire their missiles at us. They tear apart our bodies. Our injured are lying in a room, their bodies torn, and we have nothing to give them.We have no medicine, no doctors to take the shrapnel and bullets out of their bodies. Many have died from their injuries. Many more will die because there are no doctors or medicine.Mujahideen die because they have no money in their pockets.
45.38 Dying man I was fighting Jihad in Mahalajat. I was hit by a mortar. Terrible, terrible pain…
46.05 Russian Soldier There’s nothing good I can say about Afghanistan. There’s nothing good I can say. I’ve served for two years and I still don’t understand a thing. You can’t understand who are the civilians and who are the enemy. Brother kills brother.
46.42 Commanding Officer The one thing that service in Afgan taught the guys here is that, in the next 20 or 30 years, throughout their whole lives, they’ll never forget each other. I think people who served in the Army or in Vietnam or any war, who experienced what we’ve experienced here, will understand me perfectly well.
47.49 Soldier Half a year ago, one of our groups got ambushed by the enemy. The group was under the command of a comrade well known to us. Only four people survived. We saw photos of what was done to them. Imagine, heads were cut off, limbs were cut off.They drove screw-drivers and knives into the bodies… they gouged out their eyes.The first reaction you feel when a friend dies is to avenge him, to unload a whole clip of your machine-gun into the enemy.
49.00 Soldier Personally, I don’t understand the need for any war. Why thousands, millions of people should be lost, for the sake of what? This is their country, they have many parties, they can sort themselves out, figure out how to live their own lives… they can choose the government they want.Our presence here can be considered a mistake.
49.3749.4449.4749.5049.5349.5750.1150.1550.1850.2350.2650.29 SONG - Subtitle The moon looks at the Muslim East.We are fighting the Pakistani night.We are silently taking stock.There is wind and foul water…In the dreary desert.Afgan, I will never forget you,Until I get to my grave.The mountains shimmer blue.Hepatitis has a yellow stare.We’ve written many cheques,It’ll take years to pay them off.I’ll be glad if I don’t get killed.It’s my gain and my years.Afgan, I will never forget you,Until I get to my grave.
END



CREDITS:

Photography
ALEXANDER LINDSAY

Produced & Directed by
JEFF B. HARMON

Adapted by
KEELY STUCKE


Sound Recordists
SUFFI JAFFAR/ WALLI JANG

Sound Editor
MIKE AKESTER

Dubbing Mixer
RICHARD KING

Assistant Editor
JOHN EDMISTON

Editors
JOHN BARNES/ JEREMY GIBBS

Production Assistant
ANGELA CONTI

Assistant Producer
MICHAEL EVSTAFIEV

Executive Producer
JOHN GAU


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