The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

Finally, the patience of the street spectators was rewarded. First, a group consistingof European-looking foreigners and Afghan policemen assembled near the entrance of thehotel. Then three tall, muscular men with a huge ladder ran along the outer wall of thebuilding. At some point they stopped and propped up the ladder. One began to climb to thesecond story, but having reached the bottom of the window, he couldn’t force himself tolook inside.To those who did not know the circumstances of the situation, the scene must haveappeared quite comical. It caused agitation not only on the street, but also inside the bank.The bank staff and the clients, distracted from their financial affairs, watched the strangeactivities performed by the foreigners with great interest.The leaders of the operation soon realized that nothing would make the marine onthe top of the ladder lift his head to peer inside the window. Certain death awaited him. Youlook in, and get a bullet in the head. What for? The marines were obviously not eager to laydown their lives for the ambassador.***Many know the general rules of how to free hostages. There exists a set of measuresdeveloped by special services, the ABCs of the trade. Books have been written about it, andmovies produced. A set of instructions is developed. A list of means necessary to conductsuch special operations is defined. A list of skills necessary is determined. All of this isnecessary, but not always applicable. Sometimes life doesn’t want to confine itself totheoretical schemes and notions.It’s good when operatives of special services understand the crime, and the logic ofterrorists’ actions. It’s good when one understands the psychological state of those who301