The Afghan/American force, built around the Special Forces soldiers of ODA 3336, was assigned to take out specific high-value targetsĪnother view of Special Forces soldiers of ODA 3336 in the Shok Valley, giving some idea of the terrain involved. The battle that followed was both a test and a testament to their skill and bravery. In 2008, an American think tank reported that HIG had been, after initial coalition successes, “sidelined from Afghan politics but has recently reemerged as an aggressive militant group, claiming responsibility for many bloody attacks against coalition forces and the administration of President Hamid Karzai.” Deciding that HIG’s hold on the area must be challenged, coalition planners decided to launch a daring raid into the heart of the Shok Valley stronghold with a combined force of Afghan commandos and their Special Forces counterparts. Founded by Gulbadin Hekmatyer, HIG has been in the thick of regional conflict since the Soviet invasion, going so far at one point as to oppose both the Taliban and the United States at the same time. Indeed, so effective are the commandos, that Taliban fighters respectfully refer to them as “the wolves” and, as the men of 3rd Special Forces Group, Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 3336, can tell you: When the wolves and their SF brethren decided to test the Taliban in their Shok Valley stronghold, the Taliban knew trouble was coming.īecause of its remote nature – there are no roads leading into the fastness of the area – the Shok Valley, along with the lone village perched high above the valley floor, made for a perfect base for the fierce insurgent force called Hezeb Islami al Gulbadin, or HIG. Their strength is born from their close relationship with the soldiers of the U.S. Of all the elements of the growing Afghan National Army, the men of the Commando Battalions are, without a doubt, among the very best. Out of the numerous historical lessons that can be drawn from the failed Soviet war in Afghanistan, the necessity of engaging the population and developing a true national army that is willing to leave their bases and fight for their own country is one lesson the United States understands and has embraced wholeheartedly. There were no good roads and death was certain.” He tossed his cigarette down, ground it under his boot and continued, “For us, the war was an asylum and Jalalabad was our cage.” “I know of this place,” he said, “the Shok Valley. Today, a typically cold Chicago winter afternoon, the 46-year-old Afghansti, a Russian term for veterans of the Soviet Afghan War, sat quietly on the bench looking out toward the frozen mass of Lake Michigan, smoke curling from his cigarette, thinking about the question just asked. Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy.In 1988, Demitri Zacharov was a 25-year-old soldier serving in a Soviet Motorized Rifle Regiment stationed on a small, gray mountain just outside Jalalabad, Afghanistan. They have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power. They have for many years promoted the right to criticise power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens. The Peace Prize laureates represent civil society in their home countries. The 2022 Peace Prize is awarded to human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties. It will be announced on Friday 6 October, 11:00 CEST The Nobel Peace Prize 2022 The Nobel Peace Prize 2023 has not been awarded yet. Click on the links to get more information.įind all prizes in | physics | chemistry | physiology or medicine | literature | peace | economic sciences | all categories Since the International Committee of the Red Cross has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize three times (in 1917, 19), and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize two times (in 19), there are 27 individual organizations which have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded 103 times to 140 Nobel Prize laureates between 19, 110 individuals and 30 organizations. Header Search Submit a search term Allows users to submit a search term
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