# Newsweek - 'Lone Survivor' savior says Luttrell abandoned him



## Ex3 (May 29, 2016)

He risked his life to come to the aid of a stranger. Now he's in a strange land, he doesn't speak the language. In fact, he doesn't read or write in his own language. 

As the saying goes, 'There are three sides to every story -  yours, mine and the truth'. But if someone saved my life, I'd make sure that they weren't living in fear of eviction and on food stamps. 

It's a long, but interesting read.

http://www.newsweek.com/2016/05/20/...lone-survivor-operation-red-wings-458139.html

Gulab feels abandoned. The State Department funneled his case to a local relief agency, which paid his rent and gave him thousands of dollars in cash assistance over eight months—all on the condition he continued looking for work and attended free English classes. Yet on May 30, Gulab’s benefits will expire. He will still get food stamps and health care. But the agency stopped paying his rent in April. To get by, the family is now relying on Gulab’s 19-year-old son, Irshad, who makes $10.60 an hour at a local electronics warehouse.​


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## AWP (May 29, 2016)

Nearly the entire saga from mission planning to the present day is a train wreck. As for Gulab, we can't even take care of our own vets, do we think Gulab stands a chance? Besides, he refused several offers and waited years before he went to America. He's stubborn, stupid, or the threats to his life weren't that bad.

I'll keep the more cynical thoughts to myself. On the plus side you can't deny the heroism and sacrifice involved, even if everything else bears scrutiny....and we'll never know what actually happened.


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## Ex3 (May 29, 2016)

Freefalling said:


> Nearly the entire saga from mission planning to the present day is a train wreck. As for Gulab, we can't even take care of our own vets, do we think Gulab stands a chance? Besides, he refused several offers and waited years before he went to America. He's stubborn, stupid, or the threats to his life weren't that bad.
> 
> I'll keep the more cynical thoughts to myself. On the plus side you can't deny the heroism and sacrifice involved, even if everything else bears scrutiny....and we'll never know what actually happened.


I agree with you. 

But are you using 'we' as in the gov't? I think Luttrell himself should step up; this specific situation could be made right overnight.


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## Red Flag 1 (May 29, 2016)

Ex3 said:


> I agree with you.
> 
> But are you using 'we' as in the gov't? I think Luttrell himself should step up; this specific situation could be made right overnight.



I think you are right, and completely agree with you. What we see and do as individuals, does not translate to how we respond as a nation; at least not in the last eight years. Perhaps there will be a change, and we will return to a Nation with responsible leadership, we do not have that now. We tend to forget about not only the people that have trusted and helped us, but also Nations. Look at our middle East, I can't even call it a policy because I don't think we have one, so we have a behavior.  For some reason an entire Jewish nation, and ally, has been given the cold shoulder, and insulted at every chance. It would be wonderful if we could return to the Nation that stood up against Hitler, and the Empire of Japan at a time of war. We stood up against Hitler because it was the right thing to do. We stood up against Japan, because they attacked our Nation. Neither would happen today.


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## Etype (May 29, 2016)

He got to come to America, that's the best gift most of the world could possibly receive.

Does he want to be treated like a fucking king or something?


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## Ex3 (May 29, 2016)

Etype said:


> He got to come to America, that's the best gift most of the world could possibly receive.
> 
> Does he want to be treated like a fucking king or something?


No, but I think Luttrell should lend a hand to the person that saved his life. It sounds like his town could use a decent Afghan restaurant ...they could be partners!


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## R.Caerbannog (May 29, 2016)

Ex3 said:


> No, but I think Luttrell should lend a hand to the person that saved his life. It sounds like his town could use a decent Afghan restaurant ...they could be partners!


The picture in the article of his wife's cooking does looks amazing.


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## Gunz (May 30, 2016)

Sounds like they had a big falling out over the discrepancies in their stories. Gulab's version seems to have the backing of some of the Marine commanders who were involved in the planning. That kind of thing would definitely drive a wedge between the two. Then there's the money. Nothing will fuck up a poor dude faster then a pile of US Greenbacks. And in Luttrell's defense, it looks like he helped the guy quite a bit and for a long time. When does the obligation end? Gulab's story potentially damages Luttrell's reputation. With that in mind, why would Luttrell continue to support the guy.

There are plenty of people who come to this country with a lot less help and manage to make it.

But two unquestionably courageous guys IMHO.


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## Ooh-Rah (May 30, 2016)

1)  As famous as Lutrell and his story have become, how the hell can we not get this poor SOB into the states?

2)  Oh...I just read the article and he IS here.  And in an apartment with his family.  Cool!  He's one up on most in his situation back home.

3)  Oh...he still does not have a job, and lives off his kids' minimum wage job for income?

3)  Oh...now he wants to sell a different version of his story to make some cash?

4)  Seems like it did not take him long to find the "where's my free shit" crowd and acclimate to the part of America I cannot stand right now.


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## Ex3 (May 30, 2016)

Everyone has a right to control their right of privacy/publicity. His story was featured in a Hollywood film that made over $200 million dollars. He should've been protected and compensated. But that's just my $0.02.

The right of publicity grew out of the general principles of invasion of privacy that prohibit using a person’s name or likeness to gain a benefit. Within the past few decades, the right of publicity has emerged as an independent type of claim that a person can make when his or her name or likeness is used for commercial purposes. 
The Right of Publicity   | Nolo.com​


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## AWP (May 30, 2016)

Ex3 said:


> I agree with you.
> 
> But are you using 'we' as in the gov't? I think Luttrell himself should step up; this specific situation could be made right overnight.



The "we" was our country, specifically the VA, and how we care for our vets. If we aren't going to take care of our own, guys like Gulab don't stand a chance. Of course, we've shafted so many allies over the years I couldn't blame any of them for being mad at the US.

Regarding Luttrell, if we use only 25% of the accusations and denials it still paints Mr. Luttrell in a bad light. Conversely, I don't have much sympathy for Gulab because he had opportunities and turned them down. Even if they would not have worked, he was offered and he refused....but then he wants us to make it right. :wall:

Do we trust the American with an image to protect or the Afghan from a culture with sliding-scale morality and ethics? Can we trust either of them? I don't have those answers, but this is another sad chapter in a sad story. I'm still gobsmacked by their comm plan. An Iridium? Jesus Christ....


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## Etype (May 30, 2016)

Ocoka One said:


> Nothing will fuck up a poor dude faster then a pile of US greenbacks.


I also don't see the average Afghan transitioning well to a life in the US. I'm sure it's comparable to the average Vietnamese- they have no way to understand what a modern American way of life is.

Their whole upbringing is molding them to live in the world they were born into.  You can't bring them to a whole new strange world and not expect problems.


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## Diamondback 2/2 (May 30, 2016)

Everything I ever seen in the past from Luttrell was he was fighting to get Gulab state side. Apparently that happened. What took place since should be taken with a grain of salt. Don't know if he showed up expected to live high on the hog. Luttrell doesn't. They could have had a falling out, there could be meditating circumstance that were not aware of. What if Gulab attempted to use Luttrell or attempted to gain fame and fortune from him. 

Luttrell has made an obligation to support veterans, he could've went straight Hollywood, he could've just closed his door and jumped into a bottle, but he has been an advocate for veteran's, while tell the story of his brothers, while trying to raise a family and support them, while dealing with his demons.

I wouldn't be quick to say this falls squarely on Luttrells shoulders.


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## Ex3 (May 30, 2016)

Diamondback 2/2 said:


> I wouldn't be quick to say this falls squarely on Luttrells shoulders.


I'm not saying that it should, though by every account, he owes him his life. That's not to say he should be living high on the hog. But the guy doesn't strike me as sharp enough to 'attempt to gain fame and fortune' from anyone.

I think the production company should help him get settled. They certainly profited from from his name and story.


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## SpongeBob*24 (May 30, 2016)

Idea here:
Someone floats some USD for The wife to get a place and on her feet cooking in their community in Dallas.

I don't care if it's Marcus, Marky Mark, someone from the book company, hollywood or Donald Trump.

Bottom line, it is a dual hatted outcome:
Good press, and you are taking care of a good human being.


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## Etype (May 30, 2016)

Ex3 said:


> I'm not saying that it should, though by every account, he owes him his life. That's not to say he should be living high on the hog. But the guy doesn't strike me as sharp enough to 'attempt to gain fame and fortune' from anyone.
> 
> I think the production company should help him get settled. They certainly profited from from his name and story.


He got him to the US, so he saved his life in turn.  Also, Afghans can get and plead for handouts with the best of them.


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## Ex3 (May 30, 2016)

Etype said:


> He got him to the US, so he saved his life in turn.  Also, Afghans can get and plead for handouts with the best of them.


It looks to me that they brought him over to promote the film and dumped him when they didn't need him any more.


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## Molinaro (May 31, 2016)

I don't know what's true and what's not but I just finished reading the thread about Chris Kyle's medals coming under scrutiny. Seems to be a trend going on. I tend to side with Luttrell though, maybe I'm biased but Afghans haven't always been known for honesty and neither has the media, so who's to say who is using who here.


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## Etype (May 31, 2016)

The thing about America, is you are guaranteed life, liberty and the PURSUIT of happiness. You aren't guaranteed a lazy, happy, comfortable life paid for with free money- but that is changing.

Both of my grandfathers came here just before WWII, one joined the military, and the other, disqualified from military service due to being blind in one eye, lived in a shanty town and was a coal miner. They both lived simple lives in tiny houses and left a modest amount of money to their children when they died. They both, quite literally, started with nothing.

Gulab can bitch and moan about his situation, or he can find peace in the fact that his children and grandchildren have boundless opportunity ahead of them.


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## Salt USMC (May 31, 2016)

Is there anything out there that says he was compensated by the film's production company?


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## Gunz (May 31, 2016)

I don't know if there is any Afghan community in Ft. Worth or how expatriate Afghans interact with each other.

The Vietnamese communities in the US after the fall of Saigon stuck together and helped each other out. Most of the original Vietnamese who came here were those from the more urban areas, those who had worked with Americans on bases, who worked for the SVN government, ARVN or VNAF officers and their families, so many of them were educated and most knew at least some English. They are an industrious and practical people so they made sure their kids got into schools.

The dirt poor Vietnamese farmers _I_ knew who lived in thatched huts with dirt floors, got water from a bucket in a well, shit on their crops for fertilizer and chewed beetle nut until their teeth were black, didn't come here. Like all farmers they stayed on the land and worked their fields and tried to carry on despite the killing going on around them and the inevitable civilian deaths.

The Afghans from rural areas would probably be more like those humble Vietnamese rice farmers...You go from dirt floors and mountains and goats to an apartment complex in Ft Worth, you're going to have some culture shock issues.


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## Gunz (May 31, 2016)

Etype said:


> ...Gulab can bitch and moan about his situation, or he can find peace in the fact that his children and grandchildren have boundless opportunity ahead of them.




And not only that, he _is _being helped. He's getting more help than the average immigrant. He's bitching that Luttrell isn't helping anymore and didn't get behind the book deal, but they'd already had a big falling out by that time. I get the impression from the article the guy turned into a leech.


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## Etype (May 31, 2016)

Deathy McDeath said:


> Is there anything out there that says he was compensated by the film's production company?


Was he involved in, or did he contribute to the making of the film?


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## Salt USMC (May 31, 2016)

Etype said:


> Was he involved in, or did he contribute to the making of the film?


Probably not.  However, his name and likeness are certainly used.  Not a lawyer here, but I imagine you could make the case that he is entitled to some portion of the films profits because of this.

Edit: Though I suppose this would be a moot point if he signed that away.

This article sheds some more light on why relations between Ghulab and Luttrell went south.  It also appears that Ghulab was part of the marketing campaign for the movie: Navy SEAL's Savior Mohammad Gulab Marked for Death by Taliban


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## pardus (May 31, 2016)

Ocoka One said:


> And not only that, he _is _being helped. He's getting more help than the average immigrant.



He is being helped a damn sight more than I was when I immigrated here!



Deathy McDeath said:


> Probably not.  However, his name and likeness are certainly used.  Not a lawyer here, but I imagine you could make the case that he is entitled to some portion of the films profits because of this.
> 
> Edit: Though I suppose this would be a moot point if he signed that away.
> 
> This article sheds some more light on why relations between Ghulab and Luttrell went south.  It also appears that Ghulab was part of the marketing campaign for the movie: Navy SEAL's Savior Mohammad Gulab Marked for Death by Taliban



I'm sure if there is any case here, that a lawyer somewhere will take it up and sue everyone involved on behalf of Ghulab.



Ex3 said:


> It looks to me that they brought him over to promote the film and dumped him when they didn't need him any more.



Outcome is the same. His life has been saved from murder at the hands of the Taliban. 
He, his family and generations of his future family will benefit from this.


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## Ex3 (Jun 1, 2016)

Deathy McDeath said:


> Probably not.  However, his name and likeness are certainly used.  Not a lawyer here, but I imagine you could make the case that he is entitled to some portion of the films profits because of this.
> 
> Edit: Though I suppose this would be a moot point if he signed that away.
> 
> This article sheds some more light on why relations between Ghulab and Luttrell went south.  It also appears that Ghulab was part of the marketing campaign for the movie: Navy SEAL's Savior Mohammad Gulab Marked for Death by Taliban


He was entitled to be compensated. I didn't search too hard, but I didn't find that he was compensated by the studio for his participation in film or it's promotion. 

If he signed a release, in order for it to be legally binding, he'd have to understand what he was signing away.


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## SpongeBob*24 (Jun 1, 2016)

Raise your hand if you saved a NAVY SEAL's life and put your family in danger to do so.

Politics aside, what would you do for the man that saved your life?
a-Thank you card and a fruit basket from edible arrangements
b-Bring him to America
c-Make sure he is on his feet and can support his family like a man should


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## Beagle (Jun 2, 2016)

Before I read the article I thought it was messed up but after reading the article I think that Luttrell did enough.

So I think Luttrell did all that he could, I mean who knows what that falling out could be.  My guess would be money had a part in the falling out. 

1.  Gulab got to the USA, I'm sure it was due to Luttrell assistance
2.  Luttrell met him at airport and helped him until they had a "falling out"

My family were immigrants and were on food stamps or whatever it was called back then.  The Army opened many doors after I got out and now I'm solidly in the middle class.

Point is he's in America now, how much is that worth?  Well in my opinion that's easily worth a million dollar.  Opportunities are everywhere in the US.  You can be on various benefits and still live better than most people in foreign countries.


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## Diamondback 2/2 (Jun 2, 2016)

After reading a few things about it, sounds like he was trying to blackmail Luttrell by contradicting the official storyline of what happened. Kinda money or I say this happened type thing. Apparently Luttrell has given him several thousands of dollars, invested time with him, got him a book deal and got him and his family to America. After doing all that, to do a 180 and full on ignore him now, Gulab must of said or done something really fucked up.

$.02

Edit: Marines and Afghan who saved Marcus Luttrell say “Lone Survivor” was lie


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## Gunz (Jun 2, 2016)

I'm not buying the Afghan's version of the firefight because he wasn't there and neither were the Marine officers who seem to be disputing Luttrell's story.

Maybe there was a bit of dramatic embellishment for the book or the film but anybody who's been in the shit can look at the cold facts, 3 SEALs dead and a react helo shot down with 8 SEALs and 8 Nightstalkers killed and know this was a motherfucker of a firefight. And the Taliban had ample time to recover their dead and wounded so nobody really knows how many Taliban there were.


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## Diamondback 2/2 (Jun 2, 2016)

There is a Taliban video of portions of the operation red wings gun fight. There was a lot more than a squads worth of tali, but the 200 is way over the top. I think they got attacked by a platoon size element. To think Marcus would be shot multiple times and watched his brothers die and not have fired on the enemy, is silly (he had eleven full mags). I'm not buying what Gulab is selling at all. Ammo goes real fucking fast when you're suppressing and bounding, especially as a 4 man team.


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## Etype (Jun 2, 2016)

That Marine is out of his damn mind to claim there were not 35 Taliban fighters in the whole valley that day. There has never NOT been 35 fighters in the Korengal.  Sure, they may fight some days and lay low on others, but they are there.

Also, Luttrell was recovered by Army SOF- sorry Marine officer glory hound.


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## Centermass (Jun 3, 2016)

Etype said:


> That Marine is out of his damn mind to claim there were not 35 Taliban fighters in the whole valley that day. There has never NOT been 35 fighters in the Korengal.  Sure, they may fight some days and lay low on others, but they are there.
> 
> Also, Luttrell was recovered by Army SOF- sorry Marine officer glory hound.



Luttrell jokingly stated he would never live down the fact he was rescued by Army Rangers.


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## Etype (Jun 3, 2016)

Diamondback 2/2 said:


> There is a Taliban video of portions of the operation red wings gun fight. There was a lot more than a squads worth of tali, but the 200 is way over the top. I think they got attacked by a platoon size element. To think Marcus would be shot multiple times and watched his brother die and not have fired on the enemy, is silly (he had eleven full mags). I'm not buying what Gulab is selling at all. Ammo goes real fucking fast when you're suppressing and bounding, especially as a 4 man team.


The size of Taliban elements is hard to judge in a lot of cases. In areas like Western Kandahar, Helmand, Kunar, etc.  passive support for the Taliban could include the whole population. You have the legit, hardcore fighters who will battle till the end, and you have the local farmers who will come along. The locals may blast one or two mags on full auto to show their support, then melt back into the population. When you have 10-20 professional fighters wrangling another 30 auxiliaries, things can get hairy pretty quick.


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## Gunz (Jun 3, 2016)

Centermass said:


> Luttrell jokingly stated he would never live down the fact he was rescued by Army Rangers.



They've re-written the Ranger Creed.


Recognizing...etc
Acknowledging...etc
Never...etc
Gallantly...etc
Energetically...etc
Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude to run QRF whenever Navy SEALs need to be pulled off some fucking mountaintop where they've become surrounded and hopelessly outnumbered.


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## AWP (Jun 3, 2016)

Ocoka One said:


> Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude to run QRF whenever Navy SEALs need to be pulled off some fucking mountaintop where they've become surrounded and hopelessly outnumbered.



To quote the kids these days....savage.


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## DasBoot (Jun 3, 2016)

Ocoka One said:


> They've re-written the Ranger Creed.
> 
> 
> Recognizing...etc
> ...


It seems to be a recurring event....


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## Etype (Jun 4, 2016)

The thing about QRF, you really needed it about 2 minutes before you called for it.


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