Dilip Joseph M.D. - Kidnapped by the Taliban International Edition: A Story of Terror, Hope, and Rescue by SEAL Team Six

PRAISE FOR KIDNAPPED BY THE TALIBAN

Dilip Joseph, MD, is a physician and humanitarian, but hes also my friend, and he endured an unimaginably difficult ordealbeing kidnapped at gunpoint in Afghanistan. This gripping book is a page-turner from start to finish; however, what I found most surprising and enduring is what Dilip taught me, and will reveal to you, about the mind of the Taliban terrorists. It will challenge everything you think you know.

WALT LARIMORE, MD
BEST-SELLING AUTHOR, THE GABON VIRUS AND THE INFLUENZA BOMB

Dr. Joseph is a friend, a colleague, and a person with whom I share a passion for serving the underserved, especially in Afghanistan. Having worked closely with him, when I heard he had been taken by the Taliban, I was deeply concerned for his health and his life. When I learned of his rescue, I was greatly relieved. His moving, transparent account of his experience is both exciting and revealing, as he shares his true care for his captors and his appreciation for his rescuers as well as his deep remorse for those who lost their lives in this tragic event. I was caught up in the story from the very beginning and couldnt put it down!

MITCH DUININCK, MD
PRESIDENT, HOPE PARTNERSHIPS INTERNATIONAL

I was very pleased to meet Dr. Joseph in Afghanistan, where he impressed me with his heroic willingness to serve others in a dangerous place. When I heard that Dilip had been captured by criminal thugs, I feared the worst, especially after having witnessed multiple tragedies in that dark corner of the world. This book is a riveting account of that harrowing story.

Dilip tells the tale remarkably well, but for me, his most moving tribute to the men in uniform who served with him is of great personal significance. Dr. Joseph and his comrades got a one-in-a-million opportunity for rebirth through these horrific events, and this book offers readers a similar shot at redemption by confronting the inexpressible value of our own personal liberty. Dilip got to see firsthand what the price of freedom looks like. We all can be better people through hearing what he has to say about it.

TIM KIRK
COLONEL, U.S. AIR FORCE

Dr. Dilip Josephs vivid, authentic storytelling offers a rare view into the physical, psychological, and spiritual experience of Taliban captivity. While the threat of death from the captors pointed AK-47s and Kalashnikovs was unmistakably real, so was the strange intimacy shared between captives and captors around meals of fresh naan and green tea, the human connections that were possible even under the most hostile circumstances.

Dr. Dilips unbreakable personal faith in God, along with the courage and resilience of his beloved teammates and fellow captives, Dr. Rafiq and Farzad, resonate throughout the pages of this book. Their ongoing commitment to serve some of the most destitute people on earth living in rural Afghanistan is a moving testament.

Finally, the sacrifice made by the SEAL rescue team serves as a sobering reminder of the costliness of freedom and the preciousness of each moment of life.

FARZANA MARIE
PRESIDENT, CIVIL VISION INTERNATIONAL

You will be amazed, inspired, and humbled by this remarkable story of one mans journey through terrorism, kidnapping, and threat of death. Kidnapped by the Taliban is an amazing story of God showing His love to a world filled with hatred. Its an amazing story of how God provides grace and strength in the most horrific of trials. Its a story of Gods faithful provision to Dilip Joseph, a dedicated, compassionate doctor who literally laid down his life for the sake of a people in desperate need of Gods love.

WAYNE PEDERSON
PRESIDENT, REACH BEYOND

I couldnt put this book down. Dr. Josephs passion and willingness to go wherever God directed him, even when it was away from his family and into a war zone in Afghanistan, show the heart of a humanitarian. Kidnapped by the Taliban is also a tribute to the sacrifice and courage that the men and women of the U.S. military serving in Afghanistan show every day.

CHRISTOPHER BRAMAN
SERGEANT FIRST CLASS, U.S. ARMY RANGERS (RETIRED), AND RECIPIENT OF THE PURPLE HEART AND SOLDIERS MEDAL

2014 Dilip Joseph, M.D.

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by W Publishing Group, an imprint of Thomas Nelson.

Author is represented by the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, www.alivecommunications.com.

Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

The events described in this book are true. Some names and a few locations have been changed to maintain military security, protect identities, and increase safety for the people involved.

All photographs courtesy of Dilip Joseph, Morning Star Development, and James Lund.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

ISBN 978-0-7180-3156-5 (IE)

ISBN 978-0-7180-1130-7 (eBook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014942499

ISBN 978-0-7180-1128-4

14 15 16 17 18 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

To my mother, Rosamma Jolly Joseph

When you were alive, you were my anchor. Even in death, your memory propels me to serve God and others to the best of my ability. Thank you for the amazing example of your selfless sacrifice of time, energy, and resources to not only our family but also many around the world. My hope is that people who knew you well will be reminded of you in these pages.

CONTENTS

10:00 A.M., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2012

PUL-I-ASSIM, AFGHANISTAN

ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN IN YOUR DIET? ARE YOU getting enough carbohydrates?

The questions in Pashto come from Miriam, a local midwife and employee of the same nonprofit I work for. Shes addressing twenty moms and kids jammed into a fifteen-by-twenty-foot office. About half of the visitors sit in metal folding chairs while the others stand. Miriam points with a stick to a board beside her. Tacked to the board are plastic baggies filled with nuts, beans, and rice.

Two and a half weeks ago, I was at home with my wife and four children in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Now I am at a medical clinic in Pul-i-assim, a village in eastern Afghanistan. I am the medical director for Morning Star, a non-governmental organization (NGO) committed to helping this nations people rebuild their country and their lives. This is my tenth visit to Afghanistan. Im here to deliver a dose of medical training and hope to people who desperately need both.

What I dont know is that I will soon be the one in desperate need of help and hope.

As Miriam speaks, my gaze is drawn to a mother standing near a corner in the back of the room. Her eyes appear locked on the board as she absorbs each word, though I cant tell for certain because she is covered head to toe in a light-blue burqa, which includes a chadri, or veil, to cover her face. She holds an infant no more than two months old in her arms. A toddler stands to the mothers left, one hand gripped tightly to his mother. Hes coughing repeatedly. On her other side a three-year-old leans against her and wipes her runny nose on her sleeve.