--- title: "SAS operator Christian Craighead faces arrest in the UK for his book about Kenya terror attack" date: "2026-09-25" modified: "2026-09-25" authors: - name: "Miguel Ortiz" job_title: "Senior Contributor, Army Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/miguelortiz.md" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/history/sas-operator-christian-craighead-faces-arrest-in-the-uk-for-his-book-about-kenya-terror-attack/" categories: - "Books" - "Entertainment" - "History" - "Veterans" tags: - "Africa" - "Books" - "Special Operations" - "United Kingdom" --- # SAS operator Christian Craighead faces arrest in the UK for his book about Kenya terror attack ![One Man In Christian Craighead]() *Christian Craighead took the initiative to engage terrorists and save lives. (Simon & Schuster)* On Jan. 15, 2019, five terrorists from the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab carried out an attack at the DusitD2 complex in Nairobi, Kenya using AK-style rifles, grenades, and a suicide bomb. According to British SAS operator Christian Craighead, who spearheaded the rescue of civilians and counterattack at the complex, that statement alone is against the law in the United Kingdom. Blocked from publishing his account of the events in his home country, Craighead released “One Man In” in the United States through Threshold Editions and Simon & Schuster Audio on Sept. 15, 2026. **Also Read: [Bulova recreates iconic A-11 World War II watch for ‘Jimmy’ movie]()** In addition to finally publishing his story in print, Craighead returned to the [Shawn Ryan Show ]()where he promised to tell the story during his first interview in 2024. Posted the day before the book’s release, Craighead’s tell-all is the longest episode of the Shawn Ryan Show with a run time of 5 hours and 17 minutes. Also featured is Meyli Chapin, an American rescued by Craighead during the attack. While filming the episode, Craighead received an email from the UK government threatening him with a legal injunction to be served in the United States. Following his retirement from the military in 2020, Craighead now resides in the United States. He’s become friends with Ryan, a Navy SEAL veteran whose show ranks 5th on Spotify in the U.S. at the time of writing. ![One man in by christian craighead]() *Craighead wore a balaclava to conceal his identity and was nicknamed “The Nairobi Ninja.” (Christian Craighead via Instagram)* Having dealt with legal matters himself, Ryan referred Craighead to attorney Tim Parlatore. “There is nobody better for this and that dude will fuck these people up,” Ryan said. “He’s had my back more times that I can count on this show.” In spite of the threat of legal action by the UK, “One Man In” is now available in the U.S. both in print and digital formats. During the episode, Craighead revealed a number of details about the complex attack. He brought on the show his U.S. military-issue New Testament given to him by the Brigade Padre in 1999. Craighead carried that with him on over 1,000 high-risk missions and placed it with his medical kit that bore the Blackbeard flag patch in Nairobi. Citing his Catholic faith, Craighead also recounted the rosary that he carried in his pocket and the “Hail Mary” that he prayed before setting off to the DusitD2 complex. Knowing that, Ryan opened the episode with the same prayer. Interestingly, Craighead also wore the Garmin watch that he hadn’t worn since 2019. While it functioned throughout his time on the ground during the attack, Craighead noted that the watch was not fully charged. ![Christian craighead on shawn ryan]() *Craighead and Ryan are neighbors in Tennessee. (Shawn Ryan via Instagram)* “At the time, I didn’t know if \[the attack\] was going to go on for days and days,” Craighead told Ryan, recalling concern for the watch’s battery life in a multi-day operation. “When I came out, it was like, yeah, I’m wearing an [automatic watch]() for everything I do after this point.” After hearing about the attack from an ex-Royal Marine living in Nairobi, Craighead grabbed his gear (which was fully prepped and packed), checked the route on Google Maps, splashed his face with cold water, and told himself, “Let’s fucking do this.” Then he kneeled before the cross in his room, said a Hail Mary, and got in his truck. Nairobi traffic is bad at the best of times, but the terrorist attack made it worse. While weaving between cars and oncoming traffic, Craighead made his first report to SAS HQ back in the UK. Having only arrived in Kenya a month prior, he was still learning the ins and outs of his truck. As a result, he didn’t bother trying to figure out the stereo which was still playing Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” as he raced toward the complex. In Kenya to serve as an advisor, Craighead assumed that he would meet up with Kenyan forces already responding to the attack and provide them with guidance. Instead, upon his arrival at DusitD2, he was informed that no friendlies were inside engaging the terrorists; the gunfire he heard was all from the bad guys. ![christian Craighead nairobi]() *The SAS motto is “Who Dares Wins.” (Christian Craighead via Instagram* With a plate carrier over his Fjallraven shirt and Armani jeans, and armed with an SAS-issue suppressed L119A2 ([Colt Canada]() C8) rifle and [Glock 19]() pistol, Craighead went in alone. Throughout the Shawn Ryan interview and in his book, Craighead recounts the split-second, life-or-death decisions he made that day. The SAS operator praises the Kenyan forces that he later led to smoke the “shithead Islamic terrorists” and evacuate over 700 civilians. In the midst of the violence and horror of that day, Craighead recalls a small joke he made to lighten the mood. After clearing a room from the outside and hearing women under a table, he ran in and slid underneath the table with him. After the women screamed at the SAS operator, he removed his Arc’teryx balaclava and told them,” Jambo!” Their screams turned into laughter and Craighead handed them to the Kenyan police to be escorted to safety. Little details like that and more, including Craighead’s legal beef with the UK’s Ministry of Defence, are shared on the Shawn Ryan Show and in “One Man In.” “There’s some things that I’ve said that aren’t in the book, and there’s some things that I haven’t said that are in the book,” Craighead said on the Shawn Ryan Show. To overcome the legal restrictions and hurdles placed before him in the UK, Craighead wrote a new version of the book in the U.S. to be published exclusively in the States by a U.S. publisher. “This book has cost me, personally, over $130,000 to publish, so far,” Craighead noted, citing legal fees against the UK government. “I can’t ever go back to the UK; I’ll be arrested.” While the U.S. does have an extradition treaty with the UK, the Department of Justice and U.S. Marshals Service will have a hard time tasking a tactical team to bring in Obi-Wan Nairobi if the British government wants him badly enough. **Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty** **• [The P320 is so safe and reliable that SIG released the P385]()** **• [The Civilian Marksmanship Program sells M1 Garand rifles, M1911 pistols, and M14s]()** **• [Why 11.5 is the best AR barrel length for most shooters]()** ## Author Miguel Ortiz is a Senior Contributor for We Are The Mighty covering primarily military news and history with an emphasis on weapons technology. He is a former active duty Army officer and remains a member of the Army IRR. After commissioning through San Diego State University Army ROTC, Miguel served with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY. He has written for We Are The Mighty since 2020, drawing from his passion for the military community and history. Miguel’s work has also been seen on Business Insider and The Blast. He remains an avid shooter, competing in local USPSA matches. Miguel’s other hobbies are traveling and watch collecting. ### Author social links [LinkedIn]()