First In - An Insider s Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in

Zusatztext Advance praise for First In “A real-life ground-truth account of CIA human intelligence operations that were incredibly successful. The country owes Gary and his comrades! who almost single-handedly won the first phase of the war in Afghanistan. Told with the nitty-gritty detail by the leader who was there – real and compelling.” –Bob Woodward! author of Bush at War and Plan of Attack “First In adds yet another enthralling chapter to the endless martial history of Afghanistan. My old colleague Gary Schroen tells his forceful story with the sharpened senses that come only from years of living in the long shadows of the Khyber Pass. You can almost smell the cordite and the chapattis! A terrific yarn about a sad and storied land.” –Milt Bearden! author of The Black Tulip and co-author of The Main Enemy “I have read books by army officers who fought in wars past! but never one so true and thorough from a frontline intelligence officer! especially one involved in such an important episode in American history. This is really a grand achievement.” –Steve Coll! author of Ghost Wars Informationen zum Autor GARY C. SCHROEN has served in the CIA for thirty-five years, much of his career focusing on the Middle East, including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. His honors include the Intelligence Cross, the highest award given by the CIA. He lives in Reno, Nevada, with his wife, Betsy. Klappentext While America held its breath in the days immediately following 9/11! a small but determined group of CIA agents covertly began to change history. This is the riveting first-person account of the treacherous top-secret mission inside Afghanistan to set the stage for the defeat of the Taliban and launch the war on terror. As thrilling as any novel! First In is a uniquely intimate look at a mission that began the U.S. retaliation against terrorism-and reclaimed the country of Afghanistan for its people. CHAPTER ONE In northern Virginia, the morning of 11 September 2001 was beautiful, with clear blue skies and mild temperatures that gave just a hint of fall. That morning I left my home in Alexandria, Virginia, an hour later than my past routine had called for, having entered into the CIA’s ninety-day Retirement Transition Program just eleven days earlier. I had spent the time since then cleaning up loose ends at the office, preparing a resume covering my thirty-five-year career in the most exciting, challenging, and—not infrequently—dangerous job within the CIA. Retirement was going to be a dramatic shift for me, and, quite frankly, it was a stretch to say that I was looking forward to it. The Retirement Transition Program is designed to help ease employees into retirement and alleviate, as much as possible, the inevitable career-change angst. The three-month period I would spend in the transition program with others facing their own retirement—many with excited anticipation, I’m sure—would help us in our respective searches for “life after the CIA.” Although I was interested in exploring employment opportunities in the private sector, I had no idea exactly what I wanted to do. I was hopeful that the transition program would provide the time and the insights to allow me to develop a clear plan for the next several years. I was anxious to reach the office, because I had received bad news late the previous day that Ahmad Shah Masood, the charismatic Tajik leader of the Afghan Northern Alliance, with whom I had a long professional relationship, had been killed in a suicide bomb attack at his headquarters in the Panjshir Valley. Worse for me was the news that Masood’s senior political adviser, Masood Khalili, had been seriously injured in the blast and might not survive. Khalili and I were professional colleagues and close personal friends. I felt saddened and helpless at the news of his condit...

Product details

• Authors: Gary Schroen, Gary C. Schroen
• Publisher: Presidio Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 02.05.2006
• EAN: 9780891418757
• ISBN: 978-0-89141-875-7
• No. of pages: 416
• Dimensions: 138 mm x 210 mm x 22 mm
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature; Non-fiction book