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First In: An Insider's Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan
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About First In: An Insider's Account Of How The CIA
Product Description 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. Review 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 From the Back Cover 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. Gary Schroen was hardly expecting to take on such a job. Like the veteran officer in countless cop movies, he was planning for retirement when disaster struck. After 9/11, at age fifty-nine, he was drafted back for his most dangerous assignment: to lead a handpicked team of operatives deep into Afghan territory and prepare the way for an American assault. Comprised of seven agents, experts in fields ranging from communications to medicine to weaponry, the group called "Jawbreaker" found itself in hostile terrain while identifying targets for U.S. bombs and coordinating U.S. forces with the Northern Alliance (NA), the organized opposition to the Taliban dictatorship. Jawbreaker struggled to maintain coherence within the NA, which had been deprived of its charismatic leader Ahmad Shah Masood when he was murdered on September 9 by an al-Qa'ida bomb concealed in a camera. The success of Schroen and his group would mean the collapse of the Taliban, the disruption of al-Qa'ida, and the end of Afghanistan as a sanctuary for terrorists. Impeding Jawbreaker's progress was the absence of a Taliban infrastructure that could be targeted, a Pakistani government eager to interfere, and a "rash and reckless" U.S. government, that did not know the most effective way to attack. As thrilling as any novel, First In is a uniquely intimate look at a mission that began theU.S. retaliation against terrorism-and reclaimed the country of Afghanistan for its people. About the Author 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. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. 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
