First in: An Insider's Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan

Mr. Schroen is the first author coming out of the CIA that I've ever read that has a shred of humility. It was refreshing to read his perspective and look into his amazing paradigm without all the macho horse-crap. This was a very interesting topic to me, and I really enjoyed this author's telling of it. I am into the details and there were a lot of them in this book. It's not a thriller-spy story, but it is a great read in my opinion.

I could not put the book down after beginning to read it. It is very well written and authentic. Its authenticity is verified by my many Afghan friends here in Saudi Arabia, not that I questioned its authenticity. The descriptions of the many challenges of interpersonal relationships mingled with politics and battle scenes make it a very excitable read. The part dealing with the BLU-82s (not referred by the author, but known in the media as the "Daisy Cutter") 15,000 lb bomb on pages 335-336 gives the reader the enormous power of the weapon and the many aerial assaults by the U.S. Air Force and Navy that broke the back of the Taliban and won the conflict. Of course the Northern Alliance and other tribal factions were fighting the land battle, but that effort would not have been successful with the air raids. The "Daisy Cutter", introduced in Vietnam, received publicity during the Afghan conflict, but the author's story is the first that I know of describing its actual use in Afghanistan. I felt it was one of the highlights of the book. The author complained about diarrhea and his partner suffering from flatulence on pages 108-109, and throughout the book. I am surprised that the government doctors did not give a medication called Lomotil, which is used for this condition. The doctors in the U.S. gave us this medication when I was working in the jungles of Brazil where diarrhea was quite common. The medication worked wonders for everyone. The description of Doc using chlorine for athletes foot cure on page 84 is a new one on me. The toilets the author described are very common throughout the Middle East and Asia. While the book was entertaining to read, it contains some very serious issues that need to be addressed. The author concludes in the Afterword that the war is not over and that Iraq is a distraction from Afghanistan and Pakistan to finish the job against terrorist groups namely bin Laden and Al-Qa'ida. His warnings need to be heeded in Washington and London. The author concludes on page 363 that the Iraq war is a problem for which no clear solution exists. He states that U.S. military Special Forces units were with drawn from Afghanistan and sent to Iraq, resulting in less experienced U.S. forces that concentrate on destructive searches of Afghan homes and frightening women and children. Such actions will alienate the Afghan population in these critical regions. This book does the CIA justice, an agency battered by many, especially some politicians who led to its demise by lack of funding. In fairness, the CIA was at fault to some extent for its problems. The author indicates a very clear perspective that surprisingly reflects the views of the Arab world. The author refutes the argument that the war in Iraq was to fight terrorism, because of the negative consequences that followed in the war on terror. It is a general consensus in the Middle East, which the war in Iraq was waged largely for gaining assets to Iraqi oil. Iraq is second b

Schroen was just packing up his office at the CIA as he was being put out to pasture at the end of a brilliant career when 9/11 struck. What follows is a first hand account of the incredibly successful effort to topple the Taliban. What makes this book special is that in addition to Schroen's intelligence background, like so many at the CIA he was recruited from amongst the best and the brightest of America's liberal arts graduates, especially those with a love and appreciation of history. Schroen uses this to good advantage in the book to provide the reader with a broad sense of what is happen in Afghanistan. His years of experience in the area and close ties to many of the opposition leaders made him a natural to undertake the mission and uniquely qualified to write this story. He documents the political warfare going on in Washington over what groups to support and the diplomat's hesitancy to allow the Northern Alliance to become the primary fighting force. When the efforts to get the other ethnic groups to move fail only then does the resources ( primarily air power) shift to the north. Schroen gracefully makes the transition from discussing the broad geopolitical issues to a heart stopping description of what was the first massed cavalry charge of the 21's century, with American's riding horseback in the attack as advisors/air attack coordinators. In a broader sense it is the story of a devoted husband and career CIA officer being sent on one last mission. Extremely dangerous ( the head of the Northern Alliance and a close friend had been killed by one of Bin Laden's suicide bombers days before the 9-11 attack), incredibly bold and quickly organized program to overthrow the Taliban with a small, motley group of CIA and special forces personnel. Thanks in part to Schroen's efforts and leadership the task was completed with just a few dozen highly trained people. Schroen also illustrates how important it is to understand the culture and the history of the area. All of this is packaged in a very readable, well edited story of incredible courage and achievement.

Gary Schroen's "First In" is the missing piece of the puzzle about the early US intervention in Afghanistan after 911. The detailed account of the CIA's first team in pulls back the curtain on the enlistment of the support of the Northern Alliance and the subsequent military action to defeat the Taliban and push Al Qaeda into Pakistan. Inside info such as the $13,000,000 in cash brought into the country to buy favor, and the order by his superiors to "bring Bin Laden's head back in a box on dry ice" is dispensed by Schroen with little censorship by the CIA. Balanced with historical perspective, Gary Schroen's account of the CIA spearheaded War on Terror in Afghanistan is the most recent addition to an uncrowded field of first hand published stories of what really went on and still goes on in Afghanistan. Another must read is The Gem Hunter, True Adventures of an American in Afghanistan by Gary Bowersox. This boots-on-the-ground, first hand account of Bowersox's 30+ years of travel to Afghanistan to buy rubies, sapphires, emeralds and lapis puts into perspective the unfolding story of the struggles, hopes & dreams of the Afghan people. Bowersox, who was friends with Massoud the head of the Northern Alliance who was killed at the hand of Bin Laden directed assassins two days before 911, tells about the involvement of the Russians, the Taliban, Al Qaeda and the Pakistani government's role in the affairs of the country. Although perhaps self serving, Bowersox says the best way to help everyday Afghan people is to buy gems from their country, one of their only legal exports with opium being number one illegal export. If you want to know more about this part of the world than 99.99% of all Americans, news pundits and politicians then read both of these books and you will. Better yet, give these books to US soldiers going to Afghanistan and you may save a life from the insight they provide.