From 9/11 to December 7, 2001, CIA operatives and US Special Forces operated in tandem and joint effort with Afghan warlords to drive the Taliban from Kandahar. Then, Islamabad’s CIA Station Chief Robert L Grenier drafted the war plan for the US invasion of Afghanistan. The book covers Grenier’s experience during the CIA led war which drove out al Qaida from Kandahar in 88 days with great detail. First by introducing the long list of US, Pakistan, Afghan persons and his situation of having just come from a 3 year tour as chief of “The Farm.” Intelligence regarding the smoking gun from Jalalabad leads to a field appraisal to ultimately the framework which gets things set in motion. [AMAZONPRODUCTS asin="1476712077"] “…droned on with his usual precise diction, in a deep, sonorous voice. He was at his articulate but tiresomely pedantic best” serves as an example of how Grenier’s action packed story is captivating as he describes not only the illuminating conversations and gritty actions but gives the emotional picture of how people sounded and behaved. While the book is an excellent account of the actions against the Taliban, it provides an outstanding picture of the ignorant manipulations and intra-agency rivalries by Pentagon bureaucrats and the Administration. The book also covers little discussed events such as a close call with nuclear war in May 2002 between Pakistan and India; the ones that got away – the al Qaida fighters who escaped the day Kandahar fell; and, the inflated covert operational readiness claims right after 9/11 by senior British officials. This book is a must read not only for the great stories and accounts but also to gain a better grasp of the geo-political challenges faced by the United States in SouthWest and Central Asia. www.amazon.com]]>