Gary Schroen

Gary C. Schroen is a former Central Intelligence Agency field officer who was in charge of the initial CIA incursion into Afghanistan in September 2001 to topple the Taliban regime and destroy Al Qaeda.

Schroen worked with the Agency for over 30 years, rising from case officer to Deputy Chief, Near East Division, Directorate of Operations in 1999, a post he held through 2001. During his career, Schroen served in numerous posts, including Station Chief in Kabul, Afghanistan but working out of Pakistan in the late 1980s. From 1992-1994, Schroen worked at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, controlling Iranian operations. Schroen was the chief of station in Islamabad, Pakistan from 1996 until mid-1999. In this period, he directed CIA operations attempting to find and capture Osama bin Laden, and began renewing relationships with the Mujahideen commanders who had fought the Soviets in the Soviet-Afghan War. His experiences in Afghanistan prior to September 11th were chronicled in Steve Coll's Pulitzer Prize winning book, "Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, From the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001". As a result of his experience working with the Northern Alliance during the course of his career he developed a friendship with Northern Alliance commander General Ahmad Shah Mossoud.

Although he was planning on retiring, Schroen was recalled immediately after the September 11th attacks to lead a CIA team into Afghanistan. The seven-officer team, which included renowned covert operative Billy Waugh and ODA 555 of the Special Forces, was flown into Afghanistan on September 26, and began securing support amongst the Northern Alliance before US military forces landed. He has since written the book " [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0891418725 First In] ", which describes his recent Afghan experiences. Schroen was one of several inspirations for The Path to 9/11 character CIA Operative "Kirk", who writers claimed was a compilation based on several actual people.

ee also

* Gary Berntsen
* Cofer Black
* Operation Cyclone
* Charlie Wilson's War
* War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
* Timeline of the War in Afghanistan (2001-present)
* Timeline of Afghanistan (October 2001)
* Timeline of Afghanistan (November 2001)
* Timeline of Afghanistan (December 2001)

References

* [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/darkside/interviews/schroen.html PBS Frontline - The Dark Side: Interview with Gary C. Schroen] transcript
* Gary Schroen, "First In: An Insider's Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan, Presidio Press" (May 10, 2005) ISBN 0-89141-872-5.
* Steve Coll, "" Penguin Press HC, The (February 23, 2004) ISBN 1-59420-007-6.
* Michael Smith, "Killer Elite", St. Martin's Press, (March, 2007) ISBN-13:978-0-312-36272-0
* [http://www.usatoday.com/news/sept11/2002/01/07/usatcov-greenberets.htm Green Berets outfought, outthought the Taliban] USA Today January 6 2002
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/an-peq1.htm SOF Laser Marker (SOFLAM)]
* [http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/issues/2003/Feb/Air-Strike.htm Air Strike Coordinators Need Lighter Equipment] February 2003