Foxtrot in Kandahar: A Memoir of a CIA Officer in Afghanistan at the Inception of America’s Longest War - Hardcover

Evans, Duane

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1611213576 ISBN 13: 9781611213577

Publisher: Savas Beatie, 2017

Synopsis

FINALIST FOR BEST NONFICTION WAR/MILITARY (Foreword INDIES)

Kandahar. The ancient desert crossroads and, as of fall of 2001, ground zero for the Taliban and al-Qa’ida in southern Afghanistan. In the northern part of the country, the U.S.-supported Northern Alliance (the Afghan organization opposed to the Taliban regime) has made progress on the battlefield, but in the south, the country is still under the Taliban’s bloody hold and al-Qa’ida continues to operate there. With no “Southern Alliance” for the US to support, a new strategy is needed if victory is to be achieved. Veteran CIA officer Duane Evans is dispatched to Pakistan to “get something going in the South.” Foxtrot in Kandahar is his story.

Evans’s unexpected journey from the pristine halls of Langley to the badlands of southern Afghanistan began within hours after watching the horrors of 9/11 unfold during a chance visit to FBI Headquarters. It was then he decided to begin a personal and relentless quest to become part of the US response against al-Qa’ida. Evans’s gripping memoir tracks his efforts to join one of CIA’s elite teams bound for Afghanistan, a journey that eventually takes him to the front lines in Pakistan, first as part of the advanced element of CIA’s Echo team supporting Hamid Karzai, and finally as leader of the under-resourced and often overlooked Foxtrot team.

Relying on rusty military skills from his days as a Green Beret, and brandishing a traded-for rifle, Evans moves toward Kandahar in the company of Pashtun warriors—one of only a handful of Americans pushing forward across the desert into some of the most dangerous, yet mesmerizingly beautiful, landscape on earth. The ultimate triumph of the CIA and Special Forces teams, when absolutely everything was on the line, is tempered by the US tragedy that catalyzed what is now America’s longest war. Evans concludes his memoir with an analysis of opportunities lost in the years since his time in Afghanistan.

Brilliantly crafted and fast-paced, Foxtrot in Kandahar: A Memoir of a CIA Officer in Afghanistan at the Inception of America’s Longest War fills a major gap in the literature of the war’s critical and complex early months. It is required reading for anyone interested in modern warfare, complicated tribal politics, and the ancient land where they intersect.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"Duane Evans had a ring side seat from the very start of the CIA's response to 9/11 as he volunteered and led the fight into Afghanistan. This American hero dramatically reports the huge challenges and exceptional success of his and his brothers' work in Afghanistan defeating the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in nine weeks."
-- Ambassador Cofer Black, Former Director, Counterterrorist Center, CIA

"Duane Evans was one of a handful of patriots who went to war in Afghanistan in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. He overcame multiple obstacles to build a combined force of CIA, DOD, and Afghan tribal fighters that helped defeat the Taliban in their stronghold. His important book contributes greatly to the history of the campaign in southern Afghanistan and to our understanding of unconventional warfare in the 21st century. Mr. Evans deserves our thanks for his valiant service fighting terrorists and for writing this valuable book."
-- Frank Archibald, Former Deputy Director for Operations, CIA

"Foxtrot in Kandahar", by my respected friend and colleague Duane Evans, is a great read that adds an important chapter to CIA's role in liberating Afghanistan from the Taliban following the attacks on 11 September 2001. Evans' leadership and entry into Afghanistan's most dangerous sector, the Taliban's capital in Kandahar, is modern para-military adventure at its best. Persevering against the CIA's bureaucracy, Afghan tribal mistrust, and a lethal enemy, Evans, the men of Team Foxtrot, Team Echo, and Special Forces ODA's that fought alongside them served heroically."
-- Gary Berntsen, Former Senior CIA officer and Author of "Jawbreaker: The Attack on Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda: A Personal Account by the CIA's Key Field Commander"

"Foxtrot in Kandahar" provides an optic into the challenges faced by a CIA team leader operating in a dynamic combat environment. An absolutely top-notch informational on CIA ops, it is recommended for its insight into the first launch of US resources into this new and very dangerous theater, and some of its heretofore unknown accomplishments. If you like non-fiction action, you won't be disappointed."
-- James Parker, Senior CIA Officer (Ret.), and Author of Last Man Out and Operation: Code Name Mule

About the Author:

Duane Evans is a former CIA officer with field tours on four continents to include serving as Chief of Station, CIA’s most senior field position. He is the recipient of the Intelligence Star for valor and the Career Intelligence Medal. Prior to joining the Agency he was a U.S. Army Special Forces and Military Intelligence officer. A graduate of New Mexico State University, he is also the author of the acclaimed espionage novel North from Calcutta.

About this edition

• Publisher: Savas Beatie
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1611213576
• ISBN 13: 9781611213577
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 200