CHRONOLOGY FOR FIRST CASUALTY: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE CIA MISSION TO AVENGE 9/11.
December 24, 1979 — Beginning of Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
1988 — Al Qaeda founded in Peshawar, Pakistan
February 15, 1989 — Last Soviet forces withdraw from Afghanistan via Friendship Bridge.
March 1992 — Afghan communist government of Najibullah falls
April 1992 — Dostum turns against Najibullah and prevents him from fleeing Afghanistan
December 29, 1992 — Al-Qaeda attack on US forces in Yemen
February 26, 1993 — World Trade Center bombing
October 1993 — Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia
January 1994 — Dostum joins with Hekmatyar to attack Kabul
September 1994 — Taliban takes control of Kandahar
May 1996 — Osama bin Laden arrives in Afghanistan from Sudan
September 1996 — Taliban takes control of Kabul. Najibullah executed
October 1996 — Northern Alliance formed by Ahmad Shah Massoud, Dostum and Karim Khalili
February 1998 — Bin Laden declares war on the West
May 1997 — Dostum betrayed by Malik. Taliban captures Mazar-i-Sharif. Dostum flees to Uzbekistan and then Turkey
September 1997 — Dostum returns to Mazar-i-Sharif and expels Taliban
August 7 1998 — Al-Qaeda bombs US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania
August 8 1998 — Mazar-i-Sharif falls to the Taliban. Dostum retreats to Samangan province.
September 1998 — Dostum flees to Iran and then Turkey
August 20 1998 — President Bill Clinton orders attacks against Al Qaeda targets in Afghanistan and Sudan
June 1999 — Cofer Black becomes director of the CIA’s Counter Terrorism Center
December 31, 1999 — Failed Millennium plot to attack Los Angeles Airport by Al-Qaeda
January 3, 2000 — Attempted Al-Qaeda attack on USS The Sullivans in Yemen
October 12, 2000 — USS Cole attacked by Al-Qaeda in Yemen
December 2000 — CIA draws up Blue Sky Memo proposing action against Al-Qaeda inside Afghanistan
2001
April — Dostum flies to Tajikistan at invitation of Massoud and back into Afghanistan.
September 8 — Dostum narrowly escapes Taliban MiG attack in Darya Suf.
September 9 — Ahmad Shah Massood, Tajik leader of Northern Alliance, assassinated
September 11 — Al Qaeda carries out terrorist attacks in New York and Washington DC. A fourth hijacked plane crashes in Pennsylvania.
September 13 — White House Situation Room meeting in which Cofer Black outlines CIA plan to President Bush
September 14 — Both houses of the U.S. Congress vote to authorize war
September 15 — Camp David meeting in which Tenet briefs Bush on CIA plan and Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz raise issue of military action against Iraq. CIA chief of Islamabad station Grenier meets with Taliban leader Osmani in Quetta
September 19 — Osama bin Laden holds meeting with more than 100 Arab fighters near Jalalabad and takes full credit for 9/11 attacks
September 20 — President George W. Bush addresses joint session of Congress
September 26 — Jawbreaker team, led by Gary Schroen, inserted into Panjshir Valley
October 5 — Team Alpha leaves Virginia.
October 6 — US troops arrive in Uzbekistan and establish K2 base
October 7 — US air strikes on Afghanistan launched
October 8 — Hamid Karzai arrives in Kandahar province on a motorcycle
October 16 — Team Alpha departs K2 in two Black Hawks: J.R. Seeger (chief); Alex Hernandez (deputy); Scott Spellmeyer; David Tyson; Mike Spann; Andy; Mark Rausengerger; Captain Justin Sapp
October 17 (day one for Team Alpha) — Team Alpha lands in Darya Suf valley to join with Dostum’s forces
October 19 — US Army Rangers and Delta Force raid airfield in Southern Afghanistan and Taliban compound in Kandahar
October 20 (day four for Team Alpha) — Twelve men of ODA 595, led by Captain Mark Nutsch, lands at LZ Albatross at Dehi in Darya Suf Valley
October 20 — ODA 555 inserted into Panjshir Valley
October 21 (day five for Team Alpha) — Darya Suf Valley campaign begins
October 23 — Beshcam falls to Dostum’s forces
October 25 — Pashtun resistance leader Abdul Haq captured and executed by Taliban
October 25 — ODA 585 inserted near Dasht-e-Qaleh to link up with Gen. Bariullah Khan
October 27 (day 11 for Team Alpha) — Mike Spann, Mark Rausenberger, and Justin Sapp depart for Yakawlang in Bamiyan province to link up with Hazara leader Karim Khalili
October 29 (day 13 for Team Alpha) — Scott Spellmeyer, David Tyson, and Andy depart for Sarob to link up with Tajik leader Atta Mohammed Noor
October 30 (day 14 for Team Alpha) — Chapchal falls to Dostum’s forces. CIA’s Team Delta lands at Yakawlan.
October 31 (day 15 for Team Alpha) — ODA 553 lands at Yakawlang. Gen. Tommy Franks, Hank Crumpton and others meet Gen. Fahim Khan
November 1 (day 16 for Team Alpha) — Mike, Justin, and Mark leave Yakawlang to link up with Team Alpha and Dostum’s forces south of Mazar-i Sharif
November 2 (day 17 for Team Alpha) — Eight men of ODC 53, led by Lieutenant Colonel Max Bowers, lands at LZ Burro, near Chapchal. ODA 534 and three men of CIA’s Team Bravo—Bob, Greg, and Glenn — arrive at Sarob to join Atta’s forces. Scott Spellmeyer takes command of Team Bravo
November 2 — ODA 553 and CIA’s Team Delta inserted in Bamiyan to link up with Karim Kahlili
November 5 (day 20 for Team Alpha) — Aq Kopruk falls to Atta’s forces and Baluch falls to Dostum’s forces
November 6 (day 21 for Team Alpha) — Keshendeh falls to Dostum’s forces
November 7 (day 22 for Team Alpha) — Dostum and Atta meet at Pol-e Baraq
November 8 (day 23 for Team Alpha) — Shulgarah falls to Dostum’s forces
November 9 (day 24 for Team Alpha) — Battle of Tangi Gap. Dostum’s forces defeats Taliban. Mazar-i Sharif falls to Northern Alliance. ODA 586 inserted into Farkhar to join Gen. Daoud Khan. ODA 594 inserted into Panjshir Valley to reinforce ODA 555
November 10 (day 25 for Team Alpha) — Atta and Dostum enter Mazar-i Sharif.
November 11 — ODA 554 inserted near Herat to link up with Gen. Ismail Khan
November 12 (day 27 for Team Alpha)— Fall of Kabul and Herat
November 14 — CIA Team Echo, ODA 574 and the Delta Force inserted into Tarin Kowt, north of Kandahar, to link up with Hamid Karzai
November 14 — Fall of Jalalabad
November 15 — Al-Qaeda commander Mohammed Atef killed near Kabul in US air strike
November 18 – Battle of Tarin Kowt
November 19 (day 34 for Team Alpha) — Green Berets and Team Alpha move from Qala-i Jangi to Turkish School
November 23 — SBS arrive in Mazar-i Sharif
November 24 — Al-Qaeda surrender outside Mazar-i-Sharif
November 25 (day 40 for Team Alpha) — Uprising at Qala-i-Janghi. Mike Spann killed. Bonn talks on future of Afghanistan begin. U.S. Marines establish Camp Rhino in desert 90 miles south-west of Kandahar
November 26 (day 41 for Team Alpha) — Fall of Kunduz. Errant JDAM at Qala-i Jangi. AC-130s strike Qala-i Jangi
November 27 — ODC 52 inserted into Tarin Kowt.
November 28 (day 43 for Team Alpha) — Mike Spann’s body recovered in southern compound of Qala-i Janghi. ODA 583 inserted into Shin Naray Valley to link up with Gul Agha Sherzai
December 1 (day 46 for Team Alpha) — Final 86 prisoners emerge from Pink House cellar in Qala-i-Janghi.
December 2 (day 47 for Team Alpha) — Body of Mike Spann returns to Andrews AFB. John Walker Lindh transferred to Turkish school
December 5 — Master Sergeant Jeff Davies, Sergeant First Class Daniel Petithory and Staff Sergeant Cody Prosser of ODA 574 killed by friendly fire JDAM at Tarin Kowt. Hamid Karzai named in Bonn as interim president of Afghanistan
December 6 — ODA 572 inserted into Tora Bora
December 7 — Fall of Kandahar. John Walker Lindh transferred to Camp Rhino
December 10 (day 55 for Team Alpha) — Funeral of Mike Spann at Arlington National Cemetery
December 12 — Osama bin Laden escapes from Tora Bora and enters Pakistan.
December 20 — Fazl and Noori taken into U.S. custody and transported to Guantanamo Bay
2002
January 4 — Sergeant First Class Nathan Chapman of CIA’s Team Hotel killed at Khost
January 11 — Piece of steel from World Trade Center buried at Sultan Razia school
January 29 — Shannon Spann is White House guest for State of the Union address by President George W. Bush