Good evening. Im bradley graham, coowner of politics and prose, along with my wife. On behalf of the entire staff, welcome. A few quick administrative notes. Nobody could time to turn off your cell phones or anything that might go beep. Secondly, when we get to the q a part of the session, we would ask if you have a question that you make your way to that microphone that there because we are videotaping tonight, taking ourselves of our Youtube Channel and also cspan booktv easier. Lastly, at the end before you come up to get your book signed, please fold up the chairs that your city in and leaned them against something that looks like it wont topple over. We are very pleased to have Robert Grenier here with us this evening to talk like his new book, 88 days to kandahar. Bob spent 27 years with the cia, three of them as station chief in islamabad during what turned out to be a very critical time. Before and immediately after the 9 11 attacks. He was very much involved in the u. S. Effor
During what turned out to be a very critical time, before and immediately after the 9 11 attacks. He was very much involved in u. S. Efforts to oust the taliban from afghanistan and bring hamed karzai to power and the books title refers to the period between september 11 and december 2001 when karzai made his return to afghanistan from pakistan. Other books of course have reported extensively on the war in afghanistan including some by other former cia officials. Bob offers fresh details about the role of both the cia and the pakistanis in the pashtun areas of afghanistan in the months after 9 11 with his ringside seat as the Senior Agency official station the closest to afghanistan. He recounts meeting by meeting and sometimes even phonecall by phonecall how events unfolded. As he explains in the beginning of the book he knew early on that he wanted to write about the experience and about what happened so he kept extensive notes and was able to review many relevant documents. After hi
A few quick administrative notes, now would be a good time to turn off your cell phones or anything that might go beep. Secondly, when we get to the q a part of the session, we would ask if you have a question, that you make your way to that microphone there because we are videoing tonight, were videoing ourselves and for our Youtube Channel and also cspan booktv is here. And lastly, at the end before you come up to get your book signed, please fold up the chairs that youre sitting in and lean them against something that looks like it wont topple over. [laughter] were really very pleased to have Robert Grenier here with us this evening to talk about his new book, 88 days to kandahar. Bob spent 27 years with the cia, three of them a a station chief in islamabad during what turned out to be a very critical time before and immediately after the 9 11 attacks. He was very much involved in the u. S. Efforts to oust the taliban from afghanistan and bring hamid karzai to power. And the books t
Far of what the nation called the hamas book club. So welcome. I think john is now the interior minister triet and thank you to bill and hillary clinton. Just kidding. My book is for sale outside. I think we have lots of copies of the book. I hope you all will support what im doing here and i will be happy to sign your copies and theres going to be a lively q a session. I want to warn you that madea benjamin is here and will take care of you. [laughter] its been an interesting few weeks. In the last few months we have seen them emerge against the will of the American Public first the attack on syria. They would have met a historic defeat. And it failed again to stop this Historic Deal between the u. S. , the administration of barack obama and iran, the administration. Its been exposed for not having a grassroots base on like the most powerful lobby like the National Rifle association. All they seem to have in its fighting retreat is a whole lot of money and i want to see that they have