Thread by @tobyharnden

THREAD on 20th anniversary of the Sep. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks about the experience that day of the Americans who were to fight back against Al-Qaeda. Page numbers from my book “First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11” - 1

4:45pm (GMT+5) Sep 11, 2001, @CIA officer David Tyson’s Tashkent-London flight took off. He was preoccupied by 9/9 Al-Qaeda assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud (he’d met him in Panjshir). Same moment 6,000 miles & 9 time zones away, Mohammed Atta was boarding a plane (p. 3) - 2

8 a.m. (GMT-4), Trumbo Point, Fleming Key, Florida. Capt Justin Sapp, a Green Beret with 5th SF Group, entered water to swim to shore during his SF diver qualifying course. He was beneath the waves as 9/11 attacks unfolded. Later, he was assigned to @CIA Team Alpha (p. 24) - 3

8:44 a.m. (GMT -4), September 11, 2001. @CIA officer Shannon Spann was in Giant Food supermarket, Manassas, Virginia, with baby son Jake. A former lawyer, she was on family leave. In New York, American Airlines Flight 11 was about to hit North tower of World Trade Center. (p. 28)

At the Giant checkout, the clerks were chatting about an accident in New
York. They’d heard that an aircraft had flown into the World Trade
Center. “Gosh, that’s terrible,” @CIA officer Shannon Spann thought. “It must have been an accident.” (p. 37) - 5

At 9:16 a.m., Barbara Olson, a conservative commentator & wife
of Theodore Olson, US solicitor general, called him fm American Airlines Flight 77 - it had been hijacked. She’d delayed LA flight because 9/11 was his birthday. I knew Barbara & she has been kind to me (p. 37) - 6

Within its Counterterrorism Center, there was a fear that the @CIA would be next. Analysts remembered that Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, had been part of a plot to fly an explosives-laden plane into @ CIA headquarters. (p. 38) - 7

At 10 a.m. on 9/11, the word EVACUATE flashed in red on every computer screen in the building. Paramilitary officer Mike Spann, already enraged by the mass murder he’d just witnessed on TV, was now
fuming that he was being ordered to desert his post. (First Casualty p. 38) - 8

“Why are we leaving when we can stay and do something?” Mike Spann asked colleagues at @CIA as they were evacuated. One with him was Andy, now a v.senior @CIA officer. Mike & Andy joined @CIA Team Alpha - they were among the many Americans who did something about 9/11 (p. 38) - 9

“This is so stupid,” Mike Spann vented to Shannon on phone after evac order. “We’re the CIA. We’re not supposed to go home.” Only @CIA deemed “essential” that day were to remain on duty. Mike did not view himself as surplus to requirements. SPOILER - he wasn’t (p. 38) - 10

.@CIA’s Special Activities Division’s motto was TERTIA OPTIO, or “Third Option,” a reference to covert action as a third option after diplomacy & military force. The first thing Mike Spann said to Shannon when he walked through door at home on 9/11 was “It’s war.” (p. 38) - 11

At SF dive school in Key West, Captain Justin Sapp watched the picture on the screen flicker, then came video footage of second plane slamming into World Trade Center. “Gentlemen, the nation is under attack,” the sergeant told the students. “We await our orders." (p. 40) - 12

Capt. Justin Sapp’s mind raced. In next few minutes, he learned Pentagon had also been hit and 4th plane had come down in Pennsylvania. Whatever happened, he vowed, he was going to be in this fight agst. Al-Qaeda SPOILER: he soon would be in the fight (p. 40) - 13 in thread

8:05 p.m. (GMT +1), Sept. 11, 2001; Heathrow Terminal 2. Case officer David Tyson arrives London for meeting at @CIA station re. recovering Stinger missiles supplied to Afghan mujahideen by @CIA in 1980s. There’d been no announcements about horrific events of 9/11 (p. 41-2) - 14

In @CIA on 9/11, man of the hour was Cofer Black (on right, David Tyson left), director of CTC & Shannon Spann’s ultimate boss. Standing 6’3”, w slicked-back, receding hairline & bulky, looming presence, the 51-y-o reminded some colleagues of actor Jack Nicholson. (p. 43) - 15

.@CIA's Cofer Black was legendary case officer fm Africa Division who had reveled in working streets of world’s hellholes. Pinnacle of career had been as Khartoum station chief in Sudan, where'd he worked agst. Al-Qaeda - & Carlos the Jackal (p. 43) - 16

On 9/11 Cofer Black knew only @CIA CTC could lead fight against Al-Qaeda. As he walked into room, throng parted & he took his place in sole empty chair, directly across conference table fm Director George Tenet. “Guess what?” Black told himself. “It’s showtime.” (p. 45-6) - 17

J.R. Seeger was @CIA case officer based in San Francisco on 9/11 liaising w @FBI on CT. Dari speaker, had worked with Afghan mujahideen in 80s out of Islamabad station. When planes hit, he knew he’d soon be in Afghanistan - he had to get back to @CIA HQ immediately (p. 59) - 18

Scott Spellmeyer was @CIA paramilitary. On 9/11 he was 000’s miles away in foreign courtroom w his wife, a teacher, finalizing adoption of their son. Fmr. Ranger, Purple Heart as LT in Somalia 1993. He knew he had to get back to U.S. & into the fight agst. Al-Qaeda (p. 61) - 19

Alex Hernandez was a senior @CIA paramilitary, inside HQ on 9/11. Fmr Sgt. Maj. aged 49, w storied career in SF. He just missed Vietnam - knew he’d not miss coming war agst. Al-Qaeda. Was about to depart for Latin America. On 9/11 was told: “Forget Latin America.” (p. 60) - 20

Andy (last name withheld) was fmr. enlisted SF weapons specialist. In @CIA HQ on 9/11. Nicknamed “Cousin Andy” bec. of roots in rural West Virginia & to differentiate him fm. senior paramilitary officer “Uncle Andy,” he’d graduated from The Farm just a month earlier (p. 62) - 21

Mark Rausenberger was a Physician’s Assistant, & was to be Team Alpha medic. Dour manner & deep, monotone voice had earned him nickname Dark Mark. He was man of straightforward tastes & blunt manner but also an artist & published author. Ex-army, Somalia vet. (p. 61-2) - 22

Hank Crumpton had taken over as @CIA station chief in Canberra just before 9/11. Africa Division hand, used to working in fluid & morally ambiguous environments that demanded unorthodox approaches. Cofer Black chose him to head CTC/SO & run @CIA war in Afghanistan (p. 57) - 23

Dave Phillips, 55, had been an SF medic wounded in Vietnam. Was part of @CIA team working on Predator program in Uzbekistan & flying home on 9/11 via Frankfurt - diverted to Gander in Canada. @CIA contractor, obsessed w Bin Laden. He'd be on Jawbreaker team. (p. 53) - 24

On 9/11, Vietnam vet Dave Phillips & @CIA colleagues had been separated from luggage, in which was key to weapons locker containing Hellfire missiles for Predator in Uzbekistan. Stranded in Gander for days, Phillips eventually got out; he had another war to fight. (p. 54) - 25

On evening of 9/11, most Americans focused on atrocities on their country’s East Coast. In London, mind of @CIA case officer David Tyson - who’d been on missions to Panjshir - glided to Afghanistan. At last, he reasoned, CIA wld. be able to go after bin Laden (p. 41) - 26

The two years of mounting frustration, pleading for resources, issuing warnings, begging for permission to help Massoud, pushing to meet with Dostum— all that was over. CIA’s David Tyson grasped that the 9/11 attacks were a strategic gift to the Northern Alliance. (p. 41) - 27

Without Al-Qaeda’s assault on America, & with Ahmad Shah Massoud dead, Taliban wld’ve recaptured Panjshir Valley & all Afghanistan would’ve fallen, @CIA’s David Tyson concluded. Now, strategic landscape transformed. Pic Massoud, Rich Blee, Tyson in Panjshir Oct. 1999 (p. 41) - 28

On 9/11, David Tyson had no doubt that American teams would be sent into the north of Afghanistan. He was @CIA’s only Uzbek linguist, & one of handful of officers with current Afghanistan experience. He knew he would be going in. (p. 41) - 29 #TeamAlpha

Navy SEAL Steph Bass was in London on 9/11. Serving with British SBS on exchange. Witnessed outpouring of support for US, highlighted by Coldstream Guards playing “Star-Spangled Banner”outside Buckingham Palace. Personified “special relationship” btw. US & UK. (p. 210) - 30

9/11 was day of tragedy. I was in Washington DC that day. Lost a friend, more to follow. Was also a day that stirred Americans to action. Like passengers of Flight 93, 8 members of @CIA Team Alpha stepped forward. First Casualty is their story (p. 1 - p.412) - 31 THREAD END