The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan

BLUE RIDER PRESS
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Copyright © 2012 by Michael Hastings

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

Published simultaneously in Canada

EISBN: 9781101575482

Printed in the United States of America

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Book design by Michelle McMillian

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Penguin is committed to publishing works of quality and integrity.
In that spirit, we are proud to offer this book to our readers;
however, the story, the experiences, and the words are the author’s alone.

I was silenced, said no more to him, and we soon left. I was sadly disappointed, and remember that I broke out on John, damning the politicians generally, saying, “You have got things in a hell of a fix, and you may get them out as you best can.”

—
F
ROM
M
EMOIRS OF
G
ENERAL
W. T. S
HERMAN
, on Sherman’s
first meeting with President Abraham Lincoln

…a certain irresponsibility grew.

—
H
ISTORIAN
H.D.F. K
ITTO
, on the decline of leadership
in Athens during its twenty-seven-year war with Sparta

The sons-of-bitches with all the fruit salad just sat there nodding, saying it would work.

—
P
RESIDENT
J
OHN
F. K
ENNEDY
, on the bad advice he received
from his generals, remarking on the colorful ribbons on their chests

We are mad, not only individually, but nationally. We check manslaughter and isolated murders; but what of war…

—
L
UCIUS
A
NNAEUS
S
ENECA
, R
OMAN PHILOSOPHER

PART I. THE PLAN

1.  Delta Bravo

2.  It’s Not Switzerland