I spent a few weeks amongst the finest snipers in the world - Canadians. World record holders and overall some of the finest professional soldiers I have met. They contributed greatly especially in Operation Enduring Freedom during GWOT. Working with some of them on a book. Hope to have it out 2021.
Canadians are the best snipers in the world - bar none.
Dumb, dumb, knuckleheads
Marching down the avenue
If you want to know about the relationships between Rangers and SEALs, notably SEAL Team 6, and the supposed Obama conspiracy to get every fucking SEAL killed in the known universe and beyond, read Chapter 13 in our book Run to the Sound of the Guns, which details 13 combat deployments of Ranger NCO Nicholas Moore. He took part in rescuing Marcus Luttrell (also in the book) and he was the most senior Ranger NCO on the ground when Extortion 1-7 got shot down with all those SEALs who now are forever tainted by stupid QAnon morons.
We cover the tragedy in great detail in our book and even refused to make some changes to remove some of the gore. It was a shitty day for all involved (and their families and friends). And no, the SEALs were not in the area to help the Rangers – another misconception living on.
Below is a PREVIEW of the opening pages to Chapter 13 in Run to the Sound of the Guns, which details 13 combat deployments of Ranger NCO Nicholas Moore. You should definitely buy the book if you want a proper historical perspective of the mission and of how combat changed for the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan and Iraq over more than a decade. https://www.mirbahmanyar.com/run-sound-guns and you can buy the book here so you don’t have to use Amazon - https://bookshop.org/books/run-to-the-sound-of-the-guns-the-true-story-of-an-american-ranger-at-war-in-afghanistan-and-iraq/9781472827098
But especially, you should buy and read this book to put those stupid conspiracy thugs and their theories to bed.
This is the true story of that mission and here are the first few pages of the TRUTH…
On Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland – Home of Darby’s Rangers, the First Ranger Battalion
A few years ago a friend of mine, now military lawyer, from Weapons Squad, B/Co, 2/75, and a Panama vet, put me in touch with Shirin Murphy, who is the Collections Access Officer of the museum and civic centre, notably the US Rangers Centre in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, because they sought help with refurbishing the interior of the Rangers museum. I provided a few photos for that and their collection. I was delighted that they were able to use some of them.
Eventually, I donated the onionskins of James Altieri’s book on his experiences as a Darby Ranger from its foundation in 1942 to its destruction and subsequent disbandment in 1944 called The Spearheaders. You should also know that a number of surviving Rangers joined the American-Canadian First Special Service Force known as the Black Devils by the Germans – “Schwarzer Teufel.” In case you don’t know about the first American Rangers/commandos of World War II take a quick look at their history. It has been my experience that a lot of old-timers’ estates donated to the Ranger Regiment or museums ended up in the hands of unscrupulous Rangers. I knew Altieri’s onionskins would be in safe hands.
I was invited, along with other far more notable individuals – a lot of PhDs, to a presentation about Americans in Northern Ireland during WW2, and I was asked to do one on Darby’s Rangers. It was rather lengthy – probably two to three times the length of other presenters, because Darby Rangers along with the 18th century Rogers’ Rangers are my favorite . So I put together a PowerPoint presentation, feeling very much like a staff officer doing so, and used various images I either had or scoured on the internet – some are from Phil Stern’s collection (more on him later, especially on the preservation of the photos he took of Darby and his Rangers), Gary Zaboly (a great Rogers’ Rangers historian and artist), and others. I also included some old timers’ thoughts and notebook entries that were pertinent to the story – I was particularly fond of Darby Ranger Gino Mercuriali – a really great man – I’d say I had a man-crush on him - he occupies the last image at the end of this post.
I had to go through the presentation at great speed to meet the time restrictions. I don’t think I succeeded – hahaha. It was not just an honor but also the beginning of a great friendship with Shirin Murphy. We also met the US Consul General Daniel Lawton and the Mayor Cllr Paul Reid. I have included a couple of pictures but not naming names really.
Shirin in front of bearded fellow. To her left US Consul General Daniel Lawton. To the right of the bearded man is David Strachan-Morris (PhD) - USMC expert. Far left Jim O’Neill PhD, far right Ranger Hall Of Fame Larry Moores. Belfast, Northern Ireland.
It was a great event. We also received personalized tours of Carrickfergus, the castle, and of the town, and they arranged for excellent tours in the area visiting various WW2 sites. Really some great stuff – I should also mention that next to the US Ranger Centre is the cottage of Andrew Jackson – or one very similar to it from what I remember. We concluded with a WW2-themed party at the conclusion of the week. It was a remarkable event. I am humbled and honored.
Rangers and Americans should be proud of what Carrickfergus has done to preserve our history. Below you will find some photographs , followed by my presentation. Lots of scrolling - sorry about that.
OK, these are not “book reviews” as you traditionally think of them – but more my recommendations on the books I’ve read recently – with some spartan comments on each book at the end. Not too long ago, I was in a period of reading science fiction in addition to my usual fare of Polybius, Xenophon, Paul van Riper, Robert Scales, Lawrence Freedman and so on. You can see my previous reviews here: https://www.mirbahmanyar.com/blog/2020/8/30/on-book-reviews-scalzi-etheridge-bauers-banks-baldacci-kristian-singer-amp-cole-and-wright
Not science fiction – but I read a David Baldacci novel during this time and decided to read more of his commercial fiction. And boy did I. I purchased (not from Amazon) some of his books from my local bookseller and also used the Toronto Public Library’s eBook service for a few older titles.
Over the last couple of years, I have focused my reading on researching future war as part of my MA in war studies from King’s College London. The research also led me to several talks by Yuval Noah Harari (a medieval historian, of all things) about the convergence of bio-engineering with AI. I found out he is a vegan, gay, and an Israeli. Why, you ask, is this important? It is not -but it does tell me that he must have experienced all sorts of discrimination. I used to own newsstands in the Bay Area (now better known as Silicon Valley, where I went to high school and college) and one of my stores was located on Castro Street, San Francisco – the heart of the gay community. I cannot - and will not - forget the impact HIV/AIDS had on the community. Back then many houses flew black flags indicating a death in their household. Later, I had two business partners who were gay. I too am vegan. And although I am critical of Israel, especially with its shift to the extreme right (hello America under Trump), I have a lot of Jewish friends, some who are Zionists, one who even spent time with a gun in a kibbutz! Anyway – all of this to say - what’s not to like about Yuval? I bought Homo Deus. And no, god did not will me to do so…
I also am reading Singer/Cole’s hot-off-the-press, Burn-In, and should say my comments below are my early impression of it. Haven’t finished it yet, but…
Another book that is a must-read is retired Air Force general Robert Latiff’s, Future War.
OK, now to the reviews…
David Baldacci
A Minute to Midnight (Atlee Pine)
Split Second (Maxwell and King)
Hour Game (Maxwell and King)
The Innocent (Will Robie)
The Hit (Will Robie)
The Target (Will Robie)
I read these over the last month or so. It is clear why Baldacci is one of the most successful commercial writers of our time. His writing style is sparse, his chapters short, with a fast moving plot. I don’t always love the big picture plots, but they all are enjoyable reads. I think reading his novels is making me a better writer – strange to write, but true. His writing style is similar to Hollywood scripts, make your points succinctly and get on with the plot (although most scripts suck, because everybody thinks they are writers - but you get the point). Not sure how many more I will read, but I probably will because there is another thing I really like about him – he has worked since he has been a kid without hand-outs from anyone. At least that’s what I have found out about him. A good-old working stiff who has earned everything unlike a number of other writers – Game of Thrones’ Benioff anyone, Goldman Sachs? I also like James Patterson because he too worked his way up. I know they don’t need what little money I can spend, but…
Yuval Noah Harari
Homo Deus
I finally got to around to his best-seller, and it demands the reader’s attention. Overall, a very thoughtful and provocative book, especially about the potential evolution or creation of a new human species. The only thing that kind of annoyed me was when he discussed a particular lab experiment about two monkeys involving bananas and grapes. I am fairly certain the translation from Hebrew to English was the reason for my annoyance because he writes that if the reader wanted to see the ‘funny’ video it was available online - grrrrr. I am particularly sensitive when it comes to animal experimentation, even during the pandemic – stop torturing animals. Anyway, the book was great. I hope he is a good person as well – I think he is…
P.W. Singer and August Cole
Burn-In
The opening was jarring and I blame Baldacci for that – hahaha. I had to re-read the first few pages to set my slow-moving brain into the future where this novel takes place. I will do a more detailed review down the road, but since the book just got released I thought I should give it a shout-out because so far, so good. I enjoyed their previous effort and Burn-In seems to be better, well different at least, and that’s good. The characters seem more fleshed out. Buy it and judge for yourself.
Also, check out my quick review of their first novel Ghost Fleet.
Robert Latiff
Future War
Arguably my favorite book on the future of war. It is a short, quick read. A must for anyone interested in the future of war and science fiction. It has valuable discussions on leadership and ethics. It is a gem of a book, written with a steady hand and superb knowledge because Latiff is a retired Air Force general with an excellent background on the subject matter. Buy this book – you will not regret it.
So buy books, if you are fortunate enough to have money to spare, and support writers everywhere, but don’t buy from Amazon if you don’t have to.
A self-portrait by the artist and a cheap knock-off by me. Here is a little neat article on the 4’6” short man who lived to be 90. https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/what-lies-beneath-the-artists-foot-36092241.html and if you are interested in his history you can find a lot of websites dedicated to his work. There are also some medical articles on the condition Menzel exhibited in his foot. Fascinating stuff. Things we do when we need a break from writing… self-analysis.
A long time ago, we used to be friends
But I haven't thought of you lately at all
If ever again, a greeting I send to you,
Short and sweet to the soul is all I intend.
Well, sadly, this ain’t about Veronica Mars. Seasons 1 and 2 were excellent, the rest not so much – no, this is about my former very good friends who have lost their way and have become irrational and hateful Trump supporters.
The Republican Party is not even a shadow of its former self. That party is long gone, it now represents the right-wing, religious extremists whose goal seemingly is to force everyone else to church, to obey and follow the status quo, for minorities to know their place, and to allow the use of tax dollars for their agendas, especially now that corporations have the same rights as people – all in the pursuit to tell everyone, especially women, what they must do. God and gun is their holy grail along with white power and the dominance of the white male, whose very existence, according to them, is on the brink of extinction akin to that of the polar bear. ‘Too many minorities in this country’ they argue, forgetting the very roots of America. Voter suppression, protection of property over the value of human life, lying and thieving, fits neatly in their dystopian view. Human life is only of value if it is white, preferably male and xenophobic based on ancient Athenian Xenophon but I am not sure he was actually xenophobic – just read his work on the Persian king Cyrus or his own campaign called March Up Country (The Ten Thousand).
I digress. The Republican Party is an extremist party – obstructionist whenever it can, criminal, anti-constitutional, un-American, made up of liars, gaslighters, and felons, and are composed of fake patriots who wrap themselves in Old Glory – a symbol they actually shit on. As usual in history it is a minority class or individual that deceives people into electing them to become their leaders. In that respect, the Republicans of today are no different than other autocratic and fascist organizations. In fact, today’s Republican Party embraces those authoritarian institutions, forgetting that our recent ancestors fought fascism and communism – our military was at one time the biggest ANTIFA organization in the world especially during World War Two.
My friends – well, not friends anymore – talked a lot of smack - let’s take a quick look at what they have been saying to me over the years. Things like “I was shocked how much I liked it (a TV show), as I expected it to be a ham-fisted SJW preaching sort of idea…. I consider myself an open-minded, tolerant, classically liberal individual and a libertarian on some issues (that is why he voted Trump in 2016, eh? Libertarianism is a non-sensical idea, and he’s also made a couple of homophobic comments which he now seems to have forgotten about).”
Another has said, at various times, “George Floyd was killed because he tried to use a fake $20 bill… what rights does a black man not have that I don’t have?.” “I hate Matt Taibi, I hate (insert any left-wingish type person or organization).” “If the teachers had guns, Sandy Hook wouldn’t have happened”. “I hate the PC and the SJWs.” “The confederates only fought for their land, the Stars and Bars and the Confederacy are about history, not slavery or treason.” “More whites get killed by cops then blacks (arguing that racist cops was a non-issue).” “Kavanaugh is a great constitutional lawyer” (because my former friend was well-read in constitutional law?)… Women lie about sexual harassment.” (I asked him it if were alright for me to grab his step-daughter’s pussy – he called me nasty)… “Name one president who doesn’t lie.” “I believe climate changes, but blaming human activity is fake news.” “There are only two sexes.” The list is long, the affront to decency and good faith discussion too massive to tolerate.
One great one was “The Republicans have never stopped Democrats from nominating a Supreme Court Justice.” Say what? Even when providing him with facts - Obama’s attempt to nominate one, it is all about fake news, disinformation and propaganda – talking points from Fox News and the extremists of the Republican Party. They are all experts at amplifying those talking points. Facts do not exist for them. Full stop. For every supported, valid fact they will bombard you with a dozen articles (all of which are actually fake news funded by people like the Koch brothers, for example, and that is why I sadly do not donate to the Quincy Institute, who take money from them).
I could go on, but why bother? I have spent many years in person, via email, on the phone and text debating these points and it always ended up with a long rant by them that was not only shocking but dishonest to its very core. Honor, integrity, reason and decency are completely absent – so why bother having discussions with those white-nationalist, fascist fundamentalists? Talking to Republicans is pointless, talking to Trump supporters is like trying to convince Osama bin Laden not to attack the United States. Pointless, in fact.. I would argue that the Republican Party needs to be renamed the White Nationalist Party. It only serves a minority of extremists and the brain-washed who are frightened by change. I don’t object to conservative viewpoints – but a new republican-type party needs to be created – perhaps it should be called the Abraham Lincoln Party – and perhaps it should embrace the progressive Americans who seek social and financial justice for all citizens and residents.
If ever again, a greeting I send to you,
Short and sweet to the soul is all I intend
I do not miss my former friends – my life is better for not having “discussions” with them. I do hope that progressives will rise and take over the Democratic Party (that is now like the old Republican Party), kick out the old guard like Pelosi, Shumer and Feinstein et al, that has helped ruin our society and world. And that this new Progressive Democratic Party will set about doing what is best for most Americans by creating a fair and just society. A bonus would be the destruction of the Republican extremists who are today, and for a few more weeks, holding power.
Much like me in regards to my former friends, Progressives have no responsibility or reason to reach across the aisle to “heal” that breach. The Republicans have created this Dystopian America and need to be held accountable. In ancient times, there would have been stoning for some leaders – death sentences – or some were ostracized (Xenophon for one), sent away. The latter is far too kind for the Republican Party. They have wrought too much damage to our people and institutions. You can ostracize your friends but you must destroy the enemy – the Republican Party. I love elephants but this elephant must become extinct. So take off your gloves, Democrats and Progressives.
A note – I once volunteered for a short time for then Republican Pete McCloskey in Palo Alto, CA, and I have made donations to the Nader and Sanders campaigns.
That morning a friend of mine, previously HHC, 75th Ranger Regiment, called me. I was living in LA, struggling along in Hollywood. He asked me if I was watching TV - I said no, but I would turn it on and I’d call him back later. Turns out our cable had been cut off, and I found my credit card with little room on it but still got it switched back on.
Well that shit sucked big time. Most people probably had never heard of Saudi extremism, and to be fair, I only had peripherally. But I did know about the attacks in NYC (1993 bombing of the World Trade Center parking garage), the embassy bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, and the attack on the USS Cole. Hundreds of people had been killed in these attacks and many more wounded. I sort of heard something about al Qaeda, but my focus was more on a Hollywood career, something that totally dominated my life. I do remember our rather ineffective retaliatory missile strikes under Clinton.
Well, that changed after 9/11 with nearly 3,000 dead. Who can forget the images of people leaping off the burning towers to escape a worse death. Real shit – horrible to watch. I saw some of it, but turned off the TV once I realized what was actually happening.
Later I spoke to a friend from 3/75 - we knew war was coming. How could it not? But when it did, both of us thought it was stupid to invade Afghanistan. We argued for bribes to the Taliban or potential regional allies to turn over Bin Laden, small strikes, and letting our men and women in special operations and the intelligence community do their jobs without interference from the top.
Well, we got nothing but failure from our civilian leadership. Who can forget all the grandstanding by politicians who a little while earlier were running and hiding and worse, were scared. The most powerful nation on earth was caught with weak leadership. Bush, Cheney, and all their neo-conservative chicken-hawks crowed for war. War, war, war… many had never served and had no clue what it meant to send people to their deaths, never mind the inevitable casualties and destruction that would be brought about.
Rarely in history do the shitbags get what they deserve. But one thing was sure, our political leadership had minimized the foreign threat and ignored the Daily Presidential Briefings which included the threat posed by al Qaeda and look what happened. But our failed foreign policies during the Cold War and beyond had created blowback. America stationing its troops in Saudi Arabia during and after the First Gulf War was just one of many grievances, some were real, many were imagined by the extremists, but they used them all to build support against us. Saudi Arabia had done its best to promote extremism, and many Saudis supported anti-American sentiment. The Saudis certainly were active in spreading their version of extremist Islam – they still are. Why didn’t we “bomb them into the stone-age?” instead of Afghanistan or Iraq. In a few years, Saudi Arabia will have nuclear weapons, courtesy of Trump and his toxic extremist Republicans. Let us remember the very first trip that Trump took outside the US during his term as president was to personally broker a $350 billion arms sale to the country of Saudi Arabia. Amazing. Money talks, morality walks and certainly today’s Republicans are extremists themselves – a more palatable version of Saudi religious extremists because they are white and wear suits.
I remember Condoleeza Rice eventually detailed the chaos and fear post the 9/11 strikes and all I could, and still can, think is, what a bunch of fucking wimps. Loud-mouthed fake patriots, draping themselves in Old Glory with corporate media playing the piper’s tune for the rest of us to follow along obediently. Flags, enamel lapel pins, including “Israel and the US United Against Terror” – you could not make this shit up, and the rest of the western world followed along. Our propaganda shifted from teaching the Taliban a lesson for hosting al Qaeda, to spreading democratic freedom, to equal rights for women – all to be brought about to a stone-aged society courtesy of American military might, but absent any national strategy. Pitiful. Weak leadership, but experts at manipulation. To be fair, the US did need to respond to 9/11, but the response put together by the political leaders at the helm was a far cry from effective. Guantanamo, hello, we are now torturers?
The illegal invasion of Iraq only made things worse. I certainly had a feeling this was going to be the case, as did a few of my friends. We thought Afghanistan would suck us dry and Iraq would bring about some real shitstorms in the Middle East. If former, low-level enlisted swine could read the runes, why couldn’t they? Clearly, they did not care. Peace protestors were mocked and ignored, including by the media which colluded with the government’s drive to war.
War! War! War! The neo-cons were going to spread democracy everywhere and bring about regime change throughout the world, removing evil dictators and replacing them with American-loving freedom fighters – seriously? Probably not – no way could those morons have been that stupid – or were they?
But this was their opportunity, decades in the making, Afghanistan first, then Iraq – because they said Saddam Hussein had personally flown an aircraft into NYC – okay I’m kidding, but yet propaganda not so different from such claims was disseminated, and many Americans still believe that Saddam was behind the 9/11 attacks – any excuse to kill him and remove Iraq as a thorn in our side and of Israel’s. But Iran would only benefit from Saddam’s demise – did they not see this?
And the media ate it up (US flag lapel pins became a staple accessory for major news network anchors) – corporations supported the war – questioning authority was akin to treason. Plans had been made to topple Libya, Iran, Syria, Russia, Germany, Finland, Switzerland and of course, evil Iceland – then the world! Remade in America’s image. Okay some of this is true, some not. We did have plans to overthrow “threats” in certain regions like Syria and Libya. Iran was too strong, and it turns out, more united than not against us.
Who can forget super-Canadian neo-con David Frum’s speech, delivered by Bush, about the “Axis of Evil”, composed of Iran, Iraq, and North Korea – straight out of an action comedy starring the better Canadian Mike Myers. Now Frum is pissed at HIS Republican Party under Trump – when he helped it get there. Never mind that Iran and Iraq were not supportive of Sunni extremism, as both countries were threatened by the spread of it, but what a speech. I used a version of it in my little crusader film called Soldier of God. Iran even sought to support us against Sunni extremists – what an opportunity to have healed the generational rift and work through diplomatic means to achieve an alliance. Tossed away like the many trillions of dollars and too many lives along with it. Glorious in its insanity and propaganda. Now we have infants drowning while carried by their desperate parents crossing the Mediterranean Sea for a better life elsewhere, since US foreign policy has set off a sequence of events that has left their homes destroyed. But that’s okay, they are brown and black people - so who cares? How dare they want a better life at our expense?
Nineteen years later, with millions killed, wounded and displaced, and far greater extremist threats emerging, we are nowhere further along than we were (37 million people have been displaced by the US’s post 9/11 wars, see the excellent study from Brown University https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/files/cow/imce/papers/2020/Displacement_Vine%20et%20al_Costs%20of%20War%202020%2009%2008.pdf) . Our neo-con Republican national strategy was an abject failure that has made the world a worse, more dangerous place. The US politicians of this 9/11 era have all slunk away to their high paying corporate think tank jobs, or universities or newspapers - where they can continue to spread their lies – just look at Bolton. Our military became the best and most war-experienced on the planet, but sadly, it too lacked great leadership, and questioning them was also treated as treasonous and defeatist. Soldier-scholars and their political allies wrote a gazillion articles on war-fighting, often with an emphasis on superiority through advanced technology, with a million new acronyms to confuse civilians and themselves even more, and of course they touted their own successes. The media - obedient to a fault - hosted talking heads and printed all the glorious arguments why and how we won the wars. Hollywood did their part, too, with films like American Sniper and Lone Survivor. And the American public ate it up, with both films becoming blockbusters. We needed heroes and what better heroes than Navy SEALs, even if some are considered pathological liars by many in the spec ops community. Rah, Rah, Rah.
We did not win. We failed. A debacle greater than Vietnam. Our casualties were relatively minimal (except for those who lost loved ones), and predator drones and biometrics became our choice of sanitized warfare – thanks Donald Rumsfeld, your network-centric warfare worked brilliantly, except for the “winning” part. Not much Clausewitz read by those neo-con decision-makers – that is obvious.
Along with achieving its greatest domestic expenditure on military spending, the US government entered contracts with private mercenary companies (didn’t our Founders say something about going to war because the King of England used mercenaries – the Hessians?). High tech collaborated wonderfully, and we got the Patriot Act (thanks for extending it, Dianne Feinstein) and the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (thanks again, Feinstein and Inhofe) and more assaults on our Constitution and Freedom of Speech. I am grateful to Edward Snowden for his bravery, and all the other freedom fighters who seek to bring transparency to our corrupt government. To little avail sadly. But whereas Snowden and other actors of conscience go to prison, or are threatened with it should they return, awful people like Ellen DeGeneres host war criminals like George Bush to rehabilitate him and show his creative side. This is his treatment, twenty years later, instead of being locked up for lying about Iraq having WMD and getting us into an illegal and immoral war. And thanks, Obama, for giving an undeserving person like Ellen the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Obama also authorized the extra-judicial murders of American citizens – setting this precedent was arguably his worst offense on our Constitutional rights.
Poor Americans, we have really had some weak leaders undeserving of our votes and support, and definitely unworthy of our tax dollars thrown out to equally corrupt and undeserving people and their corporations. Our anger at “business as usual” led to Trump, and our resulting anger has now led to the rise of progressives – and for the latter I am grateful.
We should all spare a moment to think of all the victims of violence, including the too many people who have been shot and killed because of systemic racism. We need to clean our house. No American should be afraid of their own. No American, and no child of an American, should be without clean water or health insurance or suffer because of climate change. All Americans deserve the highest standard of living. We need to be the bright shining light, not the bright shining lie, that says Americans take care of each other, as well as take care of people across the globe who are in need. It should not be that hard. Of course, you cannot make money off that idea, so Trump, who lacks any decency, is definitely not interested.
To a better world for all living beings, including animals.
In case someone thinks I hate everything Navy SEALs - I do not. Here is a classic frogman story of the destruction of Manuel Noriega’s yacht during Operation Just Cause from our book SEALs: The US Navy’s Elite Fighting Force, co-authored with Chris Osman, a former Marine and SEAL from ST3. Published by Osprey Publishing in 2008 - right during the fucking economic meltdown - thanks Wall Street! It was the first book, I think, on SEAL Teams at war during the Global War on Terrorism and also some chapters covering the 80s. It is a great book about the guys and Chris Osman did an amazing job making this happen - without him this book would not have existed. It is about the teams, not the individuals unlike so many of the SEAL books out there. When I knew Chris he was a stand-up guy and I think he still is but we parted ways over Chris Kyle (American Sniper) and also Brandon Webb (Red Circle) - but those are other stories. Here is the US cover and the Japanese version below - excellent - followed by the great frogmen mission! You can still buy the book https://ospreypublishing.com/seals
I am not condoning wars but I have written about individuals at war.
Those guys are wearing masks - take a hint people… Masks save lives.
Cool
I decided a couple of months ago to expand my horizon – no I cannot possibly understand Trump supporters no matter how much I expand my horizon – but instead I wanted to read some fiction especially science fiction. I took a course on science fiction when I attended the University of Santa Clara (before it changed its name to Santa Clara University). There I read some classics like A Canticle for Leibowitz and The Man in the High Castle. Therefore, I called a friend of mine, a Ranger from the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment who also served in the Special Forces National Guard, and is an Operation Just Cause vet (you can read about Ranger combat operations in Panama here https://www.mirbahmanyar.com/panama ) for his military science fiction book recommendations. I think he has read just about everything out there. I managed to get four from his long list – they are the first four books below. He also told me about Myke Cole and so I did not buy any of his books – my publisher did send me a copy of his Phalanx versus Legion book and I did reach out to him a long time ago before I knew about his shitty conduct toward women. Fortunately he never responded probably because he was knee deep in shit. I may do a review on it later but probably not.
Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
A book of two halves – pre-military and military service. I liked the concept very much but felt the opening half was a bit too long. The military experiences and wars were entertaining and I wish there had been a bit more on the campaigns. Enjoyable and some stuff was rather cool.
Brother John by Rutledge Etheridge
Another book of two halves. Events leading up to his selection to the dueling school and its course. The first half was excellent, great writing style, interesting lead and characters. The second half was not nearly as good and I would have preferred spending time with John on his adventures until his entry into the school. Overall the first half made more than up for the second part of the book.
Unbreakable by W.C. Bauers
Personal prejudice on my part – I am not a fan of religious people, especially the ones who tell me you can be a scientist and a religious nut. Anyway, the book is told from a female perspective. I thought she was rather annoying and I disliked a number of devices used throughout. The military action sequences though were pretty cool and therefore the book was not a waste of time.
Against a Dark Background by Iain M. Banks
The writing was superb – well above my pay grade – Brother John was equally well written. The lead character is female and a bit too much of a smart ass. The world is fantastic but I did not manage to finish the book. Every time something great was going on the book comes to a screeching halt with a couple of pages of incessant talking that I felt did not drive the story forward – this slowed down an otherwise great story but it happened too often and the lead became a lot less sympathetic throughout. But I want to stress it started with a great opening, and painted an interesting world – just not my cup of tea ultimately.
Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci
Wow – arguably one of the great commercial fiction writers of our time. The writing style was sparse and moved the story along at speed. The lead is a female FBI agent and the plot moved – ultimately the actual concept was mediocre but told so well that it can be forgiven. A master of the genre. I bought the second book in the series.
God of Vengeance by Giles Kristian
I love his Raven saga so much that back in the day I tried to get the rights for TV but could not persuade my partner to bite. Too bad. The writing as always is good and the story is also interesting although some of it feels familiar by now. Nonetheless another good writing effort and well worth the time.
Ghost Fleet by P.W. Singer and August Cole
I have been reading a lot of non-fiction on future war over the last few years (also see my review of Warbot 1.0by Brian Michelson) and finally got around to this one. Overall very enjoyable. My only issue is that I did not care too much for the lead naval officer and his family affairs. But a very good book and some really great characters and events. I will certainly buy and read Burn-in.
The End of October by Lawrence Wright
At long last the great pandemic book by the author of the awesome book The Looming Tower. Not as good but good nonetheless. I actually did like the lead very much (the back story maybe not as much) but told with a steady guiding hand. The scenario is very credible (as I am writing this we near 190,000 Covid-19 deaths – thanks for nothing Trump) but much worse – the book is bleak. Not sure this will make a great film or TV series but you never know. It is a very good telling of an apocalyptic event…
All I can think about are the people who have no choice but to work and are getting infected and many are dying. Sad times really. I blame Trump and the Republicans for the many unnecessary deaths – but I guess in his mind there is no profit to be made from saving lives. Better spend the money on his family and supporters.
Overall, all the books listed are great reads. I wish I could write as well as they do.
Up next some non-fiction including the great Yuval Harari, Dexter Hoyos and Rick Atkinson. Giants in their respective fields.
The British counterinsurgency in Oman during the Dhofar Insurgency (1965-75) is heralded by modern COIN practitioners as a model campaign where a rare victory was scored by a Western power defeating a Marxist insurgency. This victory was the direct result of a British-inspired overthrow of an unyielding, despotic Omani ruler in order to better combat the Dhofari insurgency. British counterinsurgency strategists correctly identified the center of gravity of the insurgency – the Sultan of Oman. The overthrow brought back the wondrous trinity of war, ‘an interactive set of three forces that collectively and interactively drive the events of war in the real world’[1] by Prussian military philosopher Carl von Clausewitz, from a sole central government which governed without inclusion of the people or the military to one vital in ‘any discussion of insurgency and counterinsurgency because of the local population’s relationship with the military and the government’.[2] Counterinsurgency proved successful because of its adherence of ways, ends and means:
The [new] Sultan defined the strategic ends as defeating the insurgency. He co-opted the Dhofari tribes; a group previously discriminated against by the previous Sultan, as one of the ways to achieve his end state. The Sultan’s Armed Forces (SAF) and the Dhofari tribes defeated the insurgents through a series of military campaigns (the means). The Sultan also influenced the relationship between the populace and the government by instituting a series of social reforms in Dhofar to address the Dhofaris’ social grievances.[3]
The counterinsurgency was distinctive for several reasons. It was a small rebellion, suffering from in-fighting thereby alienating its popular support, and ripe for COIN exploitation. It was waged in inhospitable terrain with a small population, thereby producing fewer civilian casualties. And it was not fought under the harsh glare of the media whose attention was focused on the conflicts in Northern Ireland and Vietnam. The regional British commanders were able to work without restraint or direction from the home government.
The Cold War Context
The aftermath of the Second World War saw the rise of nationalism and communism in the former colonies. Britain, crippled by a weakened economy, was on the defensive. Ill-judged campaigns, such as the Suez Crisis of 1956, led to further financial and reputational losses. The leadership role was now firmly in the hands of the United States. The United States, concerned with the spread of unchecked communism, became embroiled in Vietnam. It was left to Britain to police its own trouble spots, such as Malaysia (1948-60), Kenya (1952-60) and Oman (1957-9, 1962-76) and to protect those regions from growing threats. Great Britain’s withdrawal from its former territories was deliberate and withdrawal from the Gulf was to be finished by 1971.[6]
Oman was strategically significant to the British because of its location to the vital shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz and the discovery of oil.[7] Oman represented a bulwark against growing regional threats allowing the British to project its remaining power.[8] But it was oil that made Dhofar worth fighting for.[9] Limited financial wherewithal and an active engagement in Northern Ireland meant limited resources were at hand to combat insurgencies. The deployment of regular forces was out of question.[10] Britain had been able to defeat a Saudi Arabian sponsored rebellion in Oman in 1957-59 with ‘relentless air and artillery bombardment’, the use of the Special Air Service (SAS) and the destruction of livestock.[11] But a new challenge emerged from the high plateau of Dhofar in southern Oman as a long guerrilla war ended in Aden and South Arabia leading to the creation of the Marxist People’s Republic of South Yemen in 1967 which bordered Oman.[12] Communist support for rebellions seemed endless. Britain’s hold on Oman was precarious.
![Map of Oman[13]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a708e3cc027d82f766df86b/1597172358864-I4JWJ8ZPRG57RN0VO06M/Oman+Map.jpg)
Map of Oman[13]
The Campaign 1965-70
Dhofar was the main population center of Oman with a population of about 30,000-40,000 with 10,000 living in the jebel mountain range. Dhofaris are culturally and ethnically different from the Omani Arab majority and as such were less integrated.[14] Their existence rested on agriculture and livestock and their list of grievances against the political order of the draconian, feudal rule of Sultan Said bin Taimur, in power since 1932, was long.[15] The British had supported the Sultan despite his cruelty to his own people.[16] The political order rested solely with the Sultan.
The Dhofar Liberation Front (DFL) began its insurgency in 1962 with support from Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. It did not promise a utopian ideology but sough its grievances addressed. The rebellion was brutally fought by the British-officered Sultan’s Armed Forces. Tactics included economic blockades, mass detentions, bombing, capping of water wells, and the destruction of farmland and livestock.[17] It resembled French and British 19th century colonial warfare.
Politically, the Sultan was unwilling to address the insurgents’ grievances even with the discovery of oil and its revenue in 1967. Support for the DLF came from the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen or South Yemen, bordering Dhofar, which sought to overthrow regional monarchies.
Strong support for the DLF emerged from China eager to overtake the Soviet Union’s leadership. Both countries provided arms and training to the Dhofari insurgency through South Yemen although the Soviets never fully backed the insurgency.[18] Yet, Moscow sent Cuban trainers and East German intelligence specialists.[19] The DLF’s nationalists were replaced by communists under the influence of the Chinese, resulting in the transformation to the People’s Front for the Liberation of Oman and the Arabian Gulf (PFLOAG). PFLOAG became better armed and trained than the Sultan’s military.[20] It followed Mao Tse-Tung’s belief ‘that revolutionary warfare was necessary to address societal grievances. The populace could seek redress through warfare for these perceived wrongs’.[21]
This shift from nationalism to communism resulted in the strategic initiative being lost by the Dhofari insurgency as it no longer fought to address grievances or for its cultural traditions, instead fostering revolutions in regional monarchies.[22] However, strong communist support resulted in operational success.[23] The jebel was their stronghold, while South Yemen provided cross-border sanctuary. The jebel was said to be most ideal for guerrilla warfare.[24] Harsh terrain, sparse population, with one main road and operating from a high plateau seemed ideal. However, the jebel was not productive enough for a long war.[25]
The Sultan’s army, comprised of Baluchs and Pakistanis, was viewed as a foreign army, which aided in insurgency recruitment. The insurgency did not bear the trademarks of traditional Maoist warfare, skipping straight to the strategic offensive because the insurgents of their military superiority. The Dhofari rebels conducted mostly conventional light infantry operations which in the long run ground them down in a war of attrition.[26]
Another insurgency, the National Democratic Front for the Liberation of the Occupied Arab Gulf (NDFLOAG), in northern Oman was defeated by the SAF by 1969, but the Sultan’s army retreated in Dhafor.[27]
The Center of Gravity - Bloodless Coup 1970
The Sultan was unwilling to improve the political conditions on the ground, his only strategy was the destruction of the enemy. The ranks of the insurgents swelled and by 1970 the SAF only controlled the coastal towns of Taqa, Salalah and Mirbat.[28] The insurgency ruled the rest of Dhofar.[29]
The British understood that the Sultan was the impediment to the needed balance of civil-military-governmental of the wondrous trinity. Their plan for success rested on seven points:
1. Importance of political primary
2. Need to operate within legal framework
3. Separation of civilian from insurgents physically as well as psychologically
4. Address sources of grievances
5. ‘Hearts and minds’ campaign of civil development
6. Proper intelligence
7. Discriminate force based on legality, acceptable conduct in theatre and opinion at home[30]
They identified the problems of the Sultan’s current campaign:
1. No police or Special Branch
2. No resettlement of population
3. Scant food control
4. No surrender or amnesty terms
5. No psyops or propaganda
6. No hearts and minds
7. No civil govt on the Jebel
8. Comparatively little intelligence
For COIN to be successful it required a leader willing to make needed political, social and military changes. On 23 July, 1970, after five unsuccessful years of warfighting, British officers overthrew the Sultan and replaced him with his British-educated son Qaboos.[31]
The Campaign 1970-75 – a New Phase
With new leadership in Oman, the British effort was focused on waging a campaign to buy enough breathing space to keep the insurgency at bay without regular British troops.[32] Their purpose was to plan for victory, to train and expand the SAF, to provide leadership and technical skills, and lastly, to equip the SAF for COIN.[33] The British forces never exceed 500. Commander of the 22 SAS was Lieutenant-Colonel John Watts who proposed a five-part plan. It required civil development including medical and veterinary care, intelligence operations including psychological operations, the expansion of government forces including the enlistment of Dhofaris to fight for the new Sultan.[34] The idea was to defeat the insurgency from within.[35] Between 1970-72 the campaign focused on counterinsurgency warfare but was not able to break the stalemate.[36] The strategy, aided by greater access to domestic and foreign revenues, shifted to greater civil development and Iranian and Jordanian conventional forces.[37]
Qaboos was pragmatic enough to end repressive policies and offered amnesty to enemy fighters. His build-up of the SAF came at great expense. Arms were procured by the British but the invoices were paid by the Sultan. By 1973, the SAF Dhofar Brigade numbered 10,000 whereas the insurgents numbered 5-6,000, half of whom were tribal militia.[38]The arrival of the Iranian Brigade with over 2,400 men including transport helicopters and aircraft proved instrumental in winning the war without which counterinsurgency would not have won.[39] Helicopters proved to be a force multiplier.[40]
The amnesty program, coupled with bribes and threats, turned older nationalist fighters into firqats – local units in the employ of the sultan. They supplied vital intelligence by their local knowledge. The intelligence became more effective.[41]
Forceful ‘clear and hold’ operations secured coastal towns. Fortified blocking lines including minefields, reminiscent of the French in Algeria (1954-62), disrupted and interdicted enemy supply lines.[42] These lines, Hornbeam, Hammer and Davamand, were built between 1972-5.[43] Areas west of the Hornbeam became free-fire zones targeting camel trains much to the resentment of the locals. The British rationalized these attacks because camels were the only means of transporting arms to the insurgents and therefore were legitimate targets, that the herdsmen would turn against the cause of the destruction – the insurgents – and lastly, reminiscent of racist colonial officers, that the Arabs respected power and strength.[44] By 1975, the insurgents had dropped to 500-850 fighters who still put up strong resistance but were ground down by combined arms, with some escaping towards Yemen.[45] At the end of the year the insurgency had been defeated.
Counterinsurgency Points
British COIN officers established a single authority encompassing not only the military but the police, intelligence and civil development.[46] Other successes included the government’s civil development and its information services.[47]
Brutal operations still existed as did torture, later reduced to more acceptable interrogation techniques post- Northern Ireland revelations.[48] But these ran hand-in-hand with attempts at civil-social development headed by Civil Action Teams (CATs) who drilled wells, built schools, hospitals and mosques and even built a model farm near the coast to aid farmers.[49] Although, by November 1974, only 11 wells had been dug on the jebel and by June 1975, a total of 35 had been completed with 150 miles of roads.[50] Civil development began late in the war and no more than 24 government centers and 50 wells were built.[51] In return it was expected that the local tribes provided intelligence and that fighters abandoned the insurgency, thereby reducing the number of civilian casualties near insurgency strong holds.[52]
The new strategy was exceptionally costly and probably unsustainable in most countries. By 1972, $40 million of $120 million of the Gross Domestic Product was spent on the SAF alone including its ‘hearts and minds’ campaign.[53]The purpose of the latter was not only to win popular support but also to ‘shape the area for intelligence exploitation’.[54]The Arab-Israeli War of 1973 led to a significant increase in revenue for Oman and greater contribution to the civil development side of the strategy. It rose to $1 billion by 1975.[55] Nonetheless, financial limitations throughout COIN favored kinetic operations’.[56]
COIN was also aided by the alienation of the population as the Chinese-communist element within the insurgency became more violent to remodel society away from Islam and by committing atrocities. These actions benefitted the counterinsurgents as they were able to now claim that the government was the defender of Islam and cultural traditions.[57]
Another success was the Intelligence network which was aided by the firqats and their local knowledge of the insurgents. Though not perfect they proved vital. One of the early northern insurgencies was defeated by timely intelligence from former insurgents.[58] Its propaganda broadcasts were successful.[59] The purpose was to ‘support military operational aims; to assist in the military and political defeat of the dissidents; and to persuade the population of the integrity of the Sultan’s government’.[60] ‘Propaganda of the Deed’ ‘was conducted providing tangible schools, wells, roads, markets and payments for firqat services’.[61] An attempt in 1972 by insurgents to score a propaganda victory by overrunning a small garrison in Mirbat was defeated by airpower. It served as a psychological victory for the SAF.
On the issues of external support, the Sultan benefitted from changes in relations between China, the United States and Iran. The rise of Sino-Soviet rivalry and the rapprochement with the Americans and Iran reduced China’s support for Yemen and the Dhofari insurgency.[62] The Soviet Union reduced its support for national liberation movements during the early 1970s.[63] Egypt and Saudi Arabia renewed their ties after previously supporting opposite parties in the North Yemen Civil War (1962-70) and Saddam Hussein’s pragmatism, and reduction of tension with Iran, saw his abandonment of the Dhofari insurgency.[64] These changes led to greater foreign assistance to the Sultan of Oman as the threat to traditional monarchies by revolutionaries became an overriding concern. These events contributed to the demise of the PFLOAG by 1975.
Conclusion
There are five unique situations for the counterinsurgent of the Dhofar Insurgency. The entire campaign was fought in a media vacuum.[65] The external support to the insurgents was limited and became reduced throughout the decade because of geopolitical and regional re-assessments. The COIN practitioners were able to draw on historical ties to the sultanate and its culture. In fact, the soldier-stateman was instrumental.[66] The battlefield was on difficult terrain with a small population, thereby reducing the number of civilian casualties used by insurgents for recruitment drives. The British-led campaign understood that the Omanis and Dhofaris had to fight the war against the insurgents even though foreign troops became vital. They realized that grievances needed to be addressed as part of an integrated COIN campaign. Overthrowing a reluctant monarch, and reestablishing a strategy based on Clausewitzian principles, was therefore crucial.
The odds heavily favored the new Sultan once he started the civil development program. Foreign and domestic revenues for Oman were crucial as the war proved to be exorbitant. Separating the insurgents from the population, a source of support in most insurgencies, became easier when the insurgents made a strategic mistake by alienating their former supporters with draconian ideologies and brutality. However, the Dhofari Insurgency lost not only because of a loss of external support, or because of alienating its own population, it lost also because it waged a conventional war against a more resourced and powerful Anglo-Omani-Iranian coalition also waging a conventional war but incorporating COIN practices.[67] Insurgents killed in action numbered around 400.[68] Percentage wise this renders any combat unit ineffective. Although there are some components to aid in the understanding the success of COIN in the Dhofar Insurgency, it remains that war is war and there are no templates for counterinsurgency operations. Counterinsurgency strategists understood that removing the center of gravity, in this case the old Sultan of Oman, allowed a strategy to emerge from Clausewitz’s wondrous trinity composed of government, army and people, which was essential in planning and defeating the opponent in a series of duels to impose one’s will.[69]
Bibliography
BOOKS
"The British Counterinsurgency Campaign in Dhofar 1965–75." 2008. In Counterinsurgency in Modern Warfare, 132-145: Osprey Publishing is part of the Osprey Group.
Deane-Drummond, Anthony. 1992. Arrows of Fortune. 1. publ. in Great Britain ed. London u.a: Cooper.
Ian Gardiner. 2007. In the Service of the Sultan. US: Pen And Sword Military.
Newsinger, John. 2015. British Counterinsurgency. 2nd edition. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Paul, Christopher. 2013. Paths to Victory. Santa Monica, Calif. [u.a.]: RAND Corporation.
Sr., Major Thomas E. Walton. 2015. Headed the Wrong Way: The British Army's Painful Re-Acquaintance with its Own COIN Doctrine in Southern Iraq Pickle Partners Publishing.
von Clausewitz, Karl. 1943. On War. Translated by O. J. Matthijs Jolles. New York: The Modern Library.
Walter, Dierk. 2017. Colonial Violence. Translated by Peter Lewis. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
JOURNALS
Degenaar, Laurens. 2018. "The Omani Model: The Model on how to Defeat Twenty-First Century Insurgencies?" Militaire Spectator 187 (6). https://www.militairespectator.nl/thema/geschiedenis-operaties/artikel/omani-model.
DeVore, Marc R. 2012. "A More Complex and Conventional Victory: Revisiting the Dhofar Counterinsurgency, 1963-1975." Small Wars & Insurgencies 23 (1): 144-173. doi:10.1080/09592318.2012.632861. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09592318.2012.632861.
Goode, James F. 2014. "Assisting our Brothers, Defending Ourselves: The Iranian Intervention in Oman, 1972-75." Iranian Studies 47 (3): 441-462. doi:10.1080/00210862.2014.880631. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00210862.2014.880631.
Hensel, Howard M. 1982. "Soviet Policy Towards the Rebellion in Dhofar." Asian Affairs 69 (2): 183. https://search.proquest.com/docview/1298801894.
Howk, Jason. 2008. "A Lion in the Path of Oman's Nationalization: Insurgency in Oman from the 1950s through the 1970s Examined through Social Movement Theory; Strategic Insights, V. 7 Issue 2 (April 2008)." . http://hdl.handle.net/10945/11211.
Hughes, Geraint. 2009. "A 'Model Campaign' Reappraised: The Counter-Insurgency War in Dhofar, Oman, 1965-1975." Journal of Strategic Studies 32 (2): 271-305. doi:10.1080/01402390902743357. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01402390902743357.
Ladwig, Walter C. 2008. "Supporting Allies in Counterinsurgency: Britain and the Dhofar Rebellion." Small Wars & Insurgencies 19 (1): 62-88. doi:10.1080/09592310801905793. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09592310801905793.
Monick, S. 2012. "Victory in Hades: The Forgotten Wars of the Oman, 1957-1959 and 1970-1976." Scientia Militaria - South African Journal of Military Studies 13 (1). doi:10.5787/13-1-591.
Newsinger, John. 1998. "Jebel Akhdar and Dhofar: Footnote to Empire." Race & Class 39 (3): 41-59. doi:10.1177/030639689803900303. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/030639689803900303.
MULTIMEDIA
"Map of Oman." University of Texas., accessed July 18, 2019, https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/oman_rel96.jpg.
Bassford, Christopher. "Teaching the Clausewitzian Trinity." Clausewitz.com., accessed July 18, 2019, https://www.clausewitz.com/readings/Bassford/Trinity/TrinityTeachingNote.htm.
Bushway, Patricia J. 1993. The Role of the Operational Commander in Counterinsurgency.
Gleiman, Jan K. "Organizational Imperative: Theory and History on Unity of Effort in Counterinsurgency Campaigns." Fort Leavenworth, KS : US Army Command and General Staff College, last modified Dec 10, http://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p4013coll2/id/2719.
Gunther, Michael J. "Closing the Security Gap: Building Irregular Security Forces." Fort Leavenworth, KS : US Army Command and General Staff College, last modified Jun 8, http://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p4013coll2/id/2900.
Hughes, Geraint. "All the Shah’s Men: The Imperial Iranian Brigade Group in the Dhofar War." Defence-In-Depth: Research from the Defence Studies Department, King's College London., last modified July 13, accessed July 8, 2019, https://defenceindepth.co/2016/06/06/all-the-shahs-men-the-imperial-iranian-brigade-group-in-the-dhofar-war/?blogsub=confirming#blog_subscription-6.
Kotula, Kevin R. and Richardson, Timothy L. "Defeating David : Looking Beyond a Matched Strategy." Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, last modified Dec, http://hdl.handle.net/10945/10634.
Storr, Dan. 2009. A Line in the Sand a Historical Study of Border Security during Insurgencies and Lessons for the Contemporary Afghan-Pakistan Frontier.
Welch, Marcus S. "Irregular Pen and Limited Sword: PSYWAR, PSYOP, and MISO in Counterinsurgency." Fort Leavenworth, KS : US Army Command and General Staff College, last modified Dec 16, http://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p4013coll2/id/2834.
[1] Brassford (2007) 1.
[2] Gunther (2013) p.15
[3] Gunther (2013) p.16
[4] Gunther (2013) p.15
[5] Gunther (2013) p.19
[6] Ladwig III (2008) p.63
[7] Beckett (2012) p.243 volume of oil through Hormuz to the US (30 percent), Europe (70 percent) and Japan (90 percent)
[8] DeVore (2012) p. 146
[9] Newsinger (1989) p.51
[10] Hughes (2009) pp.277-8
[11] Newsinger (1989) pp.45-8, see Deane-Drummond (1992) for the war in 1957-9
[12] Hughes (2009) p.279
[13] University of Texas
[14] Hughes (2009) p.278
[15] Ladwig III (2008) p.66
[16] Newsinger (1998) pp.42-4
[17] Newsinger (1998) pp.52-3, Paul (2013) p.275
[18] Hensel (1982) p.203 – for Soviet policy towards the Dhofar rebellion
[19] DeVore (2012) p.148
[20] Hughes (2009) p.280
[21] Gunther (2013) p.15
[22] Newsinger (1998) p.54
[23] Paul (2013) p.277
[24] Walton (2011) p.94
[25] Newsinger (2015) p.149
[26] DeVore (2012) p.145
[27] Hughes (2009) p.281
[28] Ladwig III (2008) p.70
[29] Degenaar (2018) p.346
[30] Hughes (2009) pp.274-5
[31] Ladwig III (2008) p.71
[32] Ladwig III (2008) p.71
[33] Ladwig III (2008) p.71
[34] Hughes (2009) pp.281-2
[35] DeVore (2012) p.152
[36] Degenaar (2018) p. 347
[37] Degenaar (2018) pp.347-8
[38] Hughes (2009) p,283
[39] DeVore (2012) p.144, 161 – cites American pressure on Iran to increase the Brigade form 1,500-2,400 men. See Goode (2014) for Iran tipping the military balance and Hughes (2016) states Iran was the reason for victory
[40] Gardiner (2007) p.155
[41] Beckett (2012) p.248
[42] Monick (1982) p.16
[43] Monick (1982) p.16 and Beckett (2013) p.263 cites the use of 15,000 coils of wire, 12,000 pickets and over 4,000 mines
[44] Storr (2009) p.23
[45] Hensel (1982) p.200
[46] Hughes (2009) p.289
[47] Monick (1982) p.18
[48] Hughes (2009) pp.293-4
[49] Beckett (2012) p.252
[50] Beckett (2012) p.258
[51] DeVore (2012) p.162
[52] Hughes (2009) p.290
[53] Hughes (2009) pp.290-1
[54] Welch (2011) p.75
[55] Hughes (2009) p.290
[56] DeVore (2012) p.161
[57] Hughes (2009) p.291
[58] Hughes (2009) p.293
[59] Becket (2012) p. 255
[60] Welch (2011) p.76
[61] Welch (2011) p.86
[62] Hughes (2009) p.296
[63] Hughes (2009) p.296
[64] Hensel (1982) p.200
[65] Ladwig III (2008) p.77
[66] Hughes (2009) pp.298-99
[67] DeVore (2012) p.164, Newsinger (1998) p.5
[68] Hughes (2009) p.300
[69] Clausewitz (1943) 1.2
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![Figure 1. Clausewitz’s Paradoxical Trinity with their Actors. Source: Created by Gunther[4]Figure 2. The Paradoxical Trinity during an Insurgency. Source: Created by Gunther[5]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a708e3cc027d82f766df86b/1597172284909-9GJ00TMVOTWS90IATZL7/Clausewitz+Trinity+and+COIN.jpg)