Secret armies
by James Adams · first published 1988
2mentions
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2HN commenters
2013–2020first – last mentioned
50% recommend50% neutral
"Some of the most spectacular military successes in recent times have been won by ... special forces. The raising of the Iranian Embassy siege in London and the rescue of hostages at Entebbe and Mogadishu demonstrated some of their capabilities. But there have been equally spectacular failures, such as the abortive US rescue mission to Iran ... Who trains these special forces? Who controls them -- and how effective are they? The work and training of these forces for both peace and war are kept hidden from public scrutiny. Drawing on previously unpublished material, [the author] reveals the tri
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If you want to go back to the beginning of where we are today, you probably want to read something like Secret Armies by John Adams. Special forces were spawned to wage low-intensity conflict/warfare and attack or respond to unconventional threats. The terrorology field has blossomed post-2001 and there are more definitions,…
on “FBI Special Agent visit Thursday August 8th” ↗…(1975), just not about Vietnam, but about Latin America. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Agee#Leaving_the_CIA He also wrote books about the CIA in Europe (similar to Ganser's classic Gladio book "Secret Armies: Operation GLADIO and Terrorism in Western Europe") and Africa.
on “The CIA's Deadly Deceits and the Vietnam War, with Ralph McGehee (1986)” ↗