Nagl, John A. [LTCOL/USA] Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam: Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2002. Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005. [pb]
An advertisement for the 2005 paperback edition of this work notes that it includes "a new preface reflecting on the author's combat experience in Iraq."
According to Millen, Parameters 34.3, "this book compares ... the British approach to counterinsurgency in Malaya with the American approach in Vietnam.... Despite minor flaws, John Nagl’s book is a valuable asset for identifying key aspects of a successful counterinsurgency strategy."
Freedman, FA 83.6, says that "the point of Nagl's book is that the British managed to learn from early mistakes and adapt to the situation."
For Hoffman, Proceedings 132.3 (Mar. 2006), this work is "an extremely relevant text. Those interested in understanding the difficulties faced by Coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, or who wnat to grasp the intricacies of the most likely form of conflict for the near future, will gain applicable lessons."
Newman, Richard J. "Hunting War Criminals: The First Account of Secret U.S. Missions in Bosnia." U.S. News & World Report, 6 Jul. 2000. [http://www.usnews.com]
Report on efforts to use special operations forces to capture "persons indicted for war crimes" (PIFWCs) in Bosnia. "[F]or at least the past year, a U.S. special operations task force has been conducting one of the broadest covert operations since the Vietnam War, gathering intelligence on PIFWCs and helping to seize them in a series of raids."
Petraeus, Davis H. [LTGEN/USA], and James F. Amos [LTGEN/USMC]. Counterinsurgency. Washington, DC: Department of the Army, Field Manual (FM) No, 3-24, Dec. 2006; Washington, DC: Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Department of the Navy, Marine Corps Warfighting Publication (MCWP) No 3-33.5, Dec. 2006.
Berger, et al, I&NS 22.6 (Dec. 2007), find that the manual "provides a framework that draws on virtually all the key lessons that have been proposed by the wider literature on counterinsurgency.... What remains unanswered is how Counterinsurgency actually translates into practice on the ground in Iraq and elsewhere."
Pincus, Walter, and Dan Morgan. "Congress Supports Doubling Special Operations Funding." Washington Post, 5 Jun. 2003, A31. [http://www.washingtonpost.com]
The House and Senate "have authorized a doubling of spending" for Fiscal Year 2002 "for new equipment and high-tech gadgetry" for U.S. Special Operations forces. At the same time, "a key Senate committee ... has raised questions about the Pentagon's oversight" of one of Special Operations Command's "highest-priority projects: development of a tiny submarine designed to carry Navy SEALs close to enemy beaches and to gather intelligence in hostile waters.... Final decisions await a House-Senate conference on the bill and subsequent action by the two chambers' Appropriations committees."
Polk, William R. A History of Insurgency, Terrorism, and Guerrilla War, From the American Revolution to Iraq. New York: HarperCollins, 2007.
Kahl, FA 86.6 (Nov.-Dec. 2007), notes that the author has found that "coercion has more often than not been ineffective -- or counterproductive" -- in insurgency situations. Polk "provides ample proof that occupying armies ... find it excruciatungly difficult to use legitimacy to defeat local insurgents and then exit gracefully."
Polmar, Norman. "The ASDS Is Sailing Rough Seas." U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings 132, no. 1 (Jan. 2006): 88-89.
On 30 November 2005, the U.S. Special Operations Command announced that it was cancelling "plans to acquire a fleet" of the Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS) submersibles. The sole ASDS, delivered to the Navy in 2003, has been plagued with troubles throughout its trials. At present, "there is no schedule for the construction of additional submersibles."
Priest, Dana. The Mission: Waging War and Keeping Peace with America’s Military. New York: Norton, 2003.
According to Cassidy, Parameters 34.4 (Winter 2004-2005), this book "is a current history of the US military’s role in peace operations, small wars, and unconventional warfare in the 1990s and the early part of this decade." The author provides "a readable and useful account." The middle part of the book "focuses on the roles of the Special Forces as trainers, clandestine operators, and de facto diplomats in potential and real hotspots -- Nigeria, Colombia, Indonesia, and Afghanistan." Priest’s account of the Special Forces’ role in the war in Afghanistan is "interesting and relevant.... She presents a very readable and colorful description of the Special Forces’ actions during the opening phases of Operation Enduring Freedom."
Pugliese, David. Shadow Wars: Special Forces in the New Battle against Terrorism. Ottawa: Esprit de Corps Books, 2003.
Pushies, Fred J. The Complete Book of U.S. Special Operations Forces. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks, 2004.
From advertisement: U.S. "Special Operations Forces are called ... upon to undertake such varied tasks as airfield seizures, ambushes, guerrilla warfare, hostage rescue, intelligence reconnaissance, psychological warfare, or counterterrorism.... Each chapter covers a specific unit, with sections on history, structure and hierarchy, training, weapons and equipment, and missions and tactics."
Pushies, Fred J. Night Stalkers: 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). Osceola, WI: Zenith, 2005.
From advertisement: The 160th SOAR (A) "specializes in carrying out its ... operations under the cover of darkness, hence their nickname: 'Night Stalkers.' This book details numerous operational scenarios and describes in detail their equipment, including OH-6 light observation helicopters, MH-47 Chinook medium modified Little Bird and Blackhawk helicopters."
Pushies, Fred J. Special Ops: America's Elite Forces in 21st Century Combat. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks, 2003.
From advertisement: This work "examines U.S. tactics and plans for clandestine warfare, and provides ... insight into how highly trained elite units are expected to accomplish the U.S. military's current strategic objectives."
Pushies, Fred J. U.S. Air Force Special Ops. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks, 2000.
According to Sumner, http://www.specwarnet.com/reviews/usaf_sof.htm, the author "does not present any new information, but ... has gathered all of the material together in one place.... [T]here are a few inaccuracies in the history section, and the information on the 10th CWS [Combat Weather Squadron] is a little on the lite side. Overall Pushies has done his homework and presents a good overview of the Air Commandos of today's Air Force Special Operations Command."
Pushies, Fred J. U.S. Army Special Forces. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks, 2001.
From advertisement: "This illustrated look at the training and work of the U.S. Army Special Forces ... includes a brief history of these fighting elite followed by an up-close look at the advanced weaponry, high-tech gadgetry and ... vehicles and aircraft at their disposal."
Pushies, Fred J., S. F. Tomajczyk, Terry Griswold, and D. M. Giangreco. U. S. Counter-Terrorist Forces. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks, 2002.
From advertisement: "This book provides a detailed look into the history and operations of the nation's elite counterterrorist forces, including the Marshal Services Special Ops Group, the FBI Hostage Rescue Team, the U.S. Army's 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment DELTA, and the U.S. Army Special Forces."
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