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Oppose Any Foe

Page 49

by Mark Moyar


  “… weed whacker”: Brian Dodwell and Marielle Ness, “A View from the CT Foxhole: An Interview with Captain Robert A. Newson,” CTC Sentinel 8, no. 2 (February 2015): 1–4.

  did not have plans to attack American interests: David S. Cloud and Kathleen Hennessey, “Obama’s Pakistan Gamble Fails to Pay Off,” Los Angeles Times, May 22, 2012.

  300 to more than 1,000: Gregory D. Johnsen, The Last Refuge: Yemen, Al-Qaeda, and America’s War in Arabia (New York: W. W. Norton, 2013), 264; Robert F. Worth, “Yemen, Hailed as Model, Struggles for Stability,” New York Times, February 18, 2013; “Yemeni Parliament in Non-Binding Vote Against Drone Attacks,” Reuters, December 15, 2013.

  directed the surgical strikes: Greg Botelho and Hakim Almasmari, “State Department: U.S. Pulls Remaining Forces out of Yemen,” CNN, March 23, 2015; Brian Bennett and Zaid Al-Alayaa, “Iran-Backed Rebels in Yemen Loot Secret Files About US Spy Operations,” Tribune Content Agency, March 25, 2015; Greg Miller, “Al-Qaeda Franchise in Yemen Exploits Chaos to Rebuild, Officials Say,” Washington Post, April 5, 2015.

  assault rifles in hand: Ken Dilanian and David S. Cloud, “U.S. Raids on Al Qaeda Operatives Show Shift Away from Drone Strikes,” Los Angeles Times, October 6, 2013; Ernesto Londoño and Scott Wilson, “U.S. Strikes Al-Shabab in Somalia and Captures Bombing Suspect in Libya,” Washington Post, October 5, 2013; Karen DeYoung, “Heeding New Counterterror Guidelines, U.S. Forces Backed Off in Somalia Raid,” Washington Post, October 7, 2013; Abdalle Ahmed, Spencer Ackerman, and David Smith, “How the US Raid on Al-Shabaab in Somalia Went Wrong,” Guardian, October 9, 2013.

  video of the act online: Michael D. Shear and Eric Schmitt, “In Raid to Save Foley and Other Hostages, U.S. Found None,” New York Times, August 20, 2014.

  aboard the USS Makin Island: Karen DeYoung and Adam Goldman, “Hagel: U.S. Hostage ‘Murdered’ in Yemen,” Washington Post, December 6, 2014; Adam Entous, “Luke Somers Raid in Yemen: How It Went Wrong,” Wall Street Journal, December 8, 2014.

  2,900 of 2001: Government Accountability Office, “Special Operations Forces: Opportunities Exist to Improve Transparency of Funding and Assess Potential to Lessen Some Deployments,” July 2015, 22–23.

  women into combat positions: Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, “Special Ops Survey Showed 85% Opposed Serving with Women,” Defense News, December 4, 2015.

  interpersonal conflicts: Lolita C. Baldor, “Special Ops Troops Doubt Women Can Do the Job,” Associated Press, April 4, 2015.

  emerged in the Cultural Support Team program: Interviews with SOF personnel, 2013–2015.

  “… him to cover”: Lolita C. Baldor, “U.S. Commandos Say No to Women in Special Operations Jobs,” Associated Press, December 10, 2015.

  CHAPTER 11: CONCLUSION

  promulgating definitions of special operations: According to the Defense Department’s current doctrine, special operations are “operations requiring unique modes of employment, tactical techniques, equipment and training often conducted in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments and characterized by one or more of the following: time sensitive, clandestine, low visibility, conducted with and/or through indigenous forces, requiring regional expertise, and/or a high degree of risk.” Joint Publication 3-05, “Special Operations,” July 16, 2014, GL-11.

  specifying a set of SOF missions: The current list includes: “direct action, special reconnaissance, countering weapons of mass destruction, counterterrorism, unconventional warfare (UW), foreign internal defense, security force assistance, hostage rescue and recovery, counterinsurgency, foreign humanitarian assistance, military information support operations, and civil affairs operations.” Joint Publication 3-05, “Special Operations,” July 16, 2014, II-3.

  facilities management and transportation: For a discussion of this issue and the research behind it, see Mark Moyar, A Question of Command: Counterinsurgency from the Civil War to Iraq (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2009), 261–265.

  “… primarily for personal glory”: Bob Schoultz, “Ethos or Mythos?” Bob Schoultz’s Corner, November 5, 2010, https://bobscorner.wordpress.com/2010/11/05/ethos-or-mythos/.

  tight-knit organization: Interviews with Navy SEAL officers, 2014–2016.

  “… should and should not be used”: Alexander Powell, “Advice from SOF on the Use of SOF for the Next Administration,” Center for Naval Analyses, October 2016.

  INDEX

  Abbottabad

  CIA intelligence on, 300–302

  Pakistan relations with US after raid on, 306, 325, 338

  raid on, 299–300, 302–305, 309, 338, 341

  Abizaid, John, 269–270

  Abrams, Creighton, 158

  Act of Valor (movie), xiv

  Advanced Force Operations, 241–242

  Afghan Local Police, 289

  casualties of, 317

  counterinsurgency of, 294, 337

  role and authority of, 292–294

  Afghanistan

  CIA teams in, 224–225, 231–235

  civilian casualties in, 248, 294–295

  counterinsurgency operations in, 285–287, 290–296, 306–307, 325, 337

  counterterrorism operations in, 307–308, 317–319

  counterterrorism operations outside of, 280–281, 319–321, 332

  insurgent capabilities increasing in, 307–308

  Joint Task Force in, 240–241, 255

  McChrystal command in, 286–290

  social history in, 291

  SOF adaptation in, 289–290

  SOF and conventional military cooperation in, 287–288, 295–296

  Taliban allegiances in, 293

  Taliban government in, 222, 285, 318

  US support failing in, 317–318

  Village Stability Operations in, 289–293, 297, 314–315, 324, 332, 337

  withdrawal from, 314–315, 317–318, 332

  Afghanistan invasion

  Amerine ODA mission in, 230–235

  Army Special Forces in, 224–235

  Army Special Forces weapons in, 225–226, 228

  civilian casualty concern in, 248

  Delta Force in, 238–239

  end of major combat in, 256

  friendly-fire casualties in, 243–244, 250

  JSOC first operations in, 237–238

  Northern Alliance role in, 223–227, 230, 262

  press and publicity on, 237

  SEAL Team Six in, 247

  Special Forces in, 226–235

  Takur Ghar operation in, 246–255

  Tora Bora bombardment in, 238–239

  See also Operation Anaconda

  Africa, 11–13, 38, 39, 320–321

  See also Somalia

  Aidid, Mohamed Farrah, 193–194

  Delta Force mission to capture, 199–201

  domestic war waged by, 197

  militiamen of, 204

  mission to capture aborted, 213–214

  See also Task Force Ranger

  Air Force, US

  Kennedy push for SOF under, 127

  unconventional warfare involvement of, 120–121

  in Vietnam War, 134

  Air Force Nightstalkers, xv, 177, 183–184, 226, 250–251, 300

  Algeria, 11–12, 38

  Amerine, Jason, 223, 230–235

  amphibious warfare, 10, 33, 50, 61, 107

  See also Underwater Demolition Teams

  Anzio, Italy, 21–23

  armed resistance movements, 119–120

  armor, 5–6, 205, 209, 214, 251

  Army, US, 109–112

  Detachment 101 reaction from, 72

  Pacific Theater command of, 41–42

  Army Rangers, xv, xvi, 158

  in Afghanistan, 295, 307–308

  in Anzio operation, 22–23

  casualties in Italian Theater, 33

  character of, 39

  in Cisterna operation, 23–28

  conventional military conflict with, 39

  criticism of, 107–108

&n
bsp; Dieppe raid by, 11

  dissolution of, 62

  gear of, 205

  German heartland raid by, 34–36

  in Grenada invasion, 177, 179–180

  in Iraq invasion, 259–260

  Italian Theater operations of, 2–6, 14–16, 22–33, 38

  in Korean War, 99–108, 121–122, 330

  in Normandy operations, 29–30, 34

  North African operations of, 11–13, 38, 39

  origin of, 6–10

  in Pacific Theater, 35–38, 39

  in Panama invasion, 183–185

  in Philippines, 35–39

  in Pointe du Hoc invasion, 29–33, 38

  prisoners of war liberated by, 37–38

  recruitment and training for, 9–10, 13–14, 24, 99, 105, 106–107

  Sicilian operations by, 2–6

  Somalia raid by, 193–196, 201–212

  Takur Ghar mission of, 251–255

  in Winter Line battles, 15–16

  WWII campaigns scope for, 39, 334–335

  Army Special Forces (Green Berets), xv, 218, 297

  in Afghanistan invasion, 224–235

  armed resistance movements and, 119–120

  Bank leadership in, 113–119

  Berlin anti-communist protests and, 119

  CIA contingent in Afghanistan with, 231–232

  CIDG operations under, 128–129, 133–134, 137

  counterterrorism operations in Iraq War, 271–272

  in El Salvador mission in 1980, 175–176

  growth after 9/11 of, 283–284

  guerrilla warfare and, 126–127

  in Iraq invasion, 258–259

  Kennedy support of, 125–126, 153, 328

  in Korean War, 118, 121–122

  Montagnard tribes trained by, 128–129

  in Operation Desert Storm, 188

  origin of, xvi, 113–114, 330–331

  psychological warfare and, 113, 115–116, 141–142

  recruitment and training for, 116–118, 183

  Shining Brass manpower from, 138

  in Son Tay raid, 151–152

  in Vietnam War, 128–135, 138, 141–142, 146, 151–152, 154–155, 331

  Arzew, Algeria, 11–12, 38

  Aspin, Les, 201, 209, 214

  al-Assad, Bashar, 317

  Attrition Section, 108–112

  Bank, Aaron

  Army Special Forces leadership of, 113–119

  early military career of, 83–85

  as Jedburgh operative, 88–89

  training of, 86

  Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training (BUD/S), 127–128

  Beckwith, Charlie

  character and reputation of, 158–159, 170–171

  Delta Force command of, 159–163

  Operation Eagle Claw command by, 163–172

  Berlin, Germany, 118–119, 268

  Biden, Joe, 286–287, 302–303

  Bin Laden, Osama

  capture and killing of, xiii, xiv, 303–304, 309, 338, 341

  CIA search for, 300–302

  escape from Tora Bora, 262–263

  governments harboring, 222

  Bishop, Maurice, 176–177

  Blaber, Pete, 241–247, 259–261

  Black Hawk Down. See Somalia

  Blackburn, Todd, 195–196

  Block, Walter “Doc,” 32

  Boren, Doug, 205

  Bowden, Mark, xiv, 213

  Boykin, Jerry, 211

  Bradin, Stu, 309–310

  Bright Light, 139–141

  Britain

  Burmese opinion of occupation by, 74–75

  Communists in WWII treatment by, 92–93

  Donovan as liaison to, 66–67

  Jedburgh training in, 85–86

  US aid to, in fighting Nazis, 66–67

  British Commando Training Centre, 7, 10

  British Commandos, 334–335

  in Dieppe raid, 11

  as SOF archetype, 7, 42–43

  British MI-6, 67

  Brown, Harold, 169–171

  Bruce, David Kirkpatrick Este, 87–88

  Buchanan, Jessica, x–xiv, 322

  BUD/S. See Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training

  Burma, 56

  Japanese invasion support in, 74–75

  Merrill’s Marauders in, offensive, 57–58, 79, 80

  See also China-Burma-India Theater, WWII

  Bush, George H. W.

  Operation Desert Storm and, 189

  Operation Just Cause authorized by, 183

  on Somalia missions, 197–198

  Bush, George W., 256, 261

  counterinsurgency operations under, 296

  9/11 response from, 221–222

  Cabanatuan, 36–39

  Calvert, Greg, 251–252

  Cambodia, 144–147, 155

  Canadian military, 16–18

  Carlson, Evans

  character of, 46, 48, 54

  Guadalcanal operation command of, 53–54

  on guerrilla warfare, 42

  Makin Atoll raid command by, 43–48

  Carter, Jimmy, 165–172

  CENTCOM, 187, 209, 287, 317

  Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

  Abbottabad and Bin Laden discovery by, 300–302

  in Afghanistan, 224–225, 231–235

  in Aidid capture, 200, 201

  Attrition Section competition from, 111–112

  Delta Force rivalry with, 190

  as hostages in Tehran embassy takeover, 164

  in Korean War, 120

  Pakistan removal of, 306

  paramilitary programs in Vietnam, 128–129, 130, 132, 143–144

  and PRUs, 143

  Cheney, Dick, 189

  China-Burma-India Theater, WWII, 70–80, 95

  Chindits, 56, 57

  Chinese Army, 100–103, 105–106

  Chiunzi Pass, Italy, 14–15

  Churchill, Winston, 7, 23

  MI-6 founded by, 67

  raiding strategy of, 11, 38

  SOE created by, 80

  CIA. See Central Intelligence Agency

  CIDGs. See Civilian Irregular Defense Groups

  Cisterna, Italy, 23–28

  Civilian Irregular Defense Groups (CIDGs), 128–129, 133–137, 152–155, 331

  Clark, Mark, 15, 17–18, 21

  Clinton, Bill, xvii

  Somalia raid authorized by, 198–199

  Task Force Ranger response of, 213–215, 218

  Cohen, William, 180–181

  See also Nunn-Cohen Amendment

  Collins, J. Lawton, 104–105

  Colombia, 216–217, 218

  Columbia Law School, 63–65

  Combined Joint Task Force Mountain, 240–241, 255

  Congressional Medal of Honor, 65, 87, 136

  Contrera, Carlo, 5, 27

  conventional military

  military leadership of SOF compared to, 339–341

  OSS using personnel from, 70

  SOF conflict and rivalry with, xviii, 39, 43, 72, 108, 182–183, 191, 287–288, 297, 338–342

  SOF cooperation with, 276, 280, 287–288, 295–296, 297, 342

  SOF expansion in contrast to cuts to, 311

  SOF understanding by, xix

  women in, 323–324

  costs, xiv, xvii–xviii

  counterinsurgency operations

  in Afghanistan, 285–287, 290–296, 306–307, 325, 337

  under Bush, G. W., 296

  counterterrorism and, 272–273, 307, 338

  future of, 332–333

  in Iraq War, 269–270, 272–273, 279–281, 284–285, 291

  Kennedy push for, 126–127, 153–154, 331, 336

  under Obama, 284–285, 296

  Somalia success with, 218–219

  counterterrorism operations

  in Afghanistan, 307–308, 317–319

  counterinsurgency and, 272–273, 307, 338

  in Iraq War, 270–281

  JSOC founded for,
171–172

  for low-level fighters, 307

  outside of Iraq and Afghanistan, 280–281, 319–321, 332

  Rumsfeld on, 236–237, 270, 271–272, 280–281, 296–297, 338

  SOF and surge in, 157–158

  after 2014, 317–319

  Crowe, William, 172–173, 181

  Crumpton, Hank, 224–225, 238

  Cuba, 177, 179

  Cunningham, Jason, 254–255

  Curl, Vincent L., 76–77

  Dailey, Dell, 224, 272

  Advanced Force Operations objections of, 241–242

  command character of, 237–238

  Iraq invasion command of, 259–260, 261

  Darby, William Orlando, 295

  Cisterna operation led by, 23–28

  early life and career of, 8–9

  in Gela operation, 5–6

  Ranger command of, 6, 12

  on Ranger recruitment, 9–10, 13–14

  Defense Strategic Guidance, 332

  Delta Force

  in Afghanistan invasion, 238–239

  Aidid capture mission of, 199–201

  CIA rivalry with, 190

  creation and command of, 159–163, 190

  gear of, 205

  in Grenada invasion, 177–178

  Hussein hunt and capture by, 266–267, 272

  in Iraq invasion, 259–260

  in Iraq War, 279–280

  ISIS combat operations, 316

  in Operation Anaconda, 241–246

  Operation Eagle Claw mission in Iran of, 163–172, 190

  in Panama invasion, 183, 185

  recruitment and training for, 160, 162–163

  on SEAL Team Six in Afghanistan, 247

  in Somalia deployment, 198–199, 201–212, 337

  Denis, Henri, 86, 89–90

  DePuy, William, 158–160

  Desert One, 164, 167–171, 180, 198

  Detachment 101, 94

  casualties in, 73, 74

  in China-Burma-India Theater, 70–80, 95

  Eifler command of, 71–74, 77–78

  Kachin alliance with, 74–76

  Peers command of, 78–79

  recruitment and training for, 71, 72, 79

  Detachment One, 282–283

  Dieppe, France, 11

  Donlon, Roger, 136

  Donovan, William J.

  anti-Axis plots by, 68–69

  as British liaison, 66–67

  in centralized intelligence service founding, 67–70, 94

  early life and education of, 64–65

  Eifler dismissed from Detachment 101 by, 78

  FDR relationship with, 65–68

  as Operation Overlord commander, 87–88

  OSS defense by, 93

  OSS operations in France and, 81–82, 92

 

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