In October and November of 2001, small numbers of soldiers from the Army Special Forces entered Afghanistan, linked up with elements of the Northern Alliance (an assortment of Afghanis opposed to the Taliban), and, in a remarkably short period of time, destroyed the Taliban regime. Trained to work with indigenous forces and personnel like the Northern Alliance, these soldiers, sometimes riding on horseback, combined modern military technology with ancient techniques of central Asian warfare in what was later described as "the first cavalry charge of the twenty-first century." In this engaging book, two national security experts and Department of Defense insiders put the exploits of America's special operation forces in historical and strategic context. David Tucker and Christopher J. Lamb offer an incisive overview of America's turbulent experience with special operations. Using in-depth interviews with special operators at the forefront of the current war on terrorism and providing a detailed account of how they are selected and trained, the authors illustrate the diversity of modern special operations forces and the strategic value of their unique attributes. From the first chapter, this book builds toward a set of recommendations for reforms that would allow special operations forces to make a greater contribution to the war on terrorism and play a more strategic role in safeguarding the nation's security. Along the way, the authors explain why special operations forces are: -Distinguished by characteristics not equally valued by their own leadership -Strategically crucial because of two mutually supporting but undeniably distinct sets of capabilities not found in conventional forces -Not to be confused with the CIA and so-called paramilitary forces, nor with the Marines and other elite forces -Unable to learn from the 1993 failed intervention in Somalia and the national-oversight issues it revealed -Better integrated into the nation's military strategy and operations than ever before but confused about their core missions in the war on terror -Not "transformed" for future challenges as many assert but rather in need of organizational reforms to realize their strategic potential Despite longstanding and growing public fascination with special operators, these individuals and the organizations that employ them are little understood. With this book, Tucker and Lamb dispel common misconceptions and offer a penetrating analysis of how these unique and valuable forces can be employed to even better effect in the future.

United States Special Operations Forces

History

Tucker, David

Lamb, Christopher

Military

Columbia University Press

In this book, two national-security experts put the exploits of America’s special operation forces in historical and strategic context. David Tucker and Christopher J. Lamb offer an incisive overview of America’s turbulent experience with special operations. Starting with in-depth interviews with special operators, the authors illustrate the diversity of modern special operations forces and the strategic value of their unique attributes. Despite longstanding and growing public fascination with special operators, these forces and their contribution to national security are poorly understood. With this book, Tucker and Lamb dispel common misconceptions and offer a penetrating analysis of how these unique and valuable forces can be employed to even better effect in the future. The book builds toward a comprehensive assessment of the strategic utility of special operations forces, which it then considers in light of the demands of future warfare. This second edition of United States Special Operations Forces, revised throughout to account for lessons learned in the twelve years since its first publication, includes two new case studies, one on High Value Target Teams and another on Village Stability Operations, and two new appendixes charting the evolution of special operation missions and the best literature on all aspects of U.S. special operation forces.

THOUSANDS OF ORIGINAL THOUGHTS THAT WILL ELEVATE YOUR PARADIGM!

Symbolic

Religion & Spirituality

New Age & Spirituality

iUniverse

Belief in a Mixed Society (A Lion Paperback)

Christian Books & Bibles

Lion publishing Plc.

President Gerald R. Ford's 1975 decision to use force after the Cambodians seized the SS Mayaguez merchant ship is an important case study in national security decision making. It was the first test of the War Powers Act and the only time a president ever directly managed a crisis through the National Security Council. Significant differences existed between the military and the White House over the use of force during the crisis. While often viewed as the last battle of the Vietnam War, the Ford administration was mainly driven by concerns in Korea.The Mayaguez crisis is one of the best documented but least-understood crises in US history. Copious documentation, including declassified White House meeting minutes and notes from private conversations, has not produced a good, consensus explanation for US behavior. The event is still explained as a rescue mission, a defense of freedom of the seas, an exercise in realpolitik, a political gambit to enhance Ford's domestic political fortunes, and a national spasm of violence arising from frustration over losing Vietnam. Widespread confusion about what happened and why it did contributes to equally confused explanations for US behavior. Even President Ford never understood the exact roles his two strongest advisors, Henry A. Kissinger and James R. Schlesinger, played during the crisis.

The Mayaguez Crisis, Mission Command, and Civil-Military Relations

Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Independently published

How many lives can one man save? Never enough, Horton realized. As his ship backed away from Smyrna’s wharf, he could better see the helpless, teeming crowd on the waterfront trapped between the sea and a raging inferno. He was not consoled by rescuing his shipload of refugees, nor by the many other Christian, Jewish, and Muslim lives he had saved during his service as American consul. His focus was on the people before him threatened with fire, rape, and massacre. Their persecution, he later said, made him ashamed he “belonged to the human race.” Helping them would not be easy, however. His superiors were blocking humanitarian aid and covering up atrocities with fake news and disinformation to win Turkish approval for American access to oil. When Horton decried their duplicity and hard-heartedness, they conspired to destroy his reputation. Undaunted, Horton pursued his cause until it went to the President and then Congress for resolution. At stake was the outcome of WWI, the stability and liberality of the Middle East, and the likelihood of more genocide. This bold reinterpretation of the life of humanist and diplomat George Horton explores an enduring question. What are the true costs of devotion to human rights, morality, and honesty in American foreign policy when those in power subvert such values…? Horton’s story compels us all to ponder: Is maintaining one’s honor, as he did, ultimately what makes life worth living? -- Dr. David K. Allison, Curator Emeritus, National Museum of American History A fascinating and important account that not only tells the remarkable story of the US diplomat George Horton but also that of the tumultuous history of the [Near East] Asia Minor and the eastern Aegean before, during and after the devastation of Smyrna in the 1920s. A remarkable book. -- Dr. Peter Frankopan, Oxford University Professor of Global History and best-selling author of The Silk Roads: A New History of the World [The authors] tell a compelling story of international diplomacy and bureaucratic double-dealing. Their thoroughly researched and clearly written account illuminates aspects of World War I, the emergence of modern Turkey and the Middle East, and the connection of those events to the rise of national socialism in Germany. -- Dr. David Tucker, Ashbrook Center Senior Fellow and Associate Director of the Master of Arts in American History and Government at Ashland University.

The Gentle American: George Horton's Odyssey and His True Account of the Smyrna Catastrophe

Biographies & Memoirs

Lamb, Ismini

Historical

Gorgias Press

Though Pope Francis remains one of the most popular figures in the world, his pontificate has stirred up powerful opposition. Some reject his merciful openness to divorced and remarried Catholics and the priority he places on mercy above rigid doctrine. Others reject his outspoken defense of migrants, his critiques of capitalism, and calls to protect the environment. Most of all, they are frightened by his insistence that the Church must place living out the message of the Gospel with integrity ahead of serving and maintaining institutional power. In this book, Christopher Lamb, The Tablet's reporter in Rome, examines the Pope's ministry and agenda for the church, as well as the forces of opposition mobilized against him. What will this mean and portend for the Catholic Church? Will Pope Francis move the church in the direction he wants, or will his critics succeed in thwarting his efforts?

The Outsider: Pope Francis and His Battle to Reform the Church

Leaders & Notable People

Orbis Books

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