Task Force Black

[Quickfire]

Thought HMG banned it but in the end it's surfaced. Well worth a read for many reasons beyond the simpering byline.

[Chopper]

As good as ghost force?

[Quickfire]

Good point Chopper. Certainly it would contribute to an updated version of Ghost Force, very much in the critical spirit of Connor's epic, this would be great source text for the Iraq war chapter.

Really the book is about the rise of Petraeus and McChrystal, lack of coherent HMG policy in Iraq, the entrepreneurial instinct of (this would make for some interesting asides from Connor as he would prove his thesis again through exceptions proving the rule), the methods that inadvertantly led to the creation of political space for the Coalition Iraq "exit", the ever-controversial issue of defining the role of Iran in Iraq (here it is excellent and very well-balanced, but at the same time confirming a lot of previously sketchy info in the public domain in a judicious and fascinating fashion), the rise of Zarkawi as a convenient al-Qaeda "brand", the manner in which Zarkawi was able to mobilise local and freelance fighters drawn to Iraq, the realities of British control of Basra after 2004-5, and the fragility of the entire Coalition occupation of Iraq. Ultimately it shows how were assimilated into the US war machine (inc. all types of kit), and the limitations of UK assets of all types are laid bare, and the consequences this had in terms of casualties and capabilities. On top of this it does of course economically describe operations at a level of detail not really reached before in public.

Basically the book adds to the (US) perception of the Brits as one SWAT team in Baghdad with an armoured brigade camping in Basra.

Perhaps there are also a lot of ironies for the MW2 generation.

Anyway, if you rate Ghost Force, buy this book.

[Chopper]

Will do. Have you seen this, per chance?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_Nightmares

[Quickfire]

Nah, but I did see Curtis' brilliant 'Century of the Self'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Century_of_the_Self

Don DeLillo and Paul Virilio also map similar trajectories, DeLillo's 'White Noise' anticipates 9-11 by about 10 years, Underworld came out just before postulating the need for ten year crises to control the population. Virilio shows how the militarisation of science combined with the politics of speed inevitably leads to war being immanent in the nation state system, it's a bit like Deleuze but sharper, more concise, more urgent.

BTW the Curtis link you sent also mentions Peter Taylor's 'New Al-Qaeda' series. Saw most of it. Taylor is a moron, always has been, always will be, whines like a lobotomised preacher mainlining the comment section of the Guardian whilst simultaneously pandering to the Torygraph to be a leader writer specialising in turning McNab-esque porn into diluted yet amenable prose; possibly subversive, definitively fuckwitted.

[Chopper]

Another scaremongering Muppet? One of the things that stands out in TPON is the American brand name creation of Al Qaeda as a way of ensuring an agenda. Probably the same has happened to the so called Indonesian cells as well. If they are such a threat why aren't we up to our nuts in a big mess of rubble and blood? Its not hard to cause chaos, after all. Oklahoma is proof of that. Nuclear science isn't exactly in its infancy either.

Ghost Force is a real eye opener to the use of SF by Govt' to gain/maintain control. Curtis just backs that up from a political standpoint. I have yet to see anything that will conclusively refute his points. Ironically, I am a Libertarian.

[Quickfire]

Yeah, an IED is easy to make, be it human, vehicular or just plain old buried.

If you're interested in all of this read Foucault too, he deconstructed the control mechanisms of the modern state - from its birth - in elegant if leaning toward florid style.

As I say to people way too often, the world is a dark place.

[Chopper]

Its more than just conspiracy. Its bleedin obvious. Looks like this book is a must read.

BTW, are you getting down to Oz any time soon?

[Red Laser]

I picked up a book last year at the Manx Military museum called Victor Two Inside Iraq: The crucial SAS Mission by Peter "Yorky" Crossland which I recommend. It is about Yorky's family life and time in Ireland and the first Gulf conflict he also mentions Bravo Two Zero and his thoughts on what happened. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Victor-Two-Insi ... 614&sr=8-1

[Chopper]

Ken Connors take on B20 was that it was a giant, and unprofessional, cockup. What was crosslands take on it? Was he involved?