Showing results for "The Politics of Operations" in Politics & Government

In 1949, a newly minted branch of the CIA (the precursor of today’s National Clandestine Service), flush with money and burning with determination to roll back the Iron Curtain, embarked on the first paramilitary operation in the history of the agency. They hatched an elaborate plan, coordinated with the British Secret Intelligence Service, to foment popular rebellion and detach Albania, the weakest of the Soviet satellites in Europe, from Moscow’s orbit. The operation resulted in dismal failure and was shut down by 1954.

In this disturbing exposé, journalist Paul L. Williams describes a secret alliance forged at the close of World War II by the CIA, the Sicilian and US mafias, and the Vatican to thwart the possibility of a Communist invasion of Europe. Williams presents evidence suggesting the existence, in many European countries, of "stay-behind" units consisting of 5,000 to 15,000 military operatives.

As the tide turned in the Korean War, UN leaders faced critical questions about the future of the conflict. The dynamic ROK leader made it clear he had no intention of reverting to the pre-invasion status quo, aiming instead to unify Korea by advancing to the Manchurian border. With the Communists violation of the 38th Parallel, this arbitrary line—originally a division between Soviet and American occupation zones—was rendered meaningless. On September 26, CINCUNC tasked the Joint Special Plans and Operations Group (JSPOG) with creating a strategy for operations beyond the border. The ...

The Inchon Landing stands as a pivotal moment in military history, showcasing an audacious amphibious operation that was meticulously planned and executed with remarkable precision. This bold strategy involved a calculated risk—diverting forces from the Pusan Perimeter to strike decisively at the enemys rear. Faced with challenging weather and treacherous geography, the operation culminated in fierce combat within the heart of Seoul. Join us as we delve into this extraordinary campaign, highlighted by insights from Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. and Aaron Bennett.

In March 1952, the 1st Marine Division made a strategic redeployment from the East-Central front to the vital West Korea sector. Stretching nearly 35 miles, this area anchored the far western end of I Corps, playing a crucial role in the Eighth Armys defensive line. Here, the Marines stood firm against the enemys attempts to advance toward Seoul, the South Korean capital. Just northwest of their Main Line of Resistance, a mere five miles away, lay Panmunjom, where sporadic truce negotiations unfolded. - Summary by L. F. Chapman, Jr.

In this gripping episode, we delve into the strategic objectives set for Bougainville during World War II. The mission was clear establish a vital beachhead and construct airstrips to enable American aircraft to neutralize Japanese airfields at Kahili, Buka, and Bonis. However, the Marines faced a daunting enemy force, with 21,800 Japanese troops stationed at Buin alone. Leading the defense was the formidable Lieutenant General Haruyoshi Hyakutake, a familiar foe to the Marines from their previous encounters at Guadalcanal. His main force, the 6th Division, posed a significant challenge to the...

On June 25, 1950, most Americans were unaware that civil strife had erupted in Korea, a distant peninsula that would soon witness one of the most significant military endeavors in U.S. history. Renowned for their amphibious capabilities, the Marines of the 1st Brigade were tasked with demonstrating their adaptability in challenging ground combat. Throughout the fierce battles within the Pusan Perimeter—advancing south towards Sachon and engaging twice along the Naktong River—these brave Marine units relentlessly pressed their assault against the enemy. Remarkably, they held their ground ...

In the fourth installment of our five-volume series on U.S. Marine operations during the Korean War, we delve into the critical events from December 1950 through March 1952. This volume focuses on the 1st Marine Division and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing as they navigated complex operations under Eighth Army control and alongside IX Corps and X Corps. From the rest period in the Masan “bean patch” to intense guerrilla hunts and the fierce fighting in the Punchbowl, this account captures the resilience and determination of the Marines during a pivotal time in history. Join us as we explore ...

Operation Greylord was the longest and most successful undercover investigation in FBI history, and the largest corruption bust ever in the US. It resulted in bribery and tax charges against 103 judges, lawyers, and other court personnel, and, eventually, more than 70 indictments. And it was led by Terrence Hake, a young assistant prosecutor in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office in Chicago, who worked undercover for nearly four years.

Operation Car Wash is the inside story of two Brazilian Federal Police officers who found themselves at the centre of the biggest corruption scandal in history; uncovering a web of political and corporate racketeering which would lead them all the way to the arrest and imprisonment of the nation’s President. Through engrossing first-hand testimony, Pontes and Anselmo recount the uphill battle faced by the Federal Police in apprehending Brazil’s white-collar criminals.

Challenging Operations takes up the apparent paradox of medical professionals resisting reforms designed to help them and their patients. Through vivid anecdotes, interviews, and incisive observation and analysis, Katherine Kellogg reveals the complex ways that institutional reforms spark resistance when they challenge long-standing beliefs, roles, and systems of authority. Shedding new light on the difficulty of implementing reforms, Challenging Operations offers concrete recommendations for effectively meeting that challenge.

On December 7, 1941, the nation of Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and prompted the United States’ entry into the bloodiest war in human history. Americans have long debated the cause of the bombing; many have argued that the attack was a brilliant Japanese military coup or a failure of US intelligence agencies or even a conspiracy of the Roosevelt administration. But despite the attention historians have paid to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the truth about that fateful day has remained a mystery - until now.

The conduct of warfare is constantly shaped by new forces that create complexities in the battlespace for military operations. As the nature of how and where wars are fought changes, new challenges to the application of the extant body of international law that regulates armed conflicts arise. This inaugural volume of the Lieber Studies series seeks to address several issues in the confluence of law and armed conflict, with the primary goal of providing the listener with both academic and practitioner perspectives.

Abraham Lincoln began his presidency admitting that he knew "but little of ships," but he quickly came to preside over the largest national armada to that time, not eclipsed until World War I. Naval historian Craig L. Symonds' Lincoln and His Admirals unveils an aspect of Lincoln's presidency unexamined by historians until now, revealing how he managed the men who ran the naval side of the Civil War, and how the activities of the Union Navy ultimately affected the course of history.

Staying on in Northern Ireland as a civilian after years of working on undercover missions against terrorists, Rob eventually gains employment in Bristol, undertaking security work, but things don’t work out and Rob ends up living in a squat. After a job offer from an old colleague, Rob heads to London to work in close-protection security for some of Hollywood’s royalty and later becomes involved in the rescue of some very well-connected people from a dangerous religious cult. Rob’s life seems to be getting back on track. But Rob’s work soon becomes more covert.

They put a price on his head. They did everything they could to disrupt his mission. Finally, when an antitank mine tore off his right foot, the warriors of jihad in Iraq thought they had neutralized one of their most resourceful, determined foes.

A reconstruction of the life and milieu of Dan Mitrione, his work as a US police advisor in Brazil and other South American countries, and his kidnapping and murder by Uruguayan guerrillas.

Why did the US intelligence services fail so spectacularly to know about the Soviet Union's nuclear capabilities following World War II? As Vince Houghton, historian and curator of the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC, shows us, that disastrous failure came just a few years after the Manhattan Project's intelligence team had penetrated the Third Reich and knew every detail of the Nazi's plan for an atomic bomb. What changed and what went wrong?

Now a green open space enjoyed by residents, Fort Hunt, Virginia, about 15 miles south of Washington, DC, was the site of one of the highest-level, clandestine operations during World War II.

The massive armies of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies posed a huge threat to the nations of Western Europe. US military planners decided they needed a plan to slow the juggernaut they expected when and if a war began. The plan was Special Forces Berlin. Their mission, should hostilities commence, was to wreak havoc behind enemy lines and buy time for vastly outnumbered NATO forces to conduct a breakout from the city.