Suggested reading for graduate seminar at Columbia on US Role in World Affairs

[Wyatt]

In an academic environment, "[slamming] JSOC" would probably offer a fresh perspective from some of the other recommended readings. I didn't get the impression that the book "coddles people associated with AQ...". From what I recall, not one person interviewed in the book questioned the fundamental legitimacy or legality of US policy; the criticism focused instead on how the strategy played out, particularly in Yemen and Somalia.

Depends on where you read the book from I guess. I found it overly laden with hyperbole on a variety of subjects. If it wasn't on my kindle I would go back and pull some examples but when you call SERE "the armys torture school" you pretty much show you have no idea what you are talking about. Steve Coll is even handed, Scahill is editorial.

[AmericanPride]

Wyatt,

I agree with you regarding the hyperbole, which I found suffocating at points.

I would like to stress to the original poster that there is continuity between "US power being exerted through SOF and other "black ops" around the world" pre- and post-9/11, which is a meta-narrative not often captured in many works. I think a strong argument could be made that how the key players in the Bush administration, Cold Warriors themselves, responded to 9/11 was not necessarily derived from an objective analysis on how to conduct a "war on terrorism".

[Bill Moore]

I must of had a senior moment, I can't believe I forgot one of the better books on modern covert operations (and their draw backs):

Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001

Another one I enjoyed for its insights, though a bit dated is:

The Fourth World War: Diplomacy and Espionage in the Age of Terrorism Hardcover, by Count De Marenches

[davidbfpo]

If patrick Porter, an Australian in the UK, recommends a 2010 book I'll pass it on and it fits here: 'Between Threats and War: U.S. Discrete Military Operations in the Post-Cold War World' by Micah Zenko (A Council on Foreign Relations) Paperback.

Link:http://www.amazon.com/dp/080477191X/...YKsb0HYJ3BV91K