Rhodesian COIN (consolidated thread, inc original RLI)

[Rhodesian]

Sirs

The following link will be of interest to those of us whose days of running over mountains has somewhat been superceded by the struggle to get out of the arm chair for the next beer. It gives insight into the methods and founding ideas into "finding" a terrorist, before the RLI or others went in by chopper and killed him. There is a suggestion that some of the Selous Scout concept came from Vietnam, perhaps those of you know more on this would like to comment as this was news to me, not being American or particularly familiar with that war? I can say that the author of this particular article is well respected within my "circle of flatulence."

Cheers
I.R.

http://choppertech.blogspot.com/2009...us-scouts.html

[davidbfpo]

My understanding is that local factors and persons were the roots of the Selous Scouts, founded in 1973, in particular their C.O. Ron Reid Daly and a police Special Branch (BSAP) Ch. Supt. 'Mac' McGuinness. The Scouts were a recce unit primarily and in the early years of the war the BSAP Special Branch directed much of the military effort. They were not a direct action unit.

The field conversion of captured terrorists (guerilla fighters) was brutally simple and rapid. The change in loyalty was reinforced by the very high bonuses paid for each kill, which made them very wealthy.

There is a new book due out on the 'Fire Force' concept: http://www.bushveld.net/store3/erol....t%3D0%26sa%3DN


davidbfpo

[William F. Owen]

There is a suggestion that some of the Selous Scout concept came from Vietnam, perhaps those of you know more on this would like to comment as this was news to me, not being American or particularly familiar with that war?

There is vast body of evidence (referenced in some part by davidbfpo) that the Selous Scouts concept was born from the BSAP Special Branch and drew from the experience of the Kenyan Police's Counter-Gangs against the Mau-Mau and the infamous "Ops Research Group" in Malaya.

Combine to all this that the British evolved the Counter Gang concept from both observing the covert operations of the Jews in Palestine (Mistaravim) dating back to WW1 and their own experience in India.

It has been suggested that the, "Ops Research Group" idea was in some part responsible for the CIA's "Phoenix Program" so I suggest this author is unencumbered by history on this one.

[jcustis]

I haven't run google search strings on things RLI and Selous Scouts for some time, and so I was surprised to see that blogger site. It is excellent for putting forward many of those seemingly mundane things that make the study of that bush war very interesting.

And I also get an advance copy order in at the same time...Thanks David.

There is a consolidated Rhodesian COIN thread at: http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ead.php?t=2090