Insurgent sources

[Tom Odom]

He is on here and an excellent source and look at his book

Malcolm Nance The Terrorists of Iraq: Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraq Insurgency (Paperback)

[John T. Fishel]

for not mentioning Abu Buckwheat aka Malcom Nance. I second Tom's comment.

[shfranke]

Greetings to all.

In addition to materials in the English as cited in this thread, numerous related items exist -- some published, and much online -- in other languages [specifically, Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish, Persian, Urdu, Chechen, and Russian] about where and how the bad guys now operating in Iraq and Afghanistan receive their initial training and many underwent some field OJT in other areas of conflict -- especially Chechnya and Bosnia -- before moving later to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Chechen separatists pioneered the design and use of IED of various types against the Russians. Chechens have been KIA in Iraq, notably during the second battle of Falluja. They were there as advisors, trainers/technicians, and combatants/snipers.

A pleasant surprise also to see John Fishel here. I well recall his teaching in the original six-month Foreign Area Officer Course at Fort Bragg (I was in one of the last of the FAOC classes there before "Big Army" got penny-wise and pound-foolish and "disestablished" the course, which is another saga likely more familiar to John).

Regards,

Stephen H. Franke
LTC, MI
US Army FAO (Middle East)
USAR (Retired)
San Pedro, California
[Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (again), 2006-2008]

[Tom Odom]

Steve

Welcome and do stick around my friend. You know to watch John T carefully.

Ken White is another...

Tom

[Ken White]

Ignore Tom, he attacks me because I enjoy better weather than he does. I, OTOH, will point out that he is a Prince among men, without the Purple suit, of course (well, we think...) and is an arbiter of good taste, erudition and decorum...

Plus : He's a former FAO.

Minus: Well, he is from Tejas and now lives in Looziana ( ) and has therefor become the subject of Cajun jokes...

Not that I'd ever participate in any activity or verbiage derisory of ethnic or geographic identity, of course.