Quote Originally Posted by Pete View Post
CIA did that in the Philippines from after WW II until the 1960s. Although the morality of it might make one uncomfortable, the result was most likely better than the potential alternative. Few remember it now, but in the 1950s we were determined that the Philippines not go Communist; the result was that Marcos and the old big landowner Japanese collaborator crowd held on to power. There were some marginally leftist Filipinos who were good guys whose reputations were destroyed by U.S. paid-for and sponsored black propaganda and psyops. See Smith, Joseph B., Portrait of a Cold Warrior -- he was there for many years.
I've been there for many years too... 30+. Might point out that the big landowners collaborated with the Americans as well as with the Japanese, and that they rather effectively persuaded the Americans that anyone who wanted to rock the good ol' boat was a communist. The Americans may have thought that they were opposing Communism; in actuality they were supporting feudalism, and setting the stage for the far more effective Communist uprising that began in the 1970s.

Could say a good deal more; it's a pet period of mine, but it has precious little to do with FM 3-24 and I'd better stop before I start running on!