Rhodesian COIN (consolidated thread, inc original RLI)

[davidbfpo]

SOFREP.com has published an article 'How to Create American Selous Scouts', which aims to be:

a study of speculative counterinsurgency kinetic tactics, not strategy.....These kinetic tactics make up the miniscule amount of counterinsurgency warfare that is dedicated to decimating the enemy.

Link:http://sofrep.com/38775/bush-war-tac...#ixzz3LndknDNw

I misses a number of points made here - to say the least. Alas you have to subscribe to comment, so I have added to my post.

Dangerously it assumes in the American context such a unit could be created using Americans, so ignoring the fact that the Selous Scouts were mainly a black African unit and a good number (never quantified) were "turned" nationalist fighters. Survival aside, the Scouts offered very high cash rewards for those it KIA.

The Scouts had an integral police intelligence unit, from the BSAP Special Branch; some consider their value diminished as the war went on, as the SB's informer network was eliminated.

Psuedo-Ops was one speciality, infiltration along guerilla supply routes and in areas suspected to be loyal to the guerillas.

Spotting guerilla movements, from fixed, covert OPs and calling in (later) 'Fireforce' to do the killing - was their main role. JMA posted a rare statistic: 66% of all internal kills were due to spotting by the Scouts and 'Fireforce' follow-up' in comparison the SAS - in ambushes I expect - claimed 13% of kills in the 'Malayan Emergency'.

If SOFREP wants a model to learn from, for combat overseas, there is more to learn I would contend from the RAR.

[flagg]

SOFREP.com has published an article 'How to Create American Selous Scouts', which aims to be:
Link:http://sofrep.com/38775/bush-war-tac...#ixzz3LndknDNw

I misses a number of points made here - to say the least.

Dangerously it assumes in the American context such a unit could be created using Americans, so ignoring the fact that the Selous Scouts were mainly a black African unit and a good number (never quantified) were "turned" nationalist fighters.

I posted similar concerns in the comments on that article.

I would think that IF the US were to develop pseudo capabilities, they would need a number of isolated "silos" for each unique AO.

An ethnic Ethiopian, with the right training, might be able to work effectively in Somalia.

An ethnic Omani, with the right training, might be able to work effectively in Yemen.

But neither of them would be effective, regardless of training, in Lagos.

I reckon there's current and future needs for both Rhodesian Selous Scouts-like and Israel's Duvdevan-like capabilities.

And while there would be a lot of common foundation, I would think each AO would have very high specificity.

Even the Israelis had two distinct units for it's undercover operations in Gaza(Shimson) and West Bank(Duvdevan) as an indicator of the "ultra-local" nature of the task I suppose.

Duvedevan can't work in Tehran and 14Int would not have been able to work in Iraq.

For the likes of Iraq/IS, I would think a "translation layer" would be needed...such as Jordanian SF/GID to partner with relevant US forces.

As I understand it, when operating in a pseudo infiltration role, the white Selous Scouts fellas overwatched from kopjes with the black badged fellas conducting the meet and greets.

So where will the 100 ethnic Ethiopian/Somali US citizens come from to join the services, then volunteer, in order to get 1-2 qualified personnel for the unique Somali AO?

Then rinse and repeat for every other AO.

And isn't there also a Title 10/Title 50 problem that means unless solved, such an effort would fall under CIA?

Trusted local/regional proxy partners(acting the role of badged black Selous Scouts) would almost certainly be required wouldn't they?