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.