The narrative explores the significant influence of the military in Indonesia, focusing on Kopassus, the country's elite Special Forces unit. It highlights their extensive combat experience and the complex, challenging operations they undertook in the rugged terrains of East Timor. The book delves into the historical and political implications of their actions, shedding light on the broader impact of military power in shaping the nation's identity and conflicts.
Focusing on the Cambodian National Armed Forces, this comprehensive history details the experiences of a quarter of a million military personnel who engaged in daily combat during the Khmer Republic's tumultuous years. Despite being overshadowed by the Vietnam War, the conflicts in Cambodia were crucial to U.S. foreign policy and significantly influenced the war's final stages. The fully-illustrated volume offers insights into the army, air force, and navy, highlighting their pivotal role in a region often deemed a mere "sideshow."
This book details CIA-supported paramilitary operations in Laos during the height of the conflict in that kingdom, from late 1969 through the conclusion of agency participation in 1974.
Volumes 1 and 2 covered the rise of the CIA's cover operations in Laos. Volume 3 covers the gradually escalating CIA-supported overt operations, foremost including the build up and combat deployment of the regular Royal Lao Armed Forces.
This is the story of how the US government — primarily through the CIA and often in cooperation with India — came to harness, nurture, and encourage Tibetan defiance in one of the most extreme covert campaigns of the Cold War. In particular, it details an important chapter in the CIA’s paramilitary history. In Tibet, new kinds of equipment — aircraft and parachutes, for example — were combat-tested under the most extreme conditions imaginable. New communications techniques were tried and perfected. In many cases, these lessons learned would be applied to other Cold War battlefields like Vietnam, Laos, and elsewhere. Tibet, therefore, became a vital proving ground for CIA case officers and their spycraft.
The narrative explores the significant impact of Indonesia's Special Forces, Kopassus, on the nation's political landscape since its establishment in 1952. Detailing their operations from the jungles of Irian Jaya to the corridors of power in Jakarta, the book reveals how this elite unit has shaped key policy decisions and wielded considerable influence over the country's social and political dynamics throughout its history.
Focusing on Indonesia's State Intelligence Agency (BIN), this book reveals the agency's covert operations and its pivotal role in national security since its inception. Drawing from exclusive access to personnel and archives, the author explores BIN's historical and contemporary activities, including its involvement in the Cold War and the war against terrorism. Through detailed case studies, the book provides a comprehensive understanding of BIN's influence on Indonesia's political landscape and its operations against threats like al-Qaeda. Essential for those interested in intelligence and Indonesian history.
Inside Jemaah Islamiyah, Asia's Most Dangerous Terrorist Network
The narrative explores the rise of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a clandestine organization advocating for a radical interpretation of Islam across Southeast Asia. Through exclusive interviews and classified reports, Ken Conboy examines the planning and execution of JI's most lethal attacks, providing insights into key figures like Azhari and Hambali. The book highlights both the successes in dismantling this terrorist network and the failures of regional governments to thwart sectarian violence, revealing the broader implications of their actions on thousands of lives.