Books : Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team

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Author name: Michael Smith

: Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team
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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 356.1670973
EAN num: 9780312362720
ISBN number: 0312362722
Label: St. Martin's Press
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 352
Printing Date: March 06, 2007
Publishing house: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: March 06, 2007
Sale Popularity Level: 30245
Studio: St. Martin's Press



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Product Description:
A top-secret U.S. Army Special Operations unit has been running covert missions all over the world, from leading death squads to the hideout of drug baron Pablo Escobar to assassinating key al Qaeda members, including Iraqi leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and, in one of their greatest missions, capturing Saddam Hussein. 'The Activity,' as it became known to insiders, has achieved near-mythical status, even among the world's Special Operations elite. Now journalist Michael Smith gets inside this clandestine military team to expose their explosive history and secrets.
 
The Activity’s story begins with the abortive endeavor to rescue the American hostages from Iran in 1980. One of the main reasons Operation Eagle Claw failed was a chronic lack of intel on the ground, so in January 1981, U.S. military chiefs set up the “Intelligence Support Activity,” a cover name for a secret army surveillance team that could operate undercover anywhere in the world. Hidden from the politicians and the government bean counters, it would carry out deniable operations preparing the way for Delta and SEAL Team Six.
 
Michael Smith has spoken to many former members of the Activity, and we follow them on operations from the war on the drug barons that led Colombian 'death squads' to the hideouts of Pablo Escobar and his men. We learn of more recent missions, including snatching war criminals from their safe houses in the Balkans (at one time disguising themselves as French soldiers to lull a Serb warlord into a false sense of security), and operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa. Killer Elite reveals the incredible truth behind the world's most secret Special Operations organization, a unit that is at the forefront of the War on Terror.




Customer Reviews
User popularity level: out of 5 stars

Rated by buyers 3 out of 5 stars - Misleading Title?
Interesting subject matter and worthy of a book, but the title gives the impression that these folks breath fire and are ruthless killers. Perhaps they are, but the content does not support that view. What the book does do in an excellent fashion is describe the backbone of a military intellegence organization that works quietly and efficiently behind the scenes to collect and process the operational intelligence critically needed by the front line commanders where the rubber meets the road. Those of us who know and understand the special operations community know that the bulk of intellegence gathering is the patient and "quiet" gathering of accurate information (humint and electronic)followed by the distribution and professional analysis of that information. Most of the time, it's not the fire-breathing "killer" with a knife in his mouth who is the real hero, but the folks who watched,listened and assembled the real picture of what's going on so the guy with the knife in his mouth can do his job and come home in one piece. The book's subjects certainly are the "elite", but "Killer Elite" is a stretch. There may be more to the story than the author has shared (and that's OK in my book) but the execution of the ops described in the book is often left to others (Delta, etc.) and to me that's OK too. I'm delighted to have some insight into what these pros are doing and have done, warts and all.


Rated by buyers 3 out of 5 stars - Killer Elite by michael smith
Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team

-The book written is basically a "compilation" of Articles and other Book's over the past 20yrs; some better than other's; some "much" worse. The "Intelligence Support Activity", Motto: "Veritas Omnia Vincula Vincit", (with the words "Send Me" on the sword in it's "Formal" Crest). It was formed following the initial rescue endeavor of American Hostage's on "holiday" at the pleasure of the Iranian's. This was after the "informal-Gov't Exchange Program," following the Shah's holiday, and "well-wisher's" becoming overly excited with their unabated acess to the "US Embassy".
-With the failiure of "Eagle's-Claw", due to the lack of "Tactical-Intel" from "I.S.A.'s" predessor's, the "Foriegn Operating Group (F.O.G.)", and the subsequent mission, "Honey-Badger" was troubled with the "same" Intel problem's, the "Intelligence Support Activity" was formed. ("FOG" was by NO-way the only reason that the 1st OP failed. It HAD the capabilities that the 'Pentagon' had set for it. A member of the "Famous" Son Tay P.O.W. Camp Raid", only miles from Hanoi, was flown "INTO" the Iranian Desert, by a ONE(1) legged Pilot, in a one-engine Civilian aircraft, from a Remote staging site. His 'Mission', as there where "NO" OGA operative's, was to determine 'soil-consistancy' at proposed "Desert-ONE" to support the C-130's, re-fueling flights, HELOs, etc. And to Emplace Remotely-Activated "Landing Lights". There was plenty of Inter-Service in-fighting, as ALL branches wanted to be involed in the "Rescue", even when they were "incapable" of providing the Support they offered; (I would go into this, but then "I'd" be writing a Book in it's self). Not only was the Pentagon hurdle for those that were doing the Planning, and would ultimately carry-out the "OP"(SFOD/D), but "OGAs",with NO in-country "asset's", also wanted their piece of the "Pie"; and with, Thank's to their Cmdr, very LITTLE. However, the 'best' they could do was "Bio-Data" on some player's, and useless "Strategic-Intel", when "Tactical-Intel" was required, e.g blueprint's of the Embassy, which was needed to inable the "conducting" Operator's to have the knowledge as to which way door's-opened, type's of lock's employed, material used in the "fabrication" of the facility, "precise" floor-plan's that were critical to ANY "dynamic-entrance". But to looker more closely, it was not "entirely" the neglect of the above, but their Butchering that crippled them, the mentioned "OGAs", from being to be able to conduct what was an EXTREMELY important mission they were "tasked" with: That being the exploitation of "HUMINT", a major element of their's, and being the "2d" oldest-Profession, from prior to Genhgis Khan, or the Roman Legion's, a primary asset.
-This was acknowledged at the time, and even prior to it. Our, then Pres., "Mr.Peanut", had appointed Adm. Stans-Field Turner, (even-though He was ill-prepared and far-out of his Element of Expertise, with "little to NO experience" in the task he was undertaking), as "D.C.I.(Director of Central Intelligence)". His "mind-set" beginning his new-appointment was to discard what He called "Dead-Wood" at the Agency and to move-it into the "21st Century". He did this by "sacking" personnel, mainly from the "Directorate of Operations" to start, and then rid-the Old-Timer's particularly "HUMINT" Handler's and Analyst's. This caused WIDE frustration!
-He, incorrectly, was under the "impression", from his background, that "SATINT, SIGINT and ELINT" could produce the same, if not BETTER intelligence than human's, due to the fact that they would provide ONLY the Intel required and wasn't not Open to the interpertation of Operative's collecting it. It would be "handled-ONLY by Analysts" skilled in their particular discipline. He attempted to use other Countries, for one Britain and it's "GCHQ".
-However, he never mentioned that during the same time-frame, it had increased of it's "MI-5(Internal)" and, especially, "MI-6(External)", to "still" maintain what it percieved as it's most important asset, "HUMINT(Human-Intel)." Even during this time, The New Scotland Yard had "activated" C-13, for the collection of HUMINT to fight "Terrorism" in Britain propper, and especially N.Ireland. At this time, even the UK Military, had established "Det.-14(Detachment-14)", using many "22 SAS" Intel Specialists(for elctronic colection, using Technical Mean's, such as Laser-Mike's,Parobollic-Mike's,IR & Thermal Imagery; plus, "Covert-Entry Tm's" to emplace them; and a compliment of "Shooter's", to act immediately on "their Intel". As they Operated out-side of the "normal chain-of-command", they functioned with a "HQ section" made-up of Officer's with an "SoF/Intel" Back-ground, authorized to make decisions based on the "SIGINT,ELINT,HUMINT, etcetera", of their "own" Intel collection "wizzard's", i.e. analysts. They could then "immediately" utilize ... Read More


Rated by buyers 1 out of 5 stars - Killer Elite
Once again I make the mistake of thinking that, a book about the forces will be intertesting, yes only if you are into politics!!!! There is no actual action stories here, just all the hurdles that, was put up againest, the setting up of a Force like this, very disappointing


Rated by buyers 1 out of 5 stars - just gave up
I could not agree more with "B"s review. I actually gave up on this book after about 3/4 of the way through. It contains lots of "could have done it if we were allowed" stories. Simply boring.


Rated by buyers 3 out of 5 stars - A very compelling work but not the best wrting style ever. Still, I recommend it only...
if one can't find any Bo Gritz books
at Bo's site or here on amazon. Bo
gets good mention in here as well!

see more

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