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Recommended reading for N. Ireland & the "troubles"

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  • Recommended reading for N. Ireland & the "troubles"

    All,

    I haven't done any research into British COIN ops in N. Ireland and would like to do so this summer so I can learn about both the conflict and how it's influenced British COIN doctrine, and so if anyone's got any recommended books or journal articles, I'd appreciate. Thanks.

    Shek
    "So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3

  • #2
    Your research assistant reporting! ;) :)

    One good turns deserves another.

    Colonel Anil Athale (Retd) has done a lot of study in COIN if various countries including visiting them for first hand experience. He has been in the North Ireland insurgency and has discussed with military commanders and politicians too.

    I don't have his address but you could ask your Military Attache for the same. Athale is a well known figure in the Defence Analysis circles.

    Here is an article of his:

    rediff.com Special: Colonel Anil Athale (retd) on the genesis of the Sri Lankan conflict

    Otherwise, the address is

    Col Anil Athale,
    Salunke Vihar
    Pune
    Maharastra
    India

    You could mention my name. He did the Staff Course with me.
    Last edited by Ray; 07 May 07,, 19:50.


    "Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

    I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

    HAKUNA MATATA

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    • #3
      i'll have a rummage for journal/staff pieces, but some reading material thats pretty good - if on occasion a little challenging....

      bandit country - toby harnden, hodder & stoughton ISBN 0 340 71736

      big boys games - Mark Urban

      'Provos' 'Brits' and 'Loyalists' - Peter Taylor (3 seperate books)

      Killing Rage - Eamon Collins

      secret history of the IRA - Tim Pat Coogan

      its worth looking at some Irish republican websites (Irish republicanism is somewhat different to American republicanism, so be prepared...) where you'll get a primarily Marxist/Socialist analysis rather than a Nationalist one. in order to understand, rather than just 'know' UK COIN doctrine in NI, you'll need to get context, context and more context

      Irish republicanism has - in the last 50 years or so - been an unhappy marriage between traditional Catholic nationalism and Marxist anti-imperialism/capitalism, its riven with splits and factions - there are 3 'IRA's', and an INLA - and they all loathe each other as much as they loathe the Brits, more sometimes...

      it an in joke amongst Irish republicans that the first item on any agenda within republicanism is the split.

      the UK view is that modern IR would be a tiny minority interest but that it has been allowed to grow because of a legitimate grevance held by a large minority who found IR's the only loud voice prepared/able to voice their concern. a kind of "very few of the Nationalist community (read:Catholic) would, given the choice, support or turn a blind eye to IRism, its just that when a very biggotted state denied them pretty much all rights and allowed a significant number to be burnt out of their homes by loyalist (read: Protestant) mobs without police intervention - and with police participation on occasion - they had nowhere else to turn".

      in many ways there are some astonishing parallels with Iraq, naked sectarianism, British forces originally greeted with Tea and Sandwiches by the Nationalists, idiot civil administrators who didn't get a grip...

      the big buzzwords have been minimum force, normalisation, ulsterisation and patience, patience and more patience. oh, and vast quantities of cash....
      before criticizing someone, walk a mile in their shoes.................... then when you do criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

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      • #4
        Dave,
        Thanks.
        Shek
        "So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3

        Comment


        • #5
          Shek,

          If you've not read it already, the paper below may be a good starting point.
          Attached Files
          Last edited by Shipwreck; 11 May 07,, 23:50.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Shipwreck View Post
            Shek,

            If you've not read it already, the paper below may be a good starting point.
            Thanks.
            "So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Shek View Post
              Thanks.
              YAQW.

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