Could the Press Grow a Spine?

"Peter Stickney" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"John Mullen" writes:
"Kevin Brooks" wrote in message
...

The sixties saw us (read large--the Brits did their share of countering
communist moves during this period, IIRC, especially in Malaya) face
insurgencies around the world; US "advisors" were apparently involved
in
helping combat this threat in a fair number of spots outside
Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos. ISTR US special forces (and CIA) assets (to
include
B-26K COIN aircraft) were active in Africa,

Yuo mean the CIA's support for the unsuccessful insurgency in Angola?
Surely
that went on into the 80's?

He means the involvement of teh CIA, the USAF (AIr Commandos, and
later on, USAFE and MATS aircraft), and U.S. Army Special Forces in the
Congo. (Later Zaire, then the Congo again) in the period between the
two uprisings in the early and mid-'60s. It was the sort of thing
that occurred in Africa at teh time (And later, as well), with Tribal
animosities, strange mixtures of Marxism/Leninism/Maoism/Animism
thrown in, and an overtone of severe atrocities against any
"Europeans" or "European-ized" Africans. The first revolt/uprising
resulted in the U.N. getting involved, with Swedish and Indian
Peacekeepers strafing the natives with SAAB-29s and Canberras.
The second uprisising was put down by a comnination of Congolese,
Mercenaries ("Mad Mike" Hoare) funded by the CIA, with assistance from
the USAF Air Commandos (AT-28s and the B-26Ks), and the Belgian
Para-Commando Regiment, which was dropped from USAFE C-130s backed up
by MATS C-124s to rescue hostages (Mostly Europeans) held in
Stanleyville.

It's a big, nasty, complicated story that I couldn't possible do
justice to.

In addition, a goodly chunk of the Humanitarian Aid flown into Biafra
and oterh such places was in Air National Guard C-97s, "leased" at
some nominal fee to Balair in Switzerland (International Red Cross),
and World Church Aid. These aircraft were flown by ANG personnel.

Excellent post! It was Brooks writing 'Africa' that left the question he was
talking about ambiguous. It is a big continent, and has more than its fair
share of wars over the years. Would that be the CIA's first use of
mercenaries (sorry, ahem, 'contractors') to do their dirty work for them?

Vic Flintham's excellent book 'Air Wars and Aircraft: A Detailed Record of
Air Combat, 1945 to the Present' gives a very good account of both the Congo
and the Biafra affairs. Sadly, it now seems to be out of print. Vic, do you
still read this NG? Any plans to produce an updated version?

John