Book Review: The Hunt For Bin Laden

The Hunt For Bin Laden on amazon.com


Book Review: The Hunt For Bin Laden

Reader Rating: 8/10

Salaams! Getting behind on my book reviews!--I finished this one a couple weeks ago, while at the RLT Mtg. This book, by the author of the The Green Berets, Robin Moore, gives readers an inside view on the operations carried out by U.S. Special Forces following the 9/11 attacks. U.S. Special Forces--in the main Green Berets--were linking up on the ground in just over a month after 9/11 with Northern Alliance leaders ; a handful of "deep cover" CIA units who proceeded them. The book chronicles in good detail the missions and activities of a handful of 12-member A-Teams who linked up with various Northern Alliance leaders to quickly route the Taliban/Al-Qaeda forces who occupied 95% of Afghanistan. This was accomplished only by fighting an unconventional war--one in which the Green Berets were "responsible for wrapping up the first phase of the war in just six months."

How did they do it and how many ground forces did it take to accomplish this?
"Most people think it took 5.000 to 40,000 U.S. troops to free Kabul. They are vastly mistaken--fewer than 100 American soldiers were on the ground when Kabul fell. Not since Kublai Khan's Mandudai and the 300 Spartans had so few men fought so many. "

What was very interesting for me was to see the significant difference between the unconventional, specially-selected and trained (multi-skilled) Green Berets and the conventional forces that arrived later and bungled things big-time, for example, in Operation Ananconda (in the Tora Bora mountains). There is something to be said about using older, wiser, battle-proven and more experienced soldiers in small, committed teams that are empowered and released to do what they've been trained to do--and to get the job done!

There were times I was irritated with Moore's writing style, especially his copious use of special ops lingo, acronyms and slang. He really tries hard to come across as a "buddy-buddy' Green Beret, and seems overly enamored with his favorite subject (and the fact that he has known so much about them for so long!). Moore also flits back and forth at times, not following developments in a strictly chronological manner. There are also a few places where his lack of local, cultural understanding show through very obviously.

Overall, though, a pretty good read that I'd recommend.

The Hunt for Bin Laden
by ROBIN MOORE "just been inserted into northern Afghanistan, and the prey would be Osaka bin Laden and his terrorists. Once the twelve Green Berets touched down, Captain..." (more)
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Edition: Hardcover
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The first wave of U.S. Army Special Forces arrived in Afghanistan in mid-October, 2001; a few months later, they had routed the Taliban and taken control of the country. In fact, writes Robin Moore, "fewer than 100 American soldiers were on the ground when Kabul fell." The Hunt for Bin Laden is both a celebration of the Special Forces, "the most fearsome fighting unit the world has ever known," and a detailed account of how just a few hundred Green Berets, working alongside the Northern Alliance, were able to overcome nearly 100,000 entrenched al-Qaida and Taliban members and take control of Afghanistan in such a short time. Though Special Forces had participated in all of the small conflicts since World War II, the war in Afghanistan was the first time they were in charge of an entire operation. For these gung-ho soldiers, it was the moment they had been waiting for.

From the beginning, the operation was a blend of cutting-edge and 19th-century weaponry. The Northern Alliance soldiers, though brave and determined, were often outfitted with only rusted rifles and worn-out boots. In one particularly fascinating scene, Moore writes of the Northern Alliance cavalry leading a charge on horseback while American fighter jets roared overhead dropping laser-guided missiles with pinpoint accuracy on Taliban forces. The author of the military classic The Green Berets, Moore knows his subject intimately and his access to the troops on the ground is impressive. This makes the book incredibly detailed, but unquestionably subjective, so those interested in a political overview or an objective look at the policy behind the operation should look elsewhere. This is strictly a heroic portrayal of a military victory and the difficult search for Osama bin Laden, and at times Moore's writing sounds like copy out of Soldier of Fortune magazine. This bombast may not appeal to all readers, but his deep knowledge of Special Forces and his inside information makes this book a must read for those interested not only in this particular conflict but in how guerilla and unconventional warfare is executed. --Shawn Carkonen

Product Details
• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Random House; 1st edition (March 4, 2003)
• ISBN: 0375508619
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
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