War Is Boring

Five days after falsely accusing me of “making up” quotations I attributed to him, it appears Brig. Gen. Neil Tolley, commander of Special Operations Forces for U.S. Forces Korea, has either been fired or has voluntarily stepped down. Per a Pentagon press release dated today, his replacement is …

TAMPA, Florida — Scandal. Political intrigue. Tricked-out assault helicopters disgorging masked Special Operations Forces. A noisy, smoky mock gunfight. These are just about the last things you’d expect to see at a trade show. But SOFIC — that’s the Special Operations Forces Industry Convention — had all this and more.

I was a guest on (the U.K.) DefenceReport’s latest podcast.

The Diplomat has yanked my “commandos in North Korea” story, under pressure from those who claim I “made up” Brig. Gen. Neil Tolley’s comments.

Some folks have accused me of fabricating quotations I attributed to Army Brig. Gen. Neil Tolley regarding U.S. surveillance operations in North Korea. See the original story here … and skepticism here and here.

U.S. Special Forces have been parachuting into North Korea to spy on Pyongyang’s extensive network of underground military facilities. That surprising disclosure, by a top U.S. commando officer, is a reminder of America’s continuing involvement in the “cold war” on the Korean peninsula – and of North Korea’s extensive preparations for the conflict turning hot.

TAMPA, Florida — The Special Operations Forces Industry Conference had a surprise guest on Wednesday — one that had some here scratching their heads. At a black-tie dinner following the day’s panel discussions, product displays and tech demos, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived behind a phalanx of State Department and Special Operations Command security. Clinton’s presence seemed incongruous at the gaudy Tampa Convention Center packed with weary-looking commando staffers, paunchy industry reps and chipper media handlers. Special Operations Forces are a big deal, sure, but it was still just a trade show.

The secret base-within-the-base was the first sign that I was about to see something special.

In one sense, the U.S.-led coalition has itself to blame for the riots and killings that have raged across Afghanistan in the wake of last week’s accidental burning of the Koran by American forces. Too many U.S. troops habitually disrespect their Afghan trainees, according to some of the elite forces who head up those training sessions. And those small, tactical acts of cultural stupidity can lead to a strategic moment, like the one we’re having now.

AFGHANISTAN: International Special Operations forces play an important but largely unheralded role in Afghanistan. American Army Rangers, Green Berets and Delta Force, along with Navy SEALs and Air Force specialists work with the best from Britain, Australia, New Zealand and a host of other allied nations to kill and capture insurgents and terrorists. They also train Afghan militia, police and soldiers.

LAGHMAN, Afghanistan — Coalition forces here have been hit hard in the past year. Bombings and gun battles have killed more than a dozen U.S. troops and wounded around 100 from Task Force Thunderbird, built around the Oklahoma National Guard’s 45th Infantry Brigade.

LAGHMAN, Afghanistan — The American Special Forces officer was having what one colleague says was the worst day of his war tour. And that was before the Soviet-made anti-personnel mine packed with 700 ball bearings exploded at his feet.