Amazingly, it took years for the cia to suspect that valentine had no intention of writing a sympathetic account of their crimes in vietnam. Douglas valentine the cia as organized crime and the. Throughout the phoenix program s existence, the gvn displayed little interest or desire to control the program, and, in fact, american advisors to the program often complained about the lack of south vietnamese support. The phoenix program is a grim history of one of the darkest episodes of the vietnam war, the cias civilian torture and assassination program called phoenix. John prados, author of presidents secret wars this definitive account of the phoenix program, the us attempt to destroy the viet cong through torture and summary execution, remains sobering reading for all those trying to understand the vietnam war and the moral ambiguities of americas cold war victory. Valentine nonetheless affords an intriguingly detailed history of counterinsurgency efforts during americas postww ii involvement in indochina. Today douglas valentine, author of the phoenix program and the cia as organized crime joins us to discuss what the phoenix program is and why its resurrection is so ominous. The secret history of americas war on drugs, and the strength of the pack. How accurate is douglas valentines account of the cia.
The phoenix program was in theory an antiterrorist program, designed by the cia to target viet cong officials and sympathizers. Aug 03, 2000 buy the phoenix program by valentine, douglas isbn. The phoenix project pdf summary gene kim 12min blog. The program was, at the time and still is controversial. The personalities, politics and espionage intrigues that shaped the dea. When the phoenix comes home to roost flight of the phoenix.
Phoenix was far worse than the things attributed to it. The articles about cia officer simmons and navy seal kerrey contrasted the stated purpose of the phoenix program, which was to protect the people from terrorism, with its operational realitythe pacification of the south tdy valentine, douglas best price. Jun 10, 2014 douglas valentine is the author of four books of historical nonfiction. Douglas valentine is the author of four books of historical nonfiction. While under american management, the phoenix program acquired an unsavory reputation for assassination and ineffectiveness. For valentine the hotel tacloban, lj 91584, the program epitomizes all that. The collection contains the research material, including audio files of interviews with senior cia and military officers in the phoenix program, original handwritten interview notes, and government. Oct, 2016 buy the phoenix program by valentine, douglas isbn. Walt served as the editor of this manual, the phoenix, from its fifth edition in 1959 through its eleventh edition in 2008. Douglas valentines book the phoenix program gets the evolutionary information regarding this program correct. This covert operation was responsible for the killing, imprisonment, or torture of countless vietnamese in the name of neutralizing the viet cong infrastructure. Already years late, many expect the company to announce another program delay in its analyst earnings call next month. Douglas valentine discusses his recent article inside the cias use of terror during the vietnam war and his book the phoenix program.
Publication date 1992 topics vietnam war collection. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. May 29, 2015 he provides a brief history of the vietnam warera counterinsurgency program and explains how phoenix is being implemented today both internationally and domestically. The victims of the phoenix program were vietnamese civilians, male and female, suspected of harboring information about the enemythough many on the blacklist were targeted by corrupt south vietnamese security personnel looking to extort money or remove a rival. Aug 01, 2000 after having read douglas valentine s essay on how the phoenix is coming home to roost via homeland security on his website, i decided to look into his book, the phoenix program. Although many chapters have been updated with modern language and revised to frame it within the context of todays society, many of this books. Going back to the 1950s valentine traces attempts by saigon regimes and. Interview 1248 douglas valentine on the resurrection of. The phoenix program for the unacquainted was a cia generated operation that sponsored mass arrests, terrorism, torture. The phoenix program, revisited abcs of american interrogation methods abcs of american interrogation methods by douglas valentine weekend edition may 1517, 2004 counterpunch contents the pics piccs inside a pic the militarys side of the story adapted from chapter 5. In cooperation with authorjournalist douglas valentine, cryptocomb is publishing over 8gbs of audio recordings that mr.
His book received some notice indirectly via a til about the cias phoenix program in vietnam. Morley safers attack in the new york times,2 this essential study of us political warfare has been reissued as an ebook. The authors explain devops by wrapping it up in a business fable about parts unlimited, an auto parts company that devops saves. The first book to shed light on and analyze the details. American government is conducting covert warfare on. Most of the suspects picked up and detained as part of the phoenix program were murdered and never seen again or eliminated in their homes and villages in the countryside. Body count was their most important product the new york. The douglas valentine vietnam collection at the national security archive in washington, dc, has been open and used by researchers since early 2007. He is the author of the novel tdy, and a book of poems, a crows dream. Besides his comprehensive, journalistic coverage of the details involved with the program, unafraid to uncover the deeds of all sides involved, two things impressed me. Valentine collected throughout his personal interviews with former cia and u. In early october 197120 lieutenant colonel connie oshea arrived at the phoenix directorate and20 was assigned by john tilton as liaison officer to colonel song at the20 phung hoang bloc office in the national police interrogation center. How accurate is douglas valentine s account of the cia phoenix program. A crude, onesided appraisal designed to prove conclusively that the phoenix programamericas antiterrorist program in vietnamwas an instrument of unspeakable evil.
He provides a brief history of the vietnam warera counterinsurgency program and explains how phoenix is being implemented today both internationally and. Discount prices on books by douglas valentine, including titles like the cia as organized crime. The company has long promised that its phoenix program will restore profitability and close the gap by tightly integrating its retailing and ecommerce channels. After having read douglas valentines essay on how the phoenix is coming home to roost via homeland security on his website, i decided to look into his book, the phoenix program. The vietnam war ranks among the most bizarre episodes of this century.
Pics in the phoenix program, douglas valentine ny, wm morrow, 1990. Throughout the phoenix programs existence, the gvn displayed little interest or desire to control the program, and, in fact, american advisors to the program often complained about the lack of south vietnamese support. Amazingly, it took years for the cia to suspect that valentine had no intention of writing a sympathetic account of. Douglas valentine on the phoenix program then and now. The other was the phoenix directorates first manual of20 procedures, outlining the program from saigon down to the dioccs. The phoenix program, by douglas valentine at american. The phoenix program by douglas valentine extract the my lai massacre and the tiger cages by douglas valentine. At this20 point a detailed picture of the estimated seventy thousand vci was emerging, targeting was becoming specific and scientific, and results were20 improving. The author of a book once banned in america, douglas valentine, discusses how the american government is conducting covert warfare on its citizens via the cia. The phoenix project pdf summary devops is an innovative it management system that is created to help coordination and collaboration among business units, products owners, and different it operations. Military officers while researching for his book, the phoenix program. How accurate is douglas valentines account of the cia phoenix program. The phoenix program by douglas valentine, paperback. Douglas valentine on the resurrection of the phoenix.
The cias new assassination program homeland security. He is now advocating for a rebirth of the us infamous phoenix program to target the isis terrorists the us created, and he is advising trump from the shadows. He is best known for his investigations of the central intelligence agency and. The phoenix program was first published twenty four years ago, fourteen years after the congressional investigations that exposed and swiftly washed it from public memory. Buy the phoenix program by valentine, douglas isbn. Theres a reason the cia wanted to prevent the publication of douglas valentine.
While there have been many books written about the phoenix program, valentines book is much more thoroughly researched than the other books. The hotel tacloban, the phoenix program, the strength of the wolf. Mar 14, 2018 douglas valentine discusses his recent article inside the cias use of terror during the vietnam war and his book the phoenix program. The personalities, politics and espionage intrigues that shaped the dea ebook. Douglas valentine is an american author of four books of historical nonfiction, one novel, and one books of poems. The first book to shed light on and analyze the details of the whole operation. More than 50,000 south vietnamese died as a result of the phoenix program and it paved the way for cia support for abuses in south and central america for the next 30 years. One of the first books published in the series is douglas valentines invaluable, indepth history of one of americas most egregious counterinsurgency, torture and assassination programs, as. This acclaimed book by douglas valentine is available. Phoenix was the grotesque brainchild of william colby and may have resulted in the elimination, to use colby anaseptic phrase, more than 40,000 south vietnamese civilians, suspected by the.
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