Ally to Adversary

by Francona, Rick

• ISBN13: 9781557502810
• ISBN10: 1557502811
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-04-01
• Publisher: Naval Inst Pr

Summary

In this revealing firsthand account, career intelligence officer and Arabic linguist Rick Francona takes the reader on an odyssey from the battlefields of the Iran-Iraq War, to the top-secret tactical decision-making meetings of the Desert Storm coalition forces, to the actual surrender at Safwan by Iraqi officials, many of whom he had worked with previously as allies.
As the point man for the highly sensitive support the United States gave Iraq in 1987-88 during its war with Iran, Francona walked the streets of Baghdad, toured military facilities, and established close relations with high-ranking Iraqis. Through these activities he gained a unique and valuable perspective on Iraq's military capabilities and doctrine, including its use of ballistic missiles and chemical weapons. Later, as Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf's personal interpreter, he shared in the successes, failures, and frustrations of political and military planning and prosecution during Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Author Biography

Rick Francona is a retired Air Force intelligence officer and Middle East specialist. In addition to his role as the lead U.S. military interpreter during the Gulf War and a principal author of the report to Congress on the conflict, he served throughout the Middle East with the Defense Department and national intelligence agencies.

Table of Contents

List of Maps	p. ix
Foreword	p. xi
Preface	p. xv
Acknowledgments	p. xvii
List of Acronyms	p. xix
Prologue	p. 3
Iraq 1988	p. 9
Interregnum	p. 31
Prelude to Conflict	p. 40
Riyadh	p. 54
Washington	p. 69
Amman	p. 78
The Sheikh and the Courier	p. 85
Hail Mary and the Politics of Planning	p. 91
Lessons in Air Power	p. 101
Of Scuds and Patriots	p. 112
Bob Simon Finds the War	p. 119
The Ground Assault	p. 125
Safwan	p. 141
Safwan Two	p. 152
Aftermath	p. 161
Title V	p. 164
Epilogue	p. 169
Notes	p. 171
Bibliography	p. 179
Index	p. 181
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