How To Stage A Military Coup

by Hebditch, David

• ISBN13: 9781853676406
• ISBN10: 1853676403
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-01-10
• Publisher: Greenhill Books/Lionel Leventhal

Summary

The coup remains the single most common form of power change throughout the world. The government being targeted by a coup attempt could be democratically elected, a long-standing dictatorship, or nothing more than a junta put in place by the previous month's coup. The motivation will always be lust for power, patriotism, greed or exploitation. It is usually a combination of power, greed and exploitation disguised as patriotism. How to Stage a Military Coup explores these violent and often bloody appropriations of authority, alongside the political, military, and social conditions out of which they arise. Taking into account factors such as timing, media control, popular support, and government organisational structure, and by drawing on examples of coups from all over the world, both failed and successful, the authors reveal exactly what it takes to carry out a successful government take-over.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	7	(2)
Introduction	9	(10)
The Military in Politics	19	(19)
Get Your Tanks off My Lawn	23	(1)
Breakthrough Coups: China 1911, Egypt 1952, Cuba 1959	24	(3)
Guardian Coups: Turkey 1960, 1971 and 1980	27	(2)
Veto Coups: Argentina 1943, 1955 and 1976	29	(1)
Operation Valkyrie: The July Putsch, Germany 1944	30	(1)
Ken Connor: Thoughts on Prussian Thinking	31	(1)
The Bloodless Coup and the Less-Blood Coup	32	(1)
The Accidental Coup: Sierra Leone 1992 and 1996	33	(3)
The Faux Coup d'Etat	36	(1)
Military Intervention	36	(2)
Motivation and Massage	38	(17)
Reasons to be Cheerful: Nigeria 1990	40	(2)
The Cuba Card: Venezuela 2002	42	(3)
Ken Connor: Mutiny!	45	(1)
Going Native: Ecuador 1963 and 2000	46	(3)
The al-Qaeda Franchise and the War on Terror	49	(2)
Getting the Message Across: Media Ops	51	(4)
Planning the Perfect Putsch	55	(26)
Secrets of Success	56	(1)
Positive Prognosis: Iran 1953	57	(10)
Risible Results: Algeria 1961	67	(5)
Pro-Formas for Perfect Planning	72	(9)
Recruitment, Training and Tactics	81	(17)
Recruiting to the Cause	85	(2)
Training Coup Teams	87	(1)
Ken Connor: Reading and Writing	87	(1)
Philosophical Stuff	88	(2)
Ken Connor: Harvey Point	90	(2)
Fighting in Built-up Areas	92	(1)
Vehicle Checkpoints	93	(2)
Arresting the Bad Guys	95	(1)
Prime-Time Interrogation	95	(1)
Ken Connor: Torture	96	(1)
Tailoring Your Tactics	96	(2)
Keeping Your Coup Covert	98	(15)
Watching the Watchers: Counter-Surveillance	103	(3)
A Message for Our Listeners: Telephone Security	106	(3)
Gentlemen Don't Read Each Other's Email	109	(4)
A Word from Our Sponsor	113	(20)
Invasion or Intervention?	116	(1)
`Made to Scream': Chile 1973	116	(8)
`Caravan of Death' 2: Operation Condor	124	(1)
The Kampala Strangler: Uganda 1971	125	(8)
Strategically Situated Exotic Islands	133	(24)
Temperature Rising	134	(1)
The Teenage Coup: Comoros 1978	134	(4)
Fiji 1987: Take 1 and Take 2	138	(8)
Three Coups and You Are Out: Fiji 2000	146	(1)
Ken Connor: The Incredible Horse	147	(4)
Finis Coronat Opus: The Seychelles 1977-1987	151	(6)
The Coup That Never Was	157	(15)
The Middle East before it Became a Way of Not Saying `Palestine'	158	(1)
Ken Connor: Self-Sufficiency and the Art of Dental Hygiene	159	(1)
Rotting Rupees: Abu Dhabi 1966	160	(2)
Ken Connor: Making House Calls	162	(1)
Enough Sa'id: Oman 1970	162	(3)
The CIA Train: Iraq 1958, 1959, 1963 and 1968	165	(4)
The Coup That Never Was: Iraq 2003	169	(3)
Outsourcing Your Coup	172	(21)
Guinea Foul	173	(5)
From Mutiny to Scrutiny	178	(3)
Hiatus in Harare	181	(3)
`Obiang Will Eat My Testicles'	184	(4)
Ken Connor: The Mercenary Fink	188	(1)
Private Military Cock-ups (PMCs)	189	(3)
Ken Connor: Not Seeing the Wood for the Trees	192	(1)
Where Next? Who Next?	193	(6)
Spreading `Liberty and Democracy'	193	(2)
Putsch Prognosis	195	(4)
Appendix A: Military Coups d'Etat by Country	199	(8)
Appendix B: Military Coups d'Etat by Date	207	(6)
Notes	213	(8)
Index	221