Kurdish Armour Against ISIS

Kurdish Armour Against ISIS
Author: Ed Nash
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 49
Release: 2021-09-16
Genre: History
ISBN: 1472847598

One of the most remarkable mechanized campaigns of recent years pitted the brutal and heavily armed jihadis of Islamic State against an improvised force belonging to the Kurdish YPG (later the SDF). While some Kurdish vehicles were originally from Syrian Army stocks or captured from ISIS, many others were extraordinary homemade AFVs based on truck or digger mechanicals, or duskas, the Kurds' version of the technical. Before US air power was sent to Syria, these were the Kurds' most powerful and mobile weapons. Co-written by a British volunteer who fought with the Kurds and an academic expert on armoured warfare, this study explains how the Kurds built and used their AFVs in the war against 'Daesh', and identifies as far as possible which vehicles took part in major battles, such as Kobane, Manbij and Raqqa. With detailed new artwork depicting the Kurds' range of armour and many previously unpublished photos, this is an original and fascinating look at modern improvised mechanized warfare.

Kurdish Armour Against ISIS

Kurdish Armour Against ISIS
Author: Ed Nash
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 49
Release: 2021-09-16
Genre: History
ISBN: 1472847563

One of the most remarkable mechanized campaigns of recent years pitted the brutal and heavily armed jihadis of Islamic State against an improvised force belonging to the Kurdish YPG (later the SDF). While some Kurdish vehicles were originally from Syrian Army stocks or captured from ISIS, many others were extraordinary homemade AFVs based on truck or digger mechanicals, or duskas, the Kurds' version of the technical. Before US air power was sent to Syria, these were the Kurds' most powerful and mobile weapons. Co-written by a British volunteer who fought with the Kurds and an academic expert on armoured warfare, this study explains how the Kurds built and used their AFVs in the war against 'Daesh', and identifies as far as possible which vehicles took part in major battles, such as Kobane, Manbij and Raqqa. With detailed new artwork depicting the Kurds' range of armour and many previously unpublished photos, this is an original and fascinating look at modern improvised mechanized warfare.

Technicals

Technicals
Author: Leigh Neville
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 49
Release: 2018-04-19
Genre: History
ISBN: 1472822536

Over the last 30 years, the 'technical' or armed pick-up truck has become arguably the most ubiquitous military land vehicle of modern warfare. Harking back to the armed Jeeps and Chevrolet trucks of the SAS and Long Range Desert Group in North Africa in World War II, the world's first insurgent technicals were those of the Sahrawi People's Liberation Army in Algeria in the late 1970s, followed by the Chadian use of technical in the so-called Toyota War against Libya. Since then, technicals have seen use in Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, as well as being used by Western and Russian Special Forces. Fully illustrated with commissioned artwork and providing rigorous analysis, this is the first history of how this deceptively simple fighting vehicle has been used and developed in conflicts worldwide.

Genocide in Iraq

Genocide in Iraq
Author: George Black
Publisher: Human Rights Watch
Total Pages: 392
Release: 1993
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9781564321084

The PUK's last stand.

Special Forces in Action

Special Forces in Action
Author: Alexander Stilwell
Publisher: Amber Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2015
Genre: Military history, Modern
ISBN: 9781782742548

In 1991, Coalition special forces were active deep inside Iraq, hunting down SCUD missile launchers before they could be fired. In 2011, US Navy SEALs were responsible for the assassination of the world's most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden. In 2014, the US Delta Force captured Libyan terrorist Ahmed Abu Khattala, wanted for the attack on the US embassy in Benghazi in 2012. Over the last 25 years elite military formations have played an increasingly important role in the policing of the world's trouble spots, including rescuing hostages in Afghanistan and fighting Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. Special Forces in Action is a detailed account of the operations of the world's special forces from 1991 to the present day. From the Gulf War to the invasion of Iraq, via the war in Afghanistan, the search for war criminals in the Balkans, drug gang hunting in South America, hostage rescues in Africa, and the counter-terrorist initiatives since 9/11, the book brings the reader full details of the often clandestine and varied roles of the world's elite soldiers. Authoritatively written and illustrated with more than 180 photographs and artworks, Special Forces in Action is an expert account of how the world's special forces have become a vital arm of the modern military machine.

Armoured Warfare

Armoured Warfare
Author: Alaric Searle
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 285
Release: 2017-02-09
Genre: History
ISBN: 1441158057

This book charts the history of armoured warfare from the first use of the tank in 1916 right through to the 21st century, adopting military, political and global perspectives. Alaric Searle explores the origins of the tank, the part it played in the First World War and its contribution to the outcome of the war. He considers its role as a tool of propaganda, the military controversies of the interwar period and the employment of armoured forces in all the major theatres in the Second World War. Since the First World War, major and medium-sized powers have invested heavily in armoured forces. Searle looks at the conduct of mechanised warfare in Korea, Indo-China and Vietnam, and during conflicts such as the Arab-Israeli Wars and the Gulf Wars. Armoured Warfare adopts a global perspective, providing the most comprehensive survey of the history of the subject currently available. With a detailed bibliography of both primary and secondary sources, it is an ideal companion for those studying armoured warfare, modern military history and war studies.

A Modern History of the Kurds

A Modern History of the Kurds
Author: David McDowall
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 729
Release: 2021-03-25
Genre: History
ISBN: 0755600770

David McDowall's ground-breaking history of the Kurds from the 19th century to the present day documents the underlying dynamics of the Kurdish question. The division of the Kurdish people among the modern nation states of Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran and their struggle for national rights continues to influence the politics of the Middle East. Drawing extensively on primary sources - including documents from The National Archive and interviews with prominent Kurds - the book examines the interplay of old and new aspects of the struggle, the importance of local rivalries and leadership within Kurdish society, and the failure of modern states to respond to the challenge of Kurdish nationalism. In this new and revised edition, McDowall also analyses the momentous transformations affecting Kurdish socio-politics in the last 20 years. With updates throughout and substantial new material included, this fourth edition of the book reflects the developments in the field and the areas which have gained importance and understanding. This includes new analysis of the Kurdish experience in Syria; the role of political Islam in Kurdish society and Kurds' involvement in Islamist Jihad; and issues surrounding women and gender that were previously overlooked, from the impact of the women's equality movement to how patriarchal practices within the Kurdish community still limit its progress. The foundation text for Kurdish Studies, this book highlights in detail the changing situation of the Kurds across the Middle East.

The Iraqi Kurds and the Cold War

The Iraqi Kurds and the Cold War
Author: Hawraman Ali
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2020-02-17
Genre: History
ISBN: 1000766055

Examining the effects of the Cold War and regional politics on the Iraqi Kurds between 1958 and 1975, this study demonstrates how regional and international powers sought to exploit the Iraqi Kurds in their quest for statehood. The research draws on a plethora of British and American archival documents and select Soviet and Iranian sources integrated with Kurdish authoritative and eyewitness accounts. The work explores the Iraqi Kurds on three levels: Firstly, on a national Iraqi level, starting with the Iraqi Revolution in 1958 to the collapse of the Kurds’ liberation movement in 1975 under Mela Mustafa Barzani. Secondly, it considers the issue on a regional level by examining the political dynamics between Iran (under the Shah), Iraq, Egypt (thus Nasserists) and other regional states, with a focus on these states’ relations and tensions. Thirdly, it scrutinises the impact of the Cold War on the politics and history of Iraq, focussing on the effects on the Kurds in particular. Complementing the existing literature, this volume builds a chronological narrative through historical analysis. It is a key resource for students, scholars, policymakers and regional experts interested in Kurdish history, foreign policy, politics and security in the Middle East.

Fighting ISIS

Fighting ISIS
Author: Tim Locks
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Total Pages: 317
Release: 2016-07-14
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0283072695

In February 2015, Tim Locks headed to Kurdistan to fight ISIS. After watching images of the Yazidi people being slaughtered, he couldn't sit back and do nothing. Having worked as a prison officer and a bouncer, he knew how to handle himself - and had a huge protective streak. He sold his house to raise money, put himself through arms training and bought his equipment on eBay. In this gripping book he reveals what it is like to fight alongside the Kurds as well as British and American ex-military. He has cleared the enemy from occupied villages, come under mortar and small-arms fire, and witnessed the horrific atrocities committed by ISIS. He also describes how WiFi on the front line allows today's soldiers to communicate, how they always find time for selfies, even when under attack, and how the Kurds are so used to this way of life they stop mid-firefight to have a cup of chai and play Candy Crush while manning the mortars. As cultures clash, and the bullets start flying, Tim shares his adventures with honesty and black humour.