The Phoenix Program

A very well researched and written book about the murderous killing program instituted by the American war machine against the Vietnamese - Shows how mercenaries , narco dealers and plain psychopaths were used to achieve dubious and immoral geopolitical objectives by terrorizing entire populations - Now I understand better why the vietcong committed vast killings of collaborators and other lumpen elements post victory because they were not entirely innocent - It's actually terrifying to read how casual the killing was without any real vetting of targets other than hearsay - No wonder american imperialism is hated in Asia and Latin America because there's were most of this psychotic deviances were put into practice and where america lost every conflict it has been involved in after the second world war

Good overview and quite a detailed account of the origination, strategy and conduct of the Phoenix Program in Vietnam, which was in fact designed, developed and carried out primarily as an Intelligence operation to identify the North Vietnamese and Vietcong cadres in South Vietnam. It does give a more nuanced and complex explanation of the early development and conduct of the Phoenix program and how it later developed into assasinations, murder and the liquidation of the Vietcong and communists in South Vietnam. It also gives a good insight into why the US military military effort in South Vietnam failed and the competing intelligence and counter insurgency programs that often worked agianst each other.It also gives a good insight into how the experience and conduct of the Phoenix Programs and operations in Vietnam, many of which were designed and funded by the CIA were then used again by the CIA in Central and South America in Argentina, Chile, El Salvador,Guetemala, etc, leading to the kidnap and the assinations of left wing intellectuals, trade unionists and socialists in these countries as part of Operation Condor.The scale of the numbers murdered and eliminated as part of the Phoenix Programm are really shocking and show what a nasty and ruthless war the US, including the CIA and South Vietnamese Police and Intelligence Agencies conducted to try and root out and destroy the Vietcong in South Vietnam. 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. 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.After reading this book you will never view America and CIA in the same way again.Truly shocking.Recommended for those interested in the politics and military conduct of the American experience in Vietnam. A very important book that should be read by historians and Vietnam veterans who want to know the truth about the conduct of the counter insurgency guerilla war and the Intelligence war in Vietnam.

Unfortunately Douglas seems to be more interested in getting his opinion across then the facts.... Was highly suspicious when in the first few pages a supposedly highly trained Navy seal mistakes two young girls for a grown man and kills them,.... Some interesting bits but I'd advise reading it as a work of fiction

brilliant piece of history that has been kept out of the main stream.

Did not like or enjoy it.

A chilling account that enlightens us about how the the world capitalist empire is reproduced through mind-boggling inhumanity of its police state