Securing and Holding Rural Territory
Use of Pseudo Teams and Airmobile “Very-Light” Infantry Quick Reaction Forces in Rhodesia Counter-Insurgency Operations
A paper by Timothy Bax and Steven Hatfill

Securing and Holding Rural Territory | Small Wars Journal

Errrmmm ... isn't Steven Hatfill the guy that falsely claimed service in the Selous Scouts and/or Rhodesian SAS ?

No information regarding Mr Hatfill, but surely Mr Bax would know.

B

OK, you've piqued my interest with that one. After reading Wiki. entry regarding his CV, I looked for links with the first author:

The Luigi Andrea ("Anthrax") Warren Deception: Rhodesian SS Redux

Three Sips of Gin

Col. Reid-Daly knew Bax, apparently Bax knows Hatfill.

This is the internet who knows what's real any more?

Steve Hatfil was at University of Cape Town Microbiology doing his PhD in the 1980's - he was called Captain Courageous by two actual ex RLI mates of mine who were in the dept at the time - waltier than the most walty of walts - very strange little man - got himself arrested for anthrax terrorism in yankland and the FBI drained the pond at the bottom of his garden looking for evidence. Turns out his boss was the terrorist and old Steve got mega moola - but still a weird little fecker.

Originally Posted by Schaden

Steve Hatfil was at University of Cape Town Microbiology doing his PhD in the 1980's - he was called Captain Courageous by two actual ex RLI mates of mine who were in the dept at the time - waltier than the most walty of walts - very strange little man - got himself arrested for anthrax terrorism in yankland and the FBI drained the pond at the bottom of his garden looking for evidence. Turns out his boss was the terrorist and old Steve got mega moola - but still a weird little fecker.

Great stuff, perhaps they used the bucks to purchase land in Puerto Rico:

Now 61 years old, a very lean and fit Bax still holds training exercises about once a month for members of the Delta Force, Navy Seals and parachute jumpers at a remote jungle training camp in Puerto Rico that he purchased and runs with his friend Steven Hatfill, a professor of emergency medicine at George Washington University, a doctor and bio-weapons expert.

B

Originally Posted by Luigi Warren

Steven Hatfill is a former member of the Selous Scouts / Special Branch.

It will come as little surprise to those who took note of Schaden's warning on this fella
that his name does not appear in Col Raid-Daley's Selous Scouts Nominal Roll.
Whilst BSAP SB worked closely with the Scouts it would be wrong to claim to have earnt his wings.
As a consequence I would seriously doubt as well him being in SB either.
Though this too can be checked with the Regimental Association if he persists with his spurious claims.

They're also talking complete shite - Fireforce isn't particularly transferable to other coin ops - in Afghanistan it would be a complete cock up and even if it did work - the point is that kill ratio's actually don't mean all that much - what is required is for everyone to come to realise that the only way out of the quagmire - for both side - is to sit down and negotiate.

Originally Posted by Schaden

They're also talking complete shite - Fireforce isn't particularly transferable to other coin ops - in Afghanistan it would be a complete cock up and even if it did work

Fire-Force was not a new concept, as tactically there was very little difference to the concept of AirCav in Vietnam, only in Rhodesia we had far fewer assets getting troops on the ground with modest air support but a more known enemy and easier terrain. In Afghanistan helo insertions with airstrikes in support are going on daily. Though the thought of jumping into the Kunar from a C-47 might raise an eyebrow or two! I always wondered why the Sovs never tried "externals" hitting the muj training camps in the FATA areas during the '80s under the guise of the DRA acting in "hot pursuit". Had they been determined, and a little more competent than they in reality were, they may have had their own Chimoio or Westlands Farm successes. However neither the Sovs nor the DRA had either the stomach politically or the capability militarily with their conscript forces of carrying out such attacks. Just an aside, Terry is a far different enemy than the muj the Sovs ever fought [with the possible exception of the Panjshiris]. Few of the muj were ever willing to close with the enemy, let alone have the technical know-how & sophistication of IEDs, and the thought of suicide bombers was entirely foreign to their MO. There is no relevant comparison of Terry/muj to the terrs of the Rhodesian war.

Originally Posted by Schaden

- the point is that kill ratio's actually don't mean all that much

Bodycounts are never an accurate measure of whether you are winning a COIN war. Floppies don't have neither the hearts nor the minds that matter any longer.

Originally Posted by Schaden

- what is required is for everyone to come to realise that the only way out of the quagmire - for both side - is to sit down and negotiate.

The similarity which you elude to is correct, that without gaining their acceptance we might as well go home, and therefore the only solution will have to negotiated and this will mean money and loss of original principal of leaving a government that will not be susceptible to AQ. Sickening, considering the amount of coalition blood & treasure spent to see the Karzai kleptocracy walking away with bulging bank accounts, leaving some form Terry government to return. A not too dissimilar hand of cards as dealt to General Elphinstone in 1842's winter withdrawal, merciful only for not needing to go through Khord Kabul, Gandamak and Jegdalek on our exit.

Without wanting to hi-jack your thread did anyone ever run across a chap who called himself Frank (aka Danny) Larsen?

He used to hang around Aldershot in the mid 1980s claiming to be ex Rhodesian SB and stated he was involved in developing the process used to turn SEP to work for the SS in counter-gangs.

Some times he would appear in uniform sporting a Capts rank IIRC but dont rember ever seeing him in head dress so I dont know what cap badge- maybe RAMC because he claimed to be a shrink as well.

Steve Hatfill to my knowledge never served in the Selous Scouts, RLI or RhSAS. He is definitely not on the nominal rolls for the Selous Scouts or the RhSAS. Tim Bax on the other hand is genuine.