S4E34: Part 1 - Those Who Face Death: The Untold Story of Special Forces and the Iraqi Kurdish Resistance - Mark Grdovic.

Original Recording Date: 2025JAN16. 

Audio editing by Stephanie Bosch.

Co-host John Simpson.

Views and opinions of the participants are their own, unless otherwise stated.

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TOPICS:

• Author Mark Grdovic speaks about his new book and a missing chapter in U.S. military history. Those Who Face Death: The Untold Story of Special Forces and the Iraqi Kurdish Resistance.
  • A small group of Special Forces and CIA operatives must establish a second front to tie down the Iraqi Army in the north to support the pending US-led invasion in the south.   The mission sounds simple. The reality is anything but.   The plan is to infiltrate into Iraq ahead of the invasion, link up with the Kurdish Peshmerga, and coordinate their efforts against the Iraqi Army.   The Peshmerga, which translates to those who face death, have risen up several times in the recent past, only to be abandoned by the US and subsequently slaughtered by the Iraqi army.   Before the Special Forces have any chance of posing a viable threat to the Iraqi Army, they must first convince the Kurdish factions to put their differences aside, resolve the issue of Turkey's wavering support, and neutralize an Islamist group that has seized Kurdish territory along the Iraq-Iran border.   The details of the invasion are classified. The clock is ticking, and time is running out.   Once in Iraq, there will be no extraction, medical evacuation, or air support until the war begins. The Green Berets will be on their own.   Those Who Face Death is the incredible true story of this little-known special operation and a testament to the courage, skill, and perseverance of the US Special Forces in the face of overwhelming odds.

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REFERENCES / RESOURCES:

Important Links:

1. Mark Grdovic's website: https://www.markgrdovic.com/home 
2. Get the book, Those Who Face Death.
   • Amazon links:
     • USA: https://a.co/d/252OVtQ 
     • Canada: https://a.co/d/6Gg6SUD 
   • Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/those-who-face-death-mark-grdovic/1147952341?ean=9781963781069 
3. John's books.
   • Foundations of Patrol Rifle Marksmanship: https://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Patrol-Rifle-Marksmanship-Simpson/dp/1608854809
     • Government sales: https://www.blue360media.com/products/foundations-of-patrol-rifle-marksmanship
   • Foundations of Sniper Marksmanship: https://www.amazon.com/Foundations-Sniper-Marksmanship-John-Simpson/dp/1608852121
     • Government Sales: https://www.blue360media.com/products/foundations-of-sniper-marksmanship 

Profiles:

1. Mark on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/mark-g-5668b357 
2. John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-simpson-b6114b59