Amazon Affiliate Link: Tactics of the Crescent Moon
In my continuing study of the writings of legendary small unit tactics trainer H John Poole, I just finished Tactics of the Crescent Moon this morning. I had planned on doing two books at once, because they are related (this one and Militant Tricks) but I've been focused on getting TW-05 out.
Tactics of the Crescent Moon is a study of the training and combat tactics of Muslim guerrillas against US, Israeli, and Russian forces. The study covers the first Afghan War, The Iraq War, the GWOT Afghan War, both Chechen Wars, and the Intifada in Lebanon. What all of these conflicts have in common is the fact that low-tech Muslim guerrillas defeated modern high-tech armies or at least held them at bay long enough to force a withdrawal, even in the case of southern Lebanon with Israel.
First, he makes a great point that Muslim insurgencies begin and end with Iranian support. While everyone focused on American and Western support for the Mujahideen in the Afghan War with Russia, IRAN provided secure smuggling routes and support as well. Poole also mentions that while everyone associates Hezbollah with Palestinians, it actually began in IRAN. Hezbollah (Party of God) was the Iranian insurgency against the Shah. It was rolled into the IRGC (Iranian Republican Guard Corps). The IRGC then formed the Palestinian Hezbollah and now uses them to train other forces, including both Iraqi and Afghan Forces.
Poole illustrates that Muqtada al-Sadr, while a larger-than-life figure inside Iraq, is nothing more than the regional manager for Hezbollah in Iraq and his Mahdi Army is supported and trained by Hezbollah militants.