IQATF: The Less Lethal Option

By Tim Beckman

This is the fourth in my series The Path Less Travelled and deals with the time I spent working on the Iraqi Advisor Task Force contract in Southern Iraq. This was a classic and effective non lethal information collection program that really highlights the value of non lethal methodology.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tim Beckman
• Release date: Nov 12, 2010
• ISBN: 2940011860027

Tim Beckman

I am a retired US Army Special Forces team sergeant. This is my first book for general publication, but I have previously written and published several handbooks for Special Operations forces and the Department of State. I live currently in Germany with my family and continue to work as a contractor.

Book preview

IQATF: The Less Lethal Option

Tim Beckman

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2010 Tim Beckman

Discover other titles by Tim Beckman:

Blackwater: From The Inside Out

IQATF: The Less Lethal Option

Book 4 in the Path Less Travelled series

This is a collection of my experiences while working for SOS International in Iraq under the Iraqi Advisor Task Force contract. The opinions contained herein are my own and are not intended as being representative of SOSI even though it no longer has this contract and in fact the contract itself has been discontinued.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter – Incoming Rockets

Chapter – Like A Tick

Chapter – Home Sweet Trailer

Chapter – Kings of Porn

Chapter – First Impressions

Chapter – Friends and Family

Chapter – The Life of an Informant

Chapter - Reporting

Chapter – The Market Report

Chapter – The Mosque Report

Chapter – Word on the Street Report

Chapter – Power and Water Reports

Chapter – Cell Coverage Report

Chapter – Truth In Reporting

Chapter – Expectation Management

Chapter – Assessing and Recommending

Chapter – Elections

Chapter – Information Operations

Chapter – The Big Cigarette Hunt

Chapter – Stay Back or I'll Shoot

Chapter – Castles in the Sand

Chapter – Graffiti as Evidence

Chapter – California Boys

Chapter – The Little Blue Box

Chapter – Knight and Pawns

Chapter – The Downhill Process

Chapter – Life Afterwards

Preface

It was over a cup of coffee with a guy I know named Al that I was offered a position on the Iraqi Advisor Task Force or IQATF contract. This is how it works in the world of contractors and especially amongst Special Forces guys. Someone needs a something done and we check around with our buddies to see first if we know someone capable of doing the job. Rarely do you hear of a guy asking for a cut or if there’s a signing bonus for someone recommended. It’s about your reputation. If you recommend someone who isn’t up to standard you take part of the heat for the recommendation and inevitably you find getting yourself hired becomes more challenging later on.

Initially I thought this was just another one of those touchy feely gather irrelevant data gigs that would get me paid and pass the time til I could find something more worthwhile and interesting. It turned out to be the best job I ever had and I can honestly say we made a difference in Southern Iraq in how the Coalition Forces interacting with civilians and by providing the units with tactical insight that literally saved lives during my time on the program.

Tim

Chapter - Incoming rockets

One of my Iraqi American Advisors or IAs, Hash, comes running over to my trailer. It’s late at night and I’m watching some bootleg DVDs when he pounds on my door.

‘LNA 002 just called and says they are going to fire rockets at the base!"

So I ask Hash what exactly his Local National Advisor or LNA said.

There are a couple guys in a small sedan unloading rockets that come in two pieces. They have already set up the rails to shoot the rockets in the school yard. They are putting the rockets on the rails and doing something at the bottom of each one.

I tell Hash to recontact his LNA and ask how many guys exactly, can he describe the guys, what direction are the rails facing, how many rails and can they see batteries at the base of any of the rails?.

I run back into my room in the trailer, check my wall map real quick, compare the LNA positions and jam a quick email to the Brigade Tactical Operations Center via Gmail which says:

FLASH

SITREP DTG NOW

MULTIPLE AIF (MIN 2 PAX). ATB 122MM ROCKETS PREPARED FOR LAUNCH. ROCKET RANGE MAKES THE SOUTHERN PART OF TALLIL AIR BASE WITHIN RANGE. IMPACT WITHIN AS LITTLE AS 30 MIN. NUMBER ROCKETS TBD, DIRECTION TBD, DESCRIPTION OF AIF TBD.

END OF MESSAGE.

OPSCEN DIRECTOR

FLASH

I then attempt calling the TOC, which is a couple miles away on this sprawling base where about 12,000 Coalition and contractors live in Southern Iraq. No luck.

I resend the message CC