Stinger Operation Cyclone (A Cold War Adventure with Rick Fontain) - Hardcover

Fortin, Bill

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0996478639 ISBN 13: 9780996478632

Publisher: Cold War Publications, 2018

Synopsis

Rick Fontain is back.  "Stinger" is a Cold War adventure that peers inside the exploits of Congressman Charlie Wilson and CIA's Task Force Chief Gust Avrakotos. Strange bedfellows they were.... Their alliance proved to be one of the most successful partnerships in the history of the CIA."Stinger: Operation Cyclone" centers on the results of their efforts.
 
The adventure begins with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1979. This was the same year that the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Early in 1982 POTUS called for a plan of action to arm and finance the Afghan Freedom Fighters known as the Mujahideen. Operation Cyclone was the code name assigned to this project.
 
CIA Officer Mike Vickers, not a participant in this story, was solicited by Avrakotos to help design and rollout the blueprint to equip the Mujahideen. Included in this Covert Action program was the Stinger guided missile. This weapon system would be credited as the major factor in the Russian withdrawal in 1989.
 
General Gerald Bushman returns as the Director, Defense Intelligence Agency. Rick Fontain, who is now a Member,Technical Staff, of AT&T's Bell Labs, is brought in for his expertise with the Stinger technology. His familiarity with the Russian gunship, the Mil Mi-24is just icing on the cake.
 
Rick is re-united with his Redeye instructor, Andy Davis, and together they lay out a plan to kill buku Russian aircraft. However, the operation stalls in 1982 and does not move forward until Rick thwarts an assassination attempt on one Maalouf Torki bin Taisei. Mr.Taisei is a Malaysian government official. He is also the largest arms dealer on the Pacific Rim.
 
The KGB gets wind that the Pakistan ISI has agreed to support Operation Cyclone. Their attacks are fierce.However, the result is not what they expect. President Reagan issues a change to the original operation requirements. The gloves come off. Rick Fontain is told to do whatever it takes to get Stinger into the hands of the Afghan Freedom Fighters.
 
In 1985, Pakistan's President Zia finally OK's the American plan to provide the Stinger technology to the Mujahideen. American Special Forces, the Green Beret and DELTA, are assigned tothe training center at the ISI's Ojhri Camp. The CIA's LTC Jim Pezlola and CWO Gary Larson solicit the Mujahideen Command to provide students for the very first class of Stinger shooters.

Rick takes the graduating class into Afghanistan to the Russian airbase at Bagram. The rest, as they say, is history. Operation Cyclone may not have ended the Cold War, but it certainly weakened the Soviet Union's resolve. So much so, that in 1993 it financially collapsed.

About this title

About the Author

Bill Fortin served in the United States Army, 3rd Armor Division, from April 1968 to the first part of 1970. Retired from Bell Labs in 2001,Former CEO of IBS, Inc. Presently the head of Cold War Publications. Earned a Master's in the Management Sciences from the University of Baltimore. My wife Judy, a gaggle of Border Collies, and other 4 legged and featured companions reside in the rolling hills of Westminster, Maryland.

From the Inside Flap

A Grunt Level View of Charlie Wilson's WarA Cold War adventure that peers inside the exploits of Senator Charlie Wilson and CIA's Task Force Chief Gust Avrakotos. Strange bedfellows they were... their alliance proved to be one of the most successful partnerships in the history of the CIA. Stinger: Operation Cyclone centers on the results of these efforts.

The adventure begins with the election of Ronald Regan in 1979. This was the same year that the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Early in 1982 POTUS called for a plan of action to arm and finance the Jihadi warriors known as the Mujahideen. Operation Cyclone was the code name assigned to this project.

CIA Officer Mike Vickers, not a participant in this story, was solicited by Avrakotos to help design and roll out the blueprint to equip the Mujahideen. Included in this Covert Action program was the Stinger guided missile.This weapon system would be credited as the major factor in the Russianwithdraw in 1989.

General Gerald Bushman returnsas the Director, Defense Intelligence Agency. Rick Fontain, who was now a Member, Technical Staff of AT&T's Bell Labs, is brought in for hisexpertise with the Stinger technology. His familiarity with the Russian gunship, the Mil Mi24 was just icing on the cake.

Rick is re-united with his Redeye instructor, Andy Davis, and together theywould lay out a plan to kill buku Russian aircraft. However, theoperation stalls in 1982 and would not move forward until Rick thwartsan assignation attempt on one, Maalouf Torki bin Taisei. Mr. Taisei is a Malaysian government official. He is also the largest arms dealer onthe Pacific Rim.
The KGB gets wind that the Pakistan ISI has agreed to support Operation Cyclone. Their attacks are fierce. However, the result was not what theyexpected.

President Regan issued a change to the original operationrequirements. The gloves were to come off. Rick Fontain is told to dowhatever it takes to get Stinger into the hands of the Afghan Freedom Fighters.

In 1985 President Zia finally OK's the American plan to provide the Stinger technology to the Mujahideen. American Special Forces, the Green Beret and DELTA, wereassigned to the training center at the ISI's Ojhri Camp. CIA's, LTC JimPezlola and CWO Gary Larson, solicit the Mujahideen Command to providestudents for the very first class of Stinger shooters.

Rick takes the graduating class into Afghanistan to the Russian airbase at Bagram. The rest... as they say... is history. Operation Cyclone may not have ended the Cold War, but it certainly had weakened the Soviet Union's resolve. So much so that in 1993 it financially collapsed.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cold War Publications
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0996478639
• ISBN 13: 9780996478632
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 432