Frank Kitson
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General Sir Frank Kitson GBE KCB MC (born 1926) is a retired British Officer and writer on military subjects, notably low intensity operations. He rose to Commander in Chief, United Kingdom Land Forces 1982–1985 and served as Aide-de-Camp General to the Queen 1983–1985. In 1985 he became Knight Grand Cross, Order of the British Empire.
His earlier published work on counter-gangs and measures of deception, including the use of defectors, continues to provoke strong opinions. Although sometimes wrongly credited with inventing concepts of pseudo-gangs and pseudo-operations (for example, used earlier in the Huk Insurrection[1] in the Philippines), his writing gave the issue a wider audience.[citation needed] In retirement he has given evidence to the Saville Inquiry[2] into Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland.
His 1971 book, Low Intensity Operations: Subversion, Insurgency and Peacekeeping, considered as the "Bible" used by the British Army during the Troubles in Ireland quoted most of all Roger Trinquier, French theorist of counter-insurgency who legitimized the use of torture, noted Roger Faligot, French specialist of the Irish conflict in Guerre spéciale en Europe (Flammarion, 1980).
[edit] Selected bibliography
- Gangs and Counter-gangs (1960), Barrie and Rockliff
- Low Intensity Operations: Subversion, Insurgency and Peacekeeping (1971), Faber and Faber - reprint 1991 ISBN 0-571-16181-2
- Bunch of Five (1977)
- Prince Rupert: Admiral and General-at-sea (1998), Constable and Robinson
- Old Ironsides: The Military Biography of Oliver Cromwell (2004), Weidenfeld Military
[edit] See also
- False flag operations (similar to pseudo-operations)
