A fascinating insight into US and Coalition Special Forces operating in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and Mali. Within weeks of 9/11, United States Special Operations Forces were dropping into Afghanistan to lead the war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. For over a decade, special forces have been fighting a hidden war in Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Somalia, Mali and Afghanistan, facing off against a range of insurgents from organisations like al Qaeda, al Shabaab, Boko Haram and the Taliban.Leigh Neville draws on recently declassified material and first-hand-accounts from his SOF contacts to lift the veil of secrecy from these operations, giving an unprecedented blow-by-blow description of major Special Forces operations, culminating in SEAL Team 6's Operation Neptune Spear and the killing of Osama bin Laden.Detailing the special equipment, tactics, machinery and training that these Special Operatives received and used this impressive volume shows how the world's elite soldiers fought against overwhelming odds around the world.

1 Introduction: The World Before 9/112 Enduring Freedom: Afghanistan 2001-20023 Iraqi Freedom: Iraq 20034 Countering Insurgency: Afghanistan 2002-2009, Iraq 2003-2011 and the Philippines 2002 Onward5 Industrial Counterterrorism: Hunting Al-Qaeda in Iraq 2003-20126 Kill or Capture: Afghanistan 2006-20147 New Theaters: Somalia, Libya, Yemen, Mali and Syria8 The Long WarGlossarySelect BibliographyIndex