Скачать или смотреть Assassination, Torture, Interrogation: the CIA's Black War in Vietnam

“Phoenix wasn’t a battlefield — it was a list.”
A rare first-hand account of the CIA-backed *Phoenix Program* in Vietnam: how targets were chosen, how intel flowed, and the moral cost of fighting an insurgency.

⚠️ Viewer discretion advised: historical descriptions of violence (no graphic imagery shown).

WATCH, then join the discussion ↓
• Where is YOUR ethical line in COIN (counterinsurgency)?
• Did Phoenix “work” locally but fail nationally — why?
• If you served, what training or mentorship helped most when you came home?

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
• What the *VCI (Viet Cong Infrastructure)* was—and why Phoenix focused on it
• How PRU teams used HUMINT, targeting lists, and psychological ops
• Civilians as “functional combatants” & the law-of-war gray zone
• **Phoenix vs. My Lai**: doctrine vs. breakdown
• The psychological toll on operators; secrecy and isolation
• Phoenix’s legacy in modern targeting operations

00:00 Intro & Bill's Diplomatic Upbringing
02:20 Early Military Experiences Abroad
05:05 Entering Vietnam & Language Skills
06:52 Roles in Vietnam: Intelligence & Phoenix Program
09:57 The Phoenix Program: Tactics & Challenges
13:02 Insurgency, Local Support and Power Dynamics
16:41 Green Beret and Special Forces Transition
19:00 Reservist Life and Global Special Ops
22:08 Modern Training, Real-World Lessons, Career Reflections
26:56 Life After Service & Lessons for the Next Generation


IF THIS HIT HOME
US Veterans Crisis Line — Dial *988**, then press **1* • Text *838255* • veteranscrisisline.net

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COIN = *counterinsurgency* (the blend of military, intel, policing, and political/economic actions to dismantle insurgent networks while securing the population).

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