Michael T. Flynn

In "The Field of Fight", retired army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn discusses the conflict between radical Islam and the West, and what he feels should be done about the threats we face. As he points out, radical Islamic groups, such as ISIS, al Qaeda, the Taliban, Boko Haram, etc., have attacked civilian targets in France, the United States, Germany, Nigeria, and a number of other Countries, and have shown no signs of letting up. The Islamic State in Syria and Iraq openly encourage followers to conduct attacks in the West. However, because these groups are not true nation states, and their adherents blend in with civilian populations, conventional military means to eliminate the threats are difficult to implement.

It’s not surprising to see that General Flynn is critical of the current Administration’s approach to dealing with the threats from radical Islam, especially for those who may remember his strong endorsement of Donald Trump at the 2016 Republican Presidential Convention in Ohio. He was vocal in his criticism of Democrat Hillary Clinton and her role in Obama’s Administration, and feels it was a mistake to have withdrawn our troops from Iraq and Afghanistan when we did. Relying instead on training locals to take up the fight against insurgents and radical Islamists in those Countries has failed to restore peace. General Flynn is critical of the policy of Obama’s policy of repeatedly sending in token troops to those regions in supporting roles. By extension, Gen. Flynn apparently disagrees with the Obama Administration position that sending in additional troops to Muslim Countries, over and above the armed forces already in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya, only leads to further distrust and hatred of America and creates more enemies than might be eliminated. To those in the current Administration, use of unrestricted force in these Middle Eastern countries is not the answer, especially when military responses result in additional collateral damage and civilian casualties.

Opposed to the Obama Administration's approach, General Flynn recommends a more active policy against radical Islamists. As a retired military man and intelligence expert, General Flynn is impatient with the progress and pace of our efforts in fighting these radicals, and believes we can, and need, to do more. While that would include military action, but because conditions on the ground are fluid, specific targets and military deployments aren't detailed in the book. Gen. Flynn's other recommendations are also somewhat general, but include steps such as better use of intelligence, knowing the enemy, cracking down on the influence of Iran, and fighting to win.
While President Obama may feel that the U.S. coalition has halted ISIS’s gains in Syria and Iraq, shrinking the areas under their control, reducing the number of foreign fighters and weakening their appeal, General Flynn hints that more forces are necessary, and more direct military strikes against ISIS are required.

Since General Flynn was rumored to be on Donald Trump’s short-list as a Vice Presidential candidate, and remains a military advisor to the Trump campaign, this is certainly a valuable book to read in order to gain insights into the approach Trump may follow should he win the Presidency in the November election.
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