Raid on Qaddafi: The Untold Story of History's Longest Fighter Mission by the Pilot Who Directed It
On April 14-15, 1986, Operation El Dorado Canyon, a military retaliation raid, was carried out by the Air Force and the Navy against Libya for its connivance and collaboration in terrorist activities against the United States. Colonel Venkus commanded the Air Force component that led the attack. In a crisp manner he presents the operational details of the planning and execution of the military mission against the North African leader, Muammar Qaddafi. The considerable detail here should interest military history buffs as well as those who follow American foreign policy in the region. The author concludes that the mission was a military success despite the losses in men and aircraft. His approach to the political aftermath is somewhat more muted. He touches briefly on the theory that the real mission was to assassinate the Libyan leader. Ultimately, he attempts to justify the Air Force piggybacking onto the recent military action in the Persian Gulf. This is recommended for a broad audience.- Sanford R. Silverburg, Catawba Coll., Salisbury, N.C.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.