Ally to Adversary

the long version

In this revealing firsthand account, career intelligence officer and Arabic linguist Rick Francona takes the reader on an odyssey from the battlefields of the Iran-Iraq War, to the top-secret tactical decision-making meetings of the Desert Storm coalition forces, to the actual surrender at Safwan by Iraqi officials, many of whom he had worked with previously as allies. As the point man for the highly sensitive support the United States gave Iraq in 1987-88 during its war with Iran, Francona walked the streets of Baghdad, toured military facilities, and established close relations with high-ranking Iraqis. Through these activities he gained a unique and valuable perspective on Iraq's military capabilities and doctrine, including its use of ballistic missiles and chemical weapons. Later, as Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf's personal interpreter, he shared in the successes, failures, and frustrations of political and military planning and prosecution during Desert Shield and Desert Storm.