A COLD WAR

For many years, China’s big bad had been the Kuomintang. As MacArthur and the US/UN forces continued to ignore their warnings about their occupation of North Korea, the USA very quickly became the new Chinese enemy number one. But not all of the Chinese leadership believed they were ready to go to war with the US. Lin Biao, one of the heroes of the revolution, turned down Mao’s request to lead them in war against the US. He died in a mysterious plane crash, was declared an enemy of the revolution, and became Mao’s Sejanus.

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The Chinese sent the US and UN enough warnings that they wouldn’t idly stand by and allow forces to march into North Korea in 1950. But the US refused to listen. Their arrogance and racist worldview made it impossible to listen. Bizarrely, they interpreted Chinese warnings and probes in October as simply evidence of weakness and reluctance to fight. And while most Americans today know little about the Korean War, the Chinese have not forgotten the lessons of how to deal with the United States.

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The point of the Wake Island conference, from Truman’s perspective, was to help Douglas MacArthur to understand who was giving the orders. And Dougie Mac understood perfectly. HE WAS. Still convinced the Chinese weren't going to give him any trouble, MacArthur pushed his troops closer to the Chinese border. When Mao attacked in late October, he decimated American and ROK troops. When they managed to capture a couple of soldiers who happily identified themselves as Chinese, fighting as part of a huge Chinese force coming to aid the North Koreans, the Americans refused to believe it. Over and over and over. Because it's impossible to understand something you are paid not to understand.

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Without permission from the UNSC, the US and ROK forces crossed the 38th parallel. The Truman Administration ordered MacArthur to keep the crossing a secret. He ignored them and broadcast it publicly. He had them by the balls and they knew it. Truman ordered MacArthur to meet with him on Wake Island so he would know who the boss was. MacArthur knew all too well - he was.

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This is part two of our recent interview with Michael Holzman, author of the new book: SPIES AND TRAITORS - Kim Philby, James Angleton and the Friendship and Betrayal That Would Shape MI6, the CIA and the Cold War.

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This is part one of a two-part interview with Michael Holzman, author of the new book: SPIES AND TRAITORS - Kim Philby, James Angleton and the Friendship and Betrayal That Would Shape MI6, the CIA and the Cold War

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While MacArthur plans his Inchon invasion, Stalin and Nehru are trying to negotiate a peace deal, but it was rejected by the USA. The KPA are setting up people’s democratic committees in the South while they have a chance. But then MacArthur’s landing at Inchon goes more smoothly than anyone could have imagined - mostly because the North had already been decimated. MacArthur goes back to Tokyo, convinced the war is already over. But he doesn’t want to stop at driving the North back behind the 38th parallel. He wants to control the entire country.

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American soldiers slaughter hundreds of innocent civilians at No Gun Ri, then deny it for 50 years. Lieutenant Eugene Clark does some brass balls recon of Inchon ahead of

Dougie Mac’s big landing, aka “Operation Common Knowledge”.

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While Australian Mustangs are supporting - and sometimes killing - the Americans troops in Korea, an Australian journalist prevents war crimes by the South against prisoners. The North, who see the South as collaborators and traitors, also commit atrocities, as do the Americans. The British government finally and reluctantly send a token force, which gets insulted by the Americans as soon as they arrive. And when the UN forces are almost defeated, Dougie Mac comes up with his grand plan - to land at Inchon. Everyone - EVERYONE - thinks he is batshit crazy.

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More and more US troops landed in Korea in July-August 1950, only to get immediately crushed by the North. The segregated African-American unit, the 24th infantry of the 25th division, got special criticism for their inability to stand their ground. Yet the US/UN troops were actually killing a lot of KPA troops. Meanwhile Rhee’s ROK men were forcing young South Koreans at gunpoint to join the army - to fight for freedom - whether they wanted to or not.

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