Country to set a military thriller in

Hello TV Tropes

I am relatively new to this site. So I think I am in the right place for this conversation. Basically I am attempting to create a military thriller novel about covert operations, whilst trying to make it plausible. The basic plot is that the team is sent into an African country to jailbreak a political opponent of the Regime and get him out of the country. However I am stuck on a country to use.

Do you guys have any suggestions for the country to use? Or what would be the motivation to undertake such action?

edited 21st Mar '14 8:24:40 PM by HOWIE

I'd say the best way would be doing a country Expy (like the wonderful nation of Makambe or somesuch), as to have more freedom with what to do and not to offend anyone.

Why use a country? Perhaps you could apolitically use a geographic location, if inventing a whole new fictitious nation would be a bit too much of a stretch of the imagination. If you make the antagonists a form of paramilitary organization that aren't directly tied to a government, you could make that work quite well.

edited 22nd Mar '14 2:39:37 AM by gingerman

Expy'ing it may be the best solution. I suggest Katranga, for example, the fictionalized West African hellhole that Frederick Forsyth made up for the purpose of a book. (I'd recommend that book heartily if you're writing anything about mercenary covert operations in Africa.)

Additionally, I'd recommend shifting around time periods if necessary, and perhaps figuring out part of its geography and its history. It depends on the amount of verisimilitude you want to put in it; the more the better, generally, but the less latitude you have for screwing up and making, say, Botswana less stable than it is. I'd recommend full-scale research blitzes on Cold War African history at least, but that's just me as a historian speaking.

edited 22nd Mar '14 10:52:05 AM by SabresEdge

I will probably expy it or just avoid out right stating the name of the country , now that I think about it. Although I am not going to offend anyone as this is for me only. It would be easier because I won't have to do more than a basic research into history and geography of certain areas.

But for motive I am struggling as the main character isn't a mercenary (Well not yet anyway) I'm am wondering what be in it for a country such as the US or UK to take such action. For example a more sympathetic leader may allow for more oil to be sent or minerals to bought at cheaper costs. Although I have no idea about African economics is there certain areas that have these sort of things?

edited 22nd Mar '14 5:26:32 PM by HOWIE

"Somewhere in Africa..."

The answer would have to be "a hell of a lot". Contrary to what popular media tells you, most countries are very wary of launching "kinetic" operations in other countries. Too many people get involved—there's no way around that—and then it will leak out, intentionally or unintentionally. Forget the Black Ops model of international relations; these days, the US is very leery about backing military operations in other countries.

That said, though, this policy wasn't always in place, as anyone with a cursory knowledge of Iranian or Guatemalan history could tell you. And measures short of a coup have always been rather popular. Sending "advisers" to help train local forces, for instance, either openly or covertly. As for why the country would do this, one possible reason is the same reason the US backed a number of rather murderous regimes in Africa in the 1980s: they were on the same side of the war against Colonel Gaddafi. "The enemy of my enemy" is a powerful reason to cooperate.