Julian McBride

About the author

Julian McBride is a forensic anthropologist, SOFREP contributor, and independent journalist born in New York. He reports and documents the plight of people around the world who are affected by conflicts, rogue geopolitics, and war,and also tells the stories of war victims whose voices are never heard. Julian is the founder and director of the Reflections of War Initiative (ROW), an anthropological NGO which aims to tell the stories of the victims of war through art therapy. As a former Marine, he uses this technique not only to help heal PTSD but also to share people’s stories through art, which conveys “the message of the brutality of war better than most news organizations.”

The Rising Storm: Japan’s Journey from Demilitarization to Rebuilding Its Military

Japan has realized the best defense is a great offense, and the recent geopolitical shift has convinced Tokyo to militarize once again. Facing threats from Russia, North Korea, and China, Japan will not be deterred by its rivals, and the technological powerhouse will display its much-feared military capabilities once more if provoked into conflict.

Russian Military Strategy Unveiled: Scorched Earth Tactics at Nova Kakhovka Dam

The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam was an act of desperation by a failing autocrat who thinks of himself as a reincarnated Peter the Great and a nation that still lives in a mindset of rite of passage for territorial conquest. These acts of desperation will not deter Ukraine nor Western support but make it even more likely Ukraine’s defense and membership in the European Union and NATO will be solidified by the war’s end.

Unraveling the Geopolitical Shift in the Middle East

The ever-changing geopolitical shift in the Middle East is something to study and watch closely. With autocratic governments coming under pressure in 2022, regional autocrats have self-aligned in 2023 despite ideological differences and look to play smoke-and-mirror politics with China and Russia to force more concessions out of Western states.

Assassinations and Psychological Warfare: Ukraine’s Intelligence Challenges Russia

Ukraine’s intelligence is not only playing a pivotal role in helping to liberate their country against an imperialist power, but also in weakening the Russian Federation to where they no longer pose a threat to their nation for the near future. Already gaining the ability to conduct raids deep inside enemy territory, along with high-value assassinations, Kyiv’s intelligence apparatus, like America’s, Israel’s, and Britain’s, will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

Wagner is Using ISIS Tactics and The World Should Know

Preemptions must be made to contain Wagner and its influence as the PMCs look to further their extreme violence to attract more followers and influence. Like ISIS, ultimately the group will become a major global security problem unless their external operations are kept in check.

All of Russia’s Self-Inflicted Fears About Ukraine Have Become a Reality with Finland

Finland, which has had a dark and uneasy history with Russia as a neighbor, originally attempted to keep a neutral but aware stance on their eastern neighbor since World War Two. Now that the Russian invasion has changed its stance, the largest reserve and artillery army in Europe now poses the ultimate nightmare to the Kremlin, more so than Ukraine could in the alliance.

The Drone Strike on the Kremlin was a Psychological Blow Putin Cannot Recover From

With various possibilities, the attack on the Kremlin has left more answers than questions, but the world, including Russian society now knows how vulnerable their fortress truly is. With Putin residing in a bunker after the strike, his strongman aura is diminishing every day the war continues, which brings the possibility that the man who labeled himself a reincarnated ‘Peter the Great’ could very much end up with the fate of Tsar Nicholas II.

Assyrian Siege Warfare in Antiquity

The ancient Assyrian Empire in the old, middle, and neo periods fought fiercely in siege tactics to turn rivals into vassalage and extend their force projection across the ancient Near East. These Semitic peoples would lay the foundations of siege warfare along with extraordinary cultural achievements for modern human civilization.