Foreign Policy

U.S.-Russian diplomacy set to fail in Syria, leaving only war.

Don’t poke the bear. The Russians predictably will go the course in Syria. The U.S. is getting close to shutting the current diplomatic process as battles in Aleppo rage onward. “U.S. officials say they are considering tougher responses to the Russian-backed Syrian government assault, including military options, although they have described the range of possible responses […]

US Defense Chief Calls Alliance With Philippines ‘Ironclad’

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has described the U.S.-Philippines alliance as ironclad, one day after the Philippine president said joint military exercises with the U.S. would end. “As it has been for decades, our alliance with the Philippines is ironclad,” Carter said Thursday in a speech in San Diego, en route to a meeting in […]

Meet the form of Islam that drives ISIS: Salafism

In the beginning, Salafi Islam is non-political ideology. But it’s morphed into a political and religious ideology adopted by Islamists. The Jihadis are obsessed with a confrontation with the West. But Al-Qaeda represents a thoughtful, planned approach while ISIS wants that fight, right now. What is Salafism? Salafis are fundamentalists. They want to return to […]

Tunisia, birthplace of Arab Spring, teetering on instability again.

Tunisia housed the spark that began the Arab Spring. It created a cascade effect that eventually influenced a myriad of events – to include Syria. Today, the Middle East has crashed so badly that a terrorist commander of Al-Nusra is telling a German reporter the United States is arming the jihadis. The Middle East is so […]

Al-Qaeda: Why we Fight

Al-Qaeda has been a household name since 9/11. But after years of war against them, the basics of their fight is still not known. Al-Qaeda and it’s Salafi-Jihadi associates have a plan, and they’ve been fighting their war by whatever means possible for many years. Despite the conspiracy theories, Al-Qaeda was, in part, banking on […]

“America is on our side,” Al-Nusra fighter claims

Al-Nusra commander claims to have received support from the West via western-backed partner nations. Whether or not it’s true, it’s worth considering. It might be hogwash. But an Al-Nusra fighter tells a German reporter that, essentially, the West is behind them. But, also, ISIS and there’s more, too. There’s no doubt that Al-Nusra has a […]

Soldiers deploying to Iraq re-enter Gas chamber

In Basic Combat Training (BCT) everyone enters and exits the gas chamber. When doing so, everyone breathes in the gas – and a deeply uncomfortable sensation ensues. It’s terrible and jarring in your first go-around. I know no one without exception enjoys the experience. Because of a single shell with remnants of a harmful chemical […]

Kurds won’t have friends as ISIL fades to the background

The Kurds ought to be our focus in the Middle East. They’re legitimately our friends. At this point, it’s clear we don’t know the Middle East better than Middle Easterners. But, we do know who has performed and helped us in the past. We ought to give the Kurds some measure of solidarity, because once […]

Americans distrust Saudi Arabia and maybe it’s with good cause

Many of us, including myself, were unhappy with the tumultuous relationship between the Obama administration and the Saudi elites. Except Saudi Arabia, behind closed doors, has never liked us. I’m looking back and thinking now – I’m not as upset. I’m not convinced a Saudi Arabia with broad powers in the Middle East is what we […]

What is Takfirism?

When in the Middle East, speaking to the average citizen, you’ll hear them refer to groups like ISIL as takfiri. But it’s seldom mentioned here in the United States. Wikipedia defines takfiri as a Sunni Muslim who accuses another Muslim of apostasy. The accusation itself is called takfir, derived from the word kafir, and is described as when […]

To our unsurprise, the cease fire failed in Syria

The Obama administration is often criticized for its lack of action on Syria, but in some cases, doing nothing might be better than a cease-fire gone wrong. Hassan Hassan, a fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy and an expert on Syria, warned that public opinion on the US is already so low […]