Kyrgyz security forces conduct raids targeting Islamist militants

On July 16, the government of Kyrgyzstan reported that security forces had killed several militants in two separate raids conducted in Bishkek and a town just outside of the capital called Lebedinovka. According to Bruce Pannier of RFE/RL, when raided by forces under the command of Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security (UKMK), the militants […]

The Butcher of Kabul

The Afghan government has pardoned one of the country’s most notorious warlords for past offences including terrorist attacks and alleged war crimes as part of a peace deal with his militant group, Hezb-i-Islami. The agreement, signed on Thursday after months of negotiations, paves the way for a return to public and possibly political life for […]

China humiliates America at G20

This time the G20 was different. Intentionally so. The Chinese had prepared it and planned it to be so.  Yet, as always, with the G20 meetings, there was little that is tangible to show for it all. No big solutions. No ‘in the margins’ progress on Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, or on a supposed ploy to manage […]

Clinton, Trump, Iraq, and Libya

Over the last two months, the British public has been engaged in a debate about war that has been largely absent from the U.S. presidential election. On Wednesday, a parliamentary committee in the United Kingdom released a report condemning the government of former Prime Minister David Cameron for its role in the 2011 military intervention […]

Jordan, our friend, is falling to the Muslim Brotherhood (Part One)

The Muslim Brotherhood is winning seats in Jordan’s parliament. Many know terror groups as an existential threat because they commit acts of violence. However, they’re rooted in the Muslim Brotherhood dating back to the 1980’s in Egypt, where intellectuals like Sayyid Qutb began, writing, thinking and speaking out against the status quo. Osama Bin Laden […]

America’s longest war is fast becoming America’s forever war

American’s longest war—Afghanistan—is still a mess. The Afghans still do not have the support they need to secure their villages. The central government is weak and not present where the fighting is most intense. We hear the limited discussion. What is it about Afghanistan that’s so annoying? It’s avoided in conversation on a national level. […]

The Black Market aiding and abetting fundamentalists

The Black Market is a global norm; it exists, and it’s tentacles attach to every nation and land. It prospers from the fact people want illegal things. If you’re curious how strong anti-U.S. sentiment is around the world, look no further than ISIS and Al-Qaeda. Funding comes in subtle and not-so-subtle ways through the Black Market. […]

Fight Between Saudis and 9/11 Families Escalates in Washington

On Monday, a constellation of lobbyists for Saudi Arabia, which has spent more than $5 million this past year to buy influence in Washington, called a crisis meeting to try to stop legislation allowing the families of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks to sue the Saudi government for any role in the plot. On Tuesday, […]

My high school football coach may as well be in charge of foreign policy

He was an idiot. As a result, we sucked. We scheduled a game with some prison school for homecoming, because that’s how unsure of victory we were. It was the worst. Much of our weakness as a team had to do with flawed planning and stupidity at the helm. I think there are very enlightened and […]

U.S. says some 360,000 refugee spots pledged at United Nations

A summit hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama garnered pledges from dozens of countries to resettle or allow the lawful admission of some 360,000 refugees, doubling the number of slots that were available last year, the U.S. envoy to the United Nations said. But Ambassador Samantha Power said that was “still only a fraction” of […]

The Enduring Beijing-Pyongyang Axis

The 5.1-magnitude explosion at North Korea’s Punggye-ri nuclear testing site this month didn’t shake China’s loyalty to the Kim regime in Pyongyang. While U.S. and South Korean leaders increasingly call for crippling sanctions intended to make Kim Jong Un choose between his regime’s survival and its nuclear program, China may not support even an incremental tightening of […]