Category: Security

Burkina Faso, a once-peaceful country in sub-Saharan Africa, shares a border with Mali—and that’s a problem. Mali has experienced incredible violence and political instability over the years, which continues to pose a significant threat to the entire region. The two countries share a long and relatively unmonitored border, allowing jihadis to conduct cross-border operations whenever they see […]

An unwelcome avalanche of fame has fallen on the lone Special Air Service (SAS) member who responded to last Tuesday’s terrorist attack in downtown Nairobi, Kenya. News outlets around the world have speculated about his identity and outfit. At first, he was a Navy SEAL from SEAL Team 3 because he wore a Velcro patch that […]

Despite the astounding success of America’s Special Operations Forces (SOF), decades of conflict and consecutive high-tempo deployments have taken their toll. Army SOF units are having trouble filling their ranks. In an attempt to alleviate this conundrum, the U.S. Army is offering financial incentives to applicants willing to try out for SOF units. Although far […]

According to last year’s Program on Extremism Pentagon report, at least 64 Americans have left the United States for Iraq or Syria in order to join the terror group known as the Islamic State. As compared to the thousands of Europeans that have left their homes to join ISIS, that figure is rather modest, perhaps […]

In 2016, U.S. law enforcement arrested Harold T. Martin III, a National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, for stealing a massive amount of classified data that would put Edward Snowden to shame. Now, it’s being revealed the intelligence that led to the bust came from the unlikeliest of sources: a Russian cybersecurity company. Kaspersky Lab, based […]

U.S. service members currently deployed to the southern border can expect to stay there for another nine months. Although originally the deployment to the area was slated to conclude later this month, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced on Monday evening that the current operation would extend until September 30, 2019. The DoD did not […]

Two weeks into a partial government shutdown that has required America’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials to continue to work without pay, a passenger managed to carry a firearm through security and onto his Delta flight to Tokyo. The TSA has since issued a statement denying that the partial government shutdown had anything to do […]

Two weeks into a partial government shutdown that has required America’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials to continue to work without pay, a passenger managed to carry a firearm through security and onto his Delta flight to Tokyo. The TSA has since issued a statement denying that the partial government shutdown had anything to do […]

The United States Coast Guard maintains the nation’s only operational ice-breaking vessels, and to date, neither are considered powerful or reliable enough to sustain any sort of extensive Arctic operations. Russia, on the other hand, maintains more than 40, including the world’s only nuclear-powered ice-breaking vessels. In recent years, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made […]

It is not unusual for governments, international organizations, and private groups to constantly assess the power of countries. The assessments often measure and categorize countries in terms of diplomatic, economic, military, political, foreign aid, foreign investment, and cultural, among other indicators, clout. Such studies are a good way to track change over time in countries […]

A new proposal published by the U.S. Naval Institute suggests purchasing merchant ships and converting them to carry and fire ballistic missiles in order to support the nation’s growing need for a larger naval presence around the world. As crazy as it sounds, the proposal actually makes some interesting points. The U.S. Navy faces a […]

An Afghan Air Force Security Forces member mans a base perimeter guardhouse Dec. 17, 2018, in Afghanistan. The mission of Train, Advise, Assist, Command-Air is to train, advise, and assist Afghan partners to develop a professional, capable, and sustainable air force. TAAC-Air leverages train, advise and assist activities in concert with strong personal relationships, to […]