• Colombian mercs participate in war in Yemen

    Some 800 former Colombian military troops will enter the city port of Aden in Yemen, switching the jungle terrain of their home country for the deserts of Arabia. The former Colombian army troops will join a coalition of allied international troops fighting Shiite rebels. They will operate under the service of the UAE Armed Forces, donning a Saudi uniform in defense of the Yemeni government. Domestic hostilities with Shiite rebels that have grown since their initiation in 2004, with the UN reporting the situation to be “on the brink of a civil war.” – Colombia Reports

  • Why Obama should let Putin have his mess in Syria

    You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Nor can Vladimir Putin broker a political solution in Syria. In fact, as a result of his recent attempts to play diplomatic power broker in the Middle East, he will lose credibility. That will only grow more apparent later this week when officials from Iran — like Russia, a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad — meet with their American and Russian counterparts in Vienna to discuss a political resolution to the Syrian conflict. Russia has reportedly been pushing for Iran’s inclusion in these high-stakes talks. – The Foreign Policy

  • An open source investigation into foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria

    The foreign fighter phenomenon as it relates to the ongoing conflict in Iraq and Syria has been well documented by governments, the media, and the academic literature. Estimates vary, but the general consensus is that between 20,000 and 30,000 foreigners from more than 100 countries have traveled to Syria to fight with various Sunni jihadist groups. Of those, roughly 150 to 200 are American citizens. This report seeks to shed light on a related, yet understudied phenomenon, namely, that of Americans traveling to Iraq and Syria to fight against the Islamic State (IS). While there have been a number of vignettes in the media highlighting particular Americans or groups of Americans who… – Bellingcat

  • Stolen valor custodians need to get a life

    It is now officially time we all had a talk about this ‘Stolen Valor’ craziness. Awhile back, I was at the airport in Chicago passing through on business and I had just finished dinner and was standing up in the process of paying my bill. I was a middle aged guy with a heavy five o’clock shadow, physically fit without looking super athletic, and wearing civilian clothes – honestly, I didn’t much look like a soldier. As I turned to go, this huge kid reeking of beer and at least a few percentage points over his tape test walked right up on me and blocked me from leaving, ‘10th MTN, huh?’ It took me a few seconds to register I had a tiny 10th MTN pin on my backpack which I had forgotten about. Before I could answer, he jabbed his finger at the pin and got super aggressive, ‘What… – The Havok Journal

  • Biker gang shootout caught on camera


    Surveillance video from Waco, Texas, shows the shootout between police and biker clubs that ended with nine dead and 177 arrested in May. – CNN

[Featured image: Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald via AP]