Peshmerga take out ISIS financial head near Makhmour

Peshmerga take out ISIS financial head near Makhmour

A high ranking Islamic State member, Abu Obaida, was killed on Saturday by Peshmerga commandos. Abu Obaida oversaw logistics and financing for all ISIS operations. The raid took place at night in the city of Makhmour, it was coordinated operation with United States led coalition forces via air support and Special Operations advisers. Furthermore, several […]

Calls To Boost Military Budget Adding to Growing Unease in UK

Calls To Boost Military Budget Adding to Growing Unease in UK

The United States and Great Britain have been staunch allies thru World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict as well as in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan and in Syria. But the lack of spending in the British military has some fearing that the UK’s military prowess will be looked upon as irrelevant unless […]

Netherlands continues foreign aid efforts in the Middle East

Netherlands continues foreign aid efforts in the Middle East

The Netherlands Foreign Trade Minister, Sigrid Kaag, recently visited Kurdistan, Iraq and Jordan in a move to push rehabilitation efforts in the wake of Islamic State conflict. Primarily they will be focusing on the city of Mosul, further Peshmerga military advisory work and other humanitarian aid programs. Kaag addressed Netherlands press stating that, “It is of […]

Islamic State captures village in Kurdistan

Islamic State captures village in Kurdistan

Monday evening Islamic State fighters assaulted Kakai village located in the Daquq region, one resident was killed during the raid. A local resident, Sardar Hama, who escaped told press that, Late last night, nearly 40 to 50 ISIS militants seized control of a Kakai village, Ali Saray, killed one person and injured two others. The […]

Russia Calls Off Ceasefire With US in SW Syria, Israel Hits Iranian Base

Russia Calls Off Ceasefire With US in SW Syria, Israel Hits Iranian Base

With what was termed breaches of the ceasefire agreements by insurgent groups in southwest Syria, the Russian air force in Syria announced the end of the ceasefire agreement they reached with the United States and Jordan in the area. Meanwhile, government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad are staging a new offensive to retake […]

Kurdistan representatives meet with US delegation to discuss the future of Iraq

Kurdistan representatives meet with US delegation to discuss the future of Iraq

A United States led delegation met with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani over the weekend. The meeting was to discuss what role Kurdistan will play in helping eliminate the last remnants of the Islamic State as well as how the will contribute to the formation of the new Iraqi government. The delegation was […]

Why Bitcoin is overrated for terrorist finance

Why Bitcoin is overrated for terrorist finance

For this article, cryptocurrencies will generally be referred to as Bitcoin to avoid confusion. Introduction Bitcoin was supposed to change the world of finance. Created by the reclusive and possibly imaginary Satoshi Nakamoto, it offered a purely digital currency that all of the people loved. Libertarians championed its unregulated free market aspect. Anarchists liked that […]

Iraqi Security Forces engage ISIS suicide bombers

Iraqi Security Forces engage ISIS suicide bombers

The Islamic State is on the brink of absolute collapse because of the efforts of the United States led coalition. Among the coalition members are the Syrian Democratic Forces, the most prominent local national military holding the line against ISIS in the region. Earlier this year, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi gave the order for […]

An airstrike in Syria that no one seems to know anything about

An airstrike in Syria that no one seems to know anything about

A statement was released by Iraq’s Joint Operation Command (JOC) this week stating that the alleged Iraqi military forces that were killed in Syria by airstrikes over the weekend weren’t under the JOC’s command. Simultaneously the JOC did not deny the existence of Iraqi soldiers conducting operations in Syria outside its command. Last month, Iraqi Prime […]

US Denies Responsibility For Airstrike on Iraqi/Syrian Border Units

US Denies Responsibility For Airstrike on Iraqi/Syrian Border Units

Syrian state media said on Monday that an airstrike that targeted Syrian army positions along the Iraqi border was carried out by U.S.-led coalition aircraft causing deaths and injuries, but the U.S. military denied responsibility. The attack took place in al-Harra, southeast of the town of Albu Kamal, state news agency SANA said, citing a […]

Assad Says He’s Open to Allowing Iranian Bases in Southern Syria

Assad Says He’s Open to Allowing Iranian Bases in Southern Syria

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has stated that he’s open to having an Iranian presence in the southern area of Syria and blamed the U.S. and Israel for supporting “terrorists”. The interview on Iranian-funded, Arabic news channel Al-Alam, also stated that Syria will make the final decision and not anyone else. The interview started with questions about […]

Motorcycle ambushes lead to Eid holiday ban in Deir ez-Zor by the Syrian Democratic Forces

Motorcycle ambushes lead to Eid holiday ban in Deir ez-Zor by the Syrian Democratic Forces

The Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish ally to the United States led coalition forces, have put into place restriction for motorcycle use in Deir ez-Zor. The restrictions come during Eid, a holiday that follows the fasting period known as Ramadan. The Eid celebrations have cause security forces to fear of possible suicide attacks or ambushes […]