Russian ships deliver military equipment to the Philippines

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is keeping with his vow to diversify his nation’s ties away from the United States and towards China and Russia, welcomed five Russian ships delivering military equipment to the Filipino government. On Friday three Russian anti-submarine ships docked in Manilla ahead of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s visit and two cargo ships […]

Heating Up of Africa, Requires Beefing Up Intelligence Requirements

On Friday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, of the Senate Armed Services Committee announced in a press briefing that the United States will be looking to increase U.S. Special Operations counter-terrorism missions within Africa. This bit of welcome news comes on the heels of an operation that cost the lives of four members of the 3rd SFG […]

State Department “Isn’t Aware” of Any Iranian Involvement in Kirkuk

In a surprising development, on Thursday, the State Department said that they are doubting reports of Iranian involvement in the fighting between Iraqi troops and Kurdish forces in Kirkuk. “I’m not aware of any Iranian involvement in that, per se,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters Thursday. Iran’s influence over the central government in […]

Russian Ships Deliver Military Equipment to the Philippines

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is keeping with his vow to diversify his nation’s ties away from the United States and towards China and Russia, welcomed five Russian ships delivering military equipment to the Filipino government. On Friday three Russian anti-submarine ships docked in Manilla ahead of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s visit and two cargo ships […]

Banner in Raqqa unveiled by victorious SDF depicts controversial PKK leader

Members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) liberating Raqqa within the last week were photographed in front of a banner featuring the image of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, a Kurdish leader who has been identified as a terrorist by both the United States and Turkey. Ocalan is recognized as the founder of the PKK, […]

Wanted dead, not alive: France’s approach to French jihadists

French citizens are among the biggest contingent of overseas fighters who have joined IS, with around 1,000 nationals estimated by counter-terror officials to have travelled to Iraq and Syria. France doesn’t want them back. France’s attitude to the killing of its citizens in Syria fighting for the Islamic State group has rarely been as frankly […]

White House Chief of Staff Kelly “Stunned” Over Trump Criticism

In another turn of events from earlier this week, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said Thursday he was “stunned and broken-hearted” over the comments that Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) made after President Trump called the widow of a soldier who was killed in Niger two weeks ago. Kelly came to the aid of […]

ISIS’ loss of its caliphate signals the end of one type of ISIS — and the beginning of a new one

US-backed forces cleared the remaining ISIS fighters from Raqqa But the fight is far from over: ISIS is transforming from a territory-controlling “quasi-state,” to an insurgency Its fighters will still perpetrate suicide bombings, and encourage lone-wolf style attacks in Western countries US-backed forces on Tuesday cleared the remaining Islamic State, or ISIS, forces from Raqqa, Syria, […]

The fall of Kirkuk

Over the past few days, the city of Kirkuk once again has become the center of an age-old conflict between Arabs and Kurds; but is everything as it seems? For the most part you’re going to hear about intense fighting, Peshmerga retreating and Iraqi-backed militia invaders; but the truth is so much more and quite […]

The defeat of ISIS in Raqqa tests US commitment to Syrian Kurds

U.S.-backed forces in Syria claimed Tuesday that they had full control of the Islamic State’s onetime capital of Raqqa, heralding an end to the militants’ presence in their most symbolically important stronghold and raising new questions about the United States’ future role in Syria. Mustafa Abdi, a spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, […]

MI5 boss Andrew Parker warns of ‘intense’ terror threat

The UK’s intelligence services are facing an “intense” challenge from terrorism, the head of MI5 has warned. Andrew Parker said there was currently “more terrorist activity coming at us, more quickly” and that it can also be “harder to detect”. The UK has suffered five terror attacks this year, and he said MI5 staff had […]