Forbidden pleasures: Inside the Mosul shop selling everything IS banned

In a small shop in a corner of west Mosul, 16-year-old Abdel Halek dusts his shelves and admires the trove of goods he can now sell without fear of punishment by Islamic State. Mobile phone accessories, playing cards, dominoes, prayer beads – all were banned by Islamic State, and all now sit proudly on Abdel’s […]

Watch: SECDEF James Mattis delivers an impromptu speech to deployed troops in Jordan

Defense Secretary James Mattis has a reputation as a no-nonsense public speaker, and perhaps one of the most quotable war fighters of the modern era.  During his tenure in the United States Marine Corps, Mattis secured his place in the hearts of American service members with memorable statements like, “I come in peace. I didn’t […]

ISIS claims deadly attack on Shiite mosque in Afghanistan

Suicide attackers stormed a crowded mosque in Kabul during Friday Prayer, officials said, killing at least 20 people and wounding dozens of others in the latest in a series of deadly attacks against Shiites in Afghanistan. The Islamic State, which previously claimed deadly assaults against Shiite targets in the country, said its militants were behind the […]

Competition for the new light attack aircraft is heating up

The United States Air Force is searching for a new light attack aircraft that will serve as the next generation of ground support aircraft for the nations’ troops. The Textron Scorpion, Hawker Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine, Sierra Nevada A-29, and Air Tractor AT-802U are all being tested at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico to see which one would be most suitable […]

Iraqi Forces Driving on Islamic State Held Town of Tal Afar

Iraq’s armed forces announced that they’ve captured two areas on the edge of the town of Tal Afar. Lt. Gen. Abdul-Amir Rasheed Yar Allah, the commander of the Iraqi troops, said that Iraqi Special Forces drove the Islamic State militants from one area on the southwestern edge of town and police and paramilitary units from […]

Competition for the New Light Attack Aircraft is Heating Up

The United States Air Force is searching for a new light attack aircraft that will serve as the next generation of ground support aircraft for the nations’ troops. The Textron Scorpion, Hawker Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine, Sierra Nevada A-29, and Air Tractor AT-802U are all being tested at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico to see which one would be most suitable […]

Trump’s Long-Term Plan For Afghanistan, Will It Work?

Despite not really saying anything new nor breaking new ground with his long-term plan for Afghanistan, President Donald Trump’s updated strategy for winning in the war-torn country was startling on a couple of counts. First, during the 2016 Presidential campaign, Trump was opposed to staying, in the country and was an outspoken critic of the […]

Morality in war and why we should have it

War has been accompanying humans from the very beginning. It is destruction and evolution. It takes out lives and it advances our civilization, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. But war is nothing without warriors. It depends on violence and those willing to apply it. But how much violence? What kind of violence and under […]

Afghan insurgents gaining as Trump rolls out war plan

 Taliban insurgents overran the government headquarters of a district in northern Afghanistan on Monday, the latest in a string of losses for Kabul, just hours before President Trump was to unveil his long-delayed strategic plan for handling the nearly 16-year war. The headquarters in Khamab District in the province of Jawzjan was taken by insurgents on Monday morning, […]

Watch: American Peshmerga’s designated marksmanship rifle

The designated marksmanship rifle has a unique role to fill in combat. While it can never fill the role of a sniper rifle it is designed for on demand accuracy. Primarily used as a mid range precision weapon, the DMR allows the end-user to eliminate enemy personnel on a squad level while his colleagues deal […]

Watch: American Peshmerga fighters train in close quarters shooting

It’s important to maintain your marksmanship skills; it’s a perishable skill set, so it if you don’t stay on top of it your group quality drops off faster than you’d think. While shooting at longer distances is invaluable and arguably more important in the long run, given most rifle fights happen at an average of […]