Who guards the Syrian Oilfields?

In an effort to continue the implementation of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) and bolster the strength of U.S.-backed Syrian forces, officials want to continue to train and increase the number of allied fighters. As a part of this effort, according to OIR’s Inspector General (IG) report, there is a push to build an “Oilfield Guard […]

Killer of 3 Special Forces operators is unlikely to be extradited

On November 4, 2016, three U.S. Army Special Forces operators were shot dead as they were re-entering the King Faisal Air Base, Jordan. Their killer, Jordanian Air Force Sergeant Ma’arik al-Tawayha, was stopped by another Green Beret before he could kill more Americans. He was arrested, and after a controversial trial, was sentenced to life […]

Combined Special Operations raid kills two ISIS leaders in Syria

On May 17, a combined Special Operations raid killed two regional Islamic State leaders in eastern Syria. The assault force was comprised of a U.S. Special Operations element and a Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) partner force. In a press release, Operation Inherent Resolve identified the two ISIS leaders as Ahmad ‘Isa Ismail al-Zawi, AKA Abu […]

Massive fuel tanker bomb kills scores in Afrin, Syria

A massive bomb blast in the northern Syrian town of Afrin killed at least 46 people including 11 children and wounded another 50 in a crowded downtown street. Officials expect the death toll to rise. The bomb was detonated using a fuel tanker to increase the lethality of the explosion. Turkey’s defense ministry blamed the […]

Russian mercenary suspected of beheading civilians in Syria identified

The Russian investigative newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, has identified a Russian Wagner Group contractor as the man responsible for the torture and beheading of a Syrian national back in 2017.  The newspaper named the alleged torturer as Stanislav Yevgenyevich Dychko. He had been hired as a reconnaissance gunner by the Russian government-linked Wagner mercenary company. However, […]

Could a Spec Ops base in Syria be in danger of being overrun?

The presence of a small, but strategically important, Special Operations base inside Syria might be in jeopardy after Congress raised concerns about its security. Last week, Congress requested the Department of Defence (DoD) and the Director of National Intelligence Retired Vice Admiral Joseph Maguire, a former Navy SEAL, to assess the threat level of the […]