U.S. Turns Military Focus to Afghanistan as ISIS Battles Ebb

U.S. Turns Military Focus to Afghanistan as ISIS Battles Ebb

WASHINGTON—The Pentagon is planning to double down on the Trump administration’s new approach in Afghanistan by reallocating drones and other hardware while sending in approximately 1,000 new combat advisers, according to U.S. and military officials. The idea is to bulk up the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan by the time the traditional fighting season begins in the […]

Thousands eligible to escape the death penalty under new Iranian law

Thousands eligible to escape the death penalty under new Iranian law

The laws surrounding several types of drug offenses in Iran have been repealed, possibly saving approximately the 5,000 prisoners who are currently on death row in the country. Iran has historically had a hard stance on drugs, and getting caught with 30g of cocaine would automatically warrant the death penalty — that’s just over an […]

Taliban Seeking New Financing As Drug Trade Suffers

Taliban Seeking New Financing As Drug Trade Suffers

The change in tactics under the Trump Administration of conducting airstrikes on the Taliban’s narcotics processing labs is having an adverse effect on the group’s ability to finance their insurgency in southern Afghanistan and they’re having to find new ways to raise money, including checkpoints on highways, extortion, kidnapping, and smuggling. Taliban officials say they […]

Pakistan Seeing “Increasing Footprint” of Islamic State

Pakistan Seeing “Increasing Footprint” of Islamic State

Pakistan is facing new challenges in the decades-long battle against terrorism and religious extremism within its borders as a new reports document what is characterized as an “alarming increase” of the Islamic State footprint. This report cannot come at a worse time for the Pakistani government. They are already smarting from statements by President Donald […]

Memories from the cold

Memories from the cold

They say that out of all the senses, smell is the most linked to memory. The smell of Grandma’s cooking when you step barefoot on her hard wooden floor, the smell of freshly washed sheets as you lay your head on your pillow, or even the smell of the lubricant that makes a rifle operate […]

Counter Westboro protestors: When America has your back

Counter Westboro protestors: When America has your back

October 5th, 2013 holds a special place in my heart. We lost four of our own, and the ensuing months held some of the most difficult and trying days I think I will ever experience. I escorted the body of Sgt. Patrick Hawkins, my dear friend and brother-in-arms, from the battlefield, to the plane across […]

The OBJECTIVE GINOSA strike – Payback for the shootdown of Extortion 17

The OBJECTIVE GINOSA strike – Payback for the shootdown of Extortion 17

One of the most gripping and interesting parts of writing “The Final Mission of Extortion 17” was the section about how American forces located, determined the identities, tracked, and then struck those responsible for the downing of Extortion 17. Reports stated only that the enemy fighters responsible fled toward Pakistan and were killed with a […]

Trump blasts Pakistan for giving ‘safe haven’ to terrorists, vows to cut aid

Trump blasts Pakistan for giving ‘safe haven’ to terrorists, vows to cut aid

President Donald Trump’s first two tweets of 2018 lashed out at two countries, threatening to cut aid to Pakistan and praising mass anti-government protests in Iran. The US’s relationship with Pakistan has reportedly deteriorated in recent months, and the Trump administration is considering withholding $255 million in aid it was set to dispense in August. […]

Trump Withholding US Aid to Pakistan, citing “Lies and Deceit”

Trump Withholding US Aid to Pakistan, citing “Lies and Deceit”

Never one to mince words, especially on Twitter, President Trump will, according to The White House, that the U.S. will continue to withhold $255 million in military aid to Pakistan out of frustration over what it has characterized as Islamabad’s reluctance in confronting terrorist networks.Bottom of Form “The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more […]

Suicide Bomber Kills Dozens In Afghan Capital of Kabul

Suicide Bomber Kills Dozens In Afghan Capital of Kabul

A suicide bomber struck in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Thursday morning killing at least 40 people and wounding about 30 more. The Islamic State claimed credit for the attack, while Taliban spokesmen claimed that they had nothing to do with the bombing. A Shia cultural organisation was the target but the Afghan Voice […]

Christmas in Afghanistan

Christmas in Afghanistan

I’m not the type of person that puts value in obscure objects just because “I’ve had them since I was X years old.” I am constantly rifling through my drawers, under my bed and through my storage unit, throwing things away that have no utilitarian or decorative value. Sentiment hasn’t gotten me much over the […]