John Kerry Promises to Work ‘to the Last Moment’ to End Syrian Violence

John Kerry Promises to Work ‘to the Last Moment’ to End Syrian Violence

U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry delivered an impassioned defense of diplomacy Monday, asserting that the nuclear deal he spearheaded with Iran had averted an almost-certain war and vowing to work “to the last moment” to achieve a lasting cease-fire in Syria. In London to accept the Chatham House Prize, given by the prestigious […]

Hezbollah ally, a Christian, elected as President of Lebanon

Hezbollah ally, a Christian, elected as President of Lebanon

Buckle up.  We are about to dive head first down the rabbit hole of Lebanese politics, a task fraught always with both danger and head-spinning confusion.  I will try to make this as simple to understand as possible — including, for myself — and will do my best to avoid making any mistakes in this […]

Defeating ISIS in Mosul may create more challenges

Defeating ISIS in Mosul may create more challenges

A constellation of warring factions have seemingly set aside deadly disputes to take part in one of Iraq’s toughest challenges yet — clearing ISIS out of its last major stronghold in the country. A successful offensive to recapture Mosul could boost desperately needed national unity, restore the pride of an army that was humiliated when […]

Shia militias aim to take Tal Afar in Mosul Battle

Shia militias aim to take Tal Afar in Mosul Battle

Iraq’s Shia militia groups say they have launched an attack against Islamic State militants west of Mosul, as the offensive to retake the city continues. The Hashid Shaabi groups say their aim is to oust IS from the town of Tal Afar, cutting jihadist supply routes to Mosul from Syria. Tal Afar had sizeable Shia […]

Hezbollah takes control in Lebanon

Hezbollah takes control in Lebanon

We have for decades now understood the inherent fragility of Lebanon, a weak, divided nation-state trying desperately to contain the growing power of Hezbollah. Analysts have described the nation as in many ways, increasingly a country wrapped around a terrorist group like a thin cloak. All that ends Monday October 31, 2016. As of that […]

ISIS strikes power station outside Kirkuk (graphic images)

ISIS strikes power station outside Kirkuk (graphic images)

In the early morning, ISIS attempted to blow up a power station on the outskirts of Kirkuk as well as a police headquarters building.  The attackers, said to be about a dozen in number, killed six Kurdish police officers and 13 power company workers.  Although unconfirmed at this time, images obtained by SOFREP appear to […]

Iran sentences two U.S. citizens to 10 years prison

Iran sentences two U.S. citizens to 10 years prison

An Iranian court has sentenced an Iranian-American businessman and his elderly father to 10 years in prison on charges of cooperating with the United States, the Iranian judiciary’s official news website reported on Tuesday. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps detained Siamak Namazi, a businessman with dual U.S.-Iranian citizenship in his mid-40s, in October 2015, while […]

Standoff: Iran sending warships to Yemen

Standoff: Iran sending warships to Yemen

Iran says it has dispatched two warships to the Gulf of Aden to ply the same waters as several U.S. Navy vessels are already operating there, one of which launched several Tomahawk missiles at Tehran-backed Houthi radar installations early Thursday morning. According to the Iranian Tasnim news site, which has links to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards […]

That other war: Yemen

That other war: Yemen

The frontlines of Yemen’s civil war have remained relatively fixed because neither side has the military strength to extend its influence significantly beyond the borders of its support base. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) adds complexity to the civil war. AQAP is fighting against the al Houthi-Saleh alliance and is attempting to prevent […]

Kurds want ISIL defeated, but Assad as our top ally

Kurds want ISIL defeated, but Assad as our top ally

The Kurds are our friends. They protect American journalists and are the bastion of sanity left in the war-torn portion of Syria. It was an interesting and telling moment during the second debate when Hillary Clinton communicated some apprehension in “some circles” about increasing arms to the Kurds. The Kurds do not have a political […]

Watch: Interview reveals how a British PR firm helped shape the war on terror in Iraq

Watch: Interview reveals how a British PR firm helped shape the war on terror in Iraq

In the video below, Martin Wells a former employee of Bells Pottinger is interviewed. Bells Pottinger is the London PR company hired and paid millions to make “Arabic style” news and fake al Qaeda propaganda videos during the Iraq war. The primary reason behind the fake videos was the ability to track the audience. If they tracked the audience, […]

Photos: The aftermath of the Houthi rebels’ attack on the UAE Ship ‘HSV-2 Swift’

Photos: The aftermath of the Houthi rebels’ attack on the UAE Ship ‘HSV-2 Swift’

Check out the aftermath of the Houthi rebel missile attack on the the UAE auxiliary ship ‘HSV-2 Swift’.   Below is video of the alleged attack. According to Fox News, Houthi rebels fired multiple rockets at the ship. After the incident, the U.S. sent three Navy vessels to assist the UAE. The U.S. Navy dispatched three warships near the […]