Revisiting our Strategy for Iraq and Syria

Here we go again – sort of. With no discernable borders between Iraq and Syria, Special Operations is once again being thrown into the breach assisting the Iraqis to gain control of their own homeland. Syria is added into the mix this time, but hopefully, it will be a one off. It’s the wishful thinking […]

The Peshmerga and the AK-47, the World’s Most Enduring Rifle

Like most armies in this part of the world, the Peshmerga’s go-to weapon is the AK-47/AKM. Sure, they have the G36 and a few M16/M4s floating around (usually with officers), but the Kalashnikov is the name of the game. What makes it fascinating is the number of variants and origins that you can find in the […]

CIA Funded and SOF Trained: The New Syrian Army Hits the Ground

A new video has emerged showing the so-called New Syrian Army in action, kitted out with American weapons and equipment.  The train and equip program is a funded and run under the auspices of the CIA but the actual military training which the New Syrian Army receives is conducted by US Special Operations personnel.  The New […]