“It’s not our fault”: Pentagon releases preliminary report on special operations’ ethics, professionalism

After a lengthy investigation, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) concluded its review on America’s Special Operations Forces (SOF) ethics and professionalism. The results are rather ambivalent. The Pentagon didn’t find any systemic or structural reasons for the numerous high-profile incidents that negatively rocked the spec ops community over the past few months. Nonetheless, the […]

Proxy warfare: The strategic dilemma of relying on proxy counterterrorism forces

Proxy warfare isn’t a new concept. It has been used since ancient times. More recently, the British used it quite successfully during the Dhofar War in Oman in the early 1970s. Special Air Service (SAS) operators trained, advised, and, perhaps, accompanied Yemeni dissenters in cross-border operations deep inside Yemen. Another example—this time of active proxy […]

With Mattis Gone, SF Command Again Punishes SF CPT From Niger Ambush

Op-Ed: The handwriting was on this one right from the very start. The Army tried to lay the blame on the ambush of the American Special Forces troops in Niger on the commander and NCOs of the SF A-Team before the last body had even been recovered off the battlefield. The Army had issued a […]

Mattis, Thomas Trying to Set The Record Straight on Niger

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is calling out the senior leadership of the Pentagon and Africa Command for placing all of the burden of the ill-fated Niger mission where four Special Operations soldiers were killed on the team leader and the most junior officers and NCOs while absolving the higher command of any blame, despite the […]

The Niger Ambush After Action Review: What Really Happened?

In the aftermath of the deadly ambush that killed four American soldiers near Tongo Tongo, Niger, we outlined the context and background of U.S. Special Forces in Africa and specifically in Niger, examined what happened during the ambush to the best of our ability, and detailed the attempted rescue mission to repatriate La David Johnson. […]

Op-Ed: Put the brakes on turning Niger into another Benghazi

This is a preemptive call to the media and Democrats — a plea — to not try to turn this month’s Special Forces operation in Niger into another Benghazi-style controversy.  What happened to the fallen Special Forces men in Africa is not comparable to what happened in Benghazi.  Nor should what happened in the course […]

Gen John Kelly ‘stunned’ by Congresswoman’s behavior in wake of Niger ambush

White House Chief of Staff General John Kelly gave a rare and emotionally charged White House Press Briefing yesterday, where he explained in detail the context surrounding President Trump’s phone call with the family of recently KIA Sergeant La David Johnson. In explicit detail, General Kelly laid out the process for notifying the next of […]