Peshmerga

The US explains why it created a new Kurdish-dominated force in Syria at the risk of Turkey’s wrath

The US-led coalition has set up a Kurdish-dominated “Border Security Force” in Syria. The move has enraged Russia, Iran, the Syrian regime, and especially Turkey. A US Defense Department spokesperson asserted that “The training is designed to enhance security for displaced persons returning to their devastated communities.” The US-led coalition in Syria acknowledged over the weekend that it’s […]

Attack on prison transfer thwarted by Kurdish counter-terror unit

An attack on a prisoner transferring transport occurred in Chamchamal, Kurdistan Monday night (1/15/2018) around 0230. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) counter-terror unit responded and swiftly neutralized the attempted hijackers. As a result, three of the gunmen were injured and the 4th killed by direct fire. This was a coordinated and well-planned attack; this […]

American mercs hold off ISIS attack in Kirkuk

I had been in Kurdistan, northern Iraq, for about a whole two weeks and was probably as “green” as I could possibly be. The region was still engaged in a heated conflict with IS and attacks of all kinds were occurring daily. I had just arrived at the Peshmerga‘s 9th Brigade, one of the only […]

Spectre Miniatures: Wargaming and art for the modern military mind

Spectre Miniatures is company that is based out of the U.K.; they produce a table top war game that uses 28mm miniature models to simulate modern combat scenarios. The game is designed to be played by multiple players running through reality based missions where an opposition force and assault force compete over objectives. The other […]

Iraq and Kurdish governments argue over oil sales

The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) has been accused by the Iraqi Prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, of exporting $1.6 billion worth of oil over the last three months without authorization from Iraq. Tensions are running high and neither government can seem to find a solution other than shifting blame. No one seems to believe they are […]

Iraqi para military forces begin massive anti ISIS operation

A major military operation has begun by the Iraqi government to hunt down and finish off the last remnants of the Islamic State in the Kirkuk region. Elements of air force and Iraqi armored divisions were deployed alongside Iranian-funded para military Hashd Al-Shabi units. The PMF (Popular Mobilization Forces) were named specifically in the tasking […]

Legal fears over French plan to leave IS suspects to face trial in Kurdish courts

Lawyers representing western nationals detained in Kurdish-held areas of Syria on suspicion of fighting for the Islamic State (IS) group have expressed concern that their clients will not be treated fairly if they are left to face trial in local courts. Farid Malik, a solicitor at ITN Solicitors which is representing individuals in the region, […]

Rock shaped IEDs found in Sulaymaniah, Kurdistan

Several roadside IEDs were discovered and disarmed Saturday, along an established road leading to the, Kurdish–Iranian, Komala Party headquarters in Sulaymaniyah. Komala’s security chief, Dara Mustafa, disclosed to local news sources that the tactical objective of the IEDs was to, “target us, especially the convoys of the leadership of Komala,” and, “We later were able to discover the place where the […]

Middle East Sitrep 12/31/17

The current situation in the Middle East is really not all that different from before the Islamic State took control of huge swaths of land. Small pockets of Islamic State resistance are still in existence throughout the formerly occupied regions of Iraq and Syria. As such, it is inevitable that small attacks and minor combat […]

Disinformation campaign in full effect for Iraqi Kurdistan

Since the start of Iraq and its proxies occupation of Kirkuk, a city in southern Kurdistan or northern Iraq depending how you look at it, there has been an increasing number of falsified anti-Kurdish sentiments. It’s happening in the form of forged documents, false reports often based on rumors and sensationalism from local media outlets. […]

SERE: A foreign military volunteer’s perspective

Any everyday carry SERE (survival, evasion, resistance, escape) kit is a valuable piece of equipment. They can be applicable to any potentially dangerous situation. A well put together kit should try to cover a wide array of scenarios but also be as minimalist as possible; if it’s cumbersome to carry in casual situations, you probably […]

Christmas in the Middle East

You wouldn’t expect to find the celebration of Christmas in the Middle East. The Pagan/Christian holiday doesn’t really fit into the whole Islamic cultural narrative except as maybe a subject of protest. But there I stood, on a Kurdish sidewalk in Sulaymaniyah staring into a local shop window. In the window, a snowy landscape adorned […]