Syrian government used chemical weapons on its own people

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has released the results of a long investigation on the use of chemical weapons in Syria. It concluded that the Syrian air force used such weapons on attacks on its own people in 2017.  Although the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad has repeatedly denied this, the […]

No more tanks, less infantry battalions, some aviation: The new Marine Corps

“We are not a second land army, nor do we aspire to be anything other than the world’s premier naval expeditionary force.“ General David Berger’s “Commandant’s Planning Guidance” (CPG) may be one of the most ambitious such documents in Marine Corps history.  It envisions sweeping changes in Marine Corps structure and doctrine, carrying it both […]

Turkish troops attack Syrian forces outside of Aleppo

The fighting in Syria between Turkish Syrian government troops has once again reignited. Turkish military forces have launched a new attack against the Syrian Army in the northern area outside of Aleppo. Meanwhile, Syrian troops are massing in the Jabal Al-Zawiya area as they seem to be preparing to resume offensive operations. According to a […]

Putin stages propaganda coup by sending Coronavirus aid to US

It was reported on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had dispatched a shipment of medical supplies to the United States, following a phone conversation earlier in the week with President Trump. A follow-on statement from the U.S. Department of State revealed the medical supplies had been purchased from Russia. Reportedly, medical aid from other […]

Are governments using the Coronavirus Pandemic to spy on citizens?

It was reported early this week that government efforts to track and monitor the coronavirus are stoking fears of global surveillance, at a time when the pandemic is in full gear and public health systems struggle to provide quality care to the increasing numbers of patients or suspected cases. Surveillance? Now? In an effort to […]

Treading carefully: How American troops are protecting Kurdish oil fields

American troops stationed in eastern Syria have the difficult and dangerous job of guarding the very oil-rich Kurdish-held land. And everyone — the Syrian government, the Russians, the Turks, and ISIS — wants to control it.  The area is developing into a very dangerous place for the American troops: They’ve come under attack from a […]

Turkish troops solidify their position as Syrian Army prepares to strike

The tenuous ceasefire in Syria that was signed by Turkey and Russia is in danger of falling apart as various factions are maneuvering forces for what seems an inevitable resumption of hostilities in northern Syria.  The Syrian army of President Assad is intent on pushing the rebel forces out of their last stronghold in Idlib […]

Disbanded but not forgotten: The Czech Special Operations Group

The Special Operation Group (SOG) was a SOF unit from the Czech Republic. The unit was part of the Military Police and was one of the youngest units kicking around having been formed only in 2002. SOG consisted of two departments: the Department of Protection for the Minister of Defense and the Combat Operation Department. […]

Iran refuses American Coronavirus aid, claims US conspiracy

With Iran being wracked by the Coronavirus (COVID-19), and many high government officials having been infected –including a vice-president and an advisor to Khamenei — Iran’s Supreme Leader refused U.S. assistance stating that the virus was made by the American government. Khamenei’s comments, made on Sunday, parroted the conspiracy claims of the Chinese government, that […]

Turkish military continues to bleed in Syria as new offensive is imminent

While the Coronavirus is dominating the news, an ominous series of events is unfolding once again in Syria. A rocket attack killed two Turkish soldiers and wounded a third in Syria’s northwest Idlib province on Friday, the Turkish military said in a statement.  The Turkish Defense Ministry said that the rocket attack was carried out […]

Russian and Turkish troops begin joint patrols in Syria

In one of the first, albeit small signs of the de-escalation of violence in the Idlib province of Syria, Russian and Turkish troops carried out joint patrols along the all-important M4 highway. The northwestern part of Syria has been a bloody, violent place since late last year.  “Within the framework of the Moscow agreement, the […]