Saudi Arabia

Damned ugly, is your reward for poorly maintaining a relaxed security posture. A result of overconfidence, poor leadership, and terrible discipline. After all, just because it is quiet now and has been quiet, doesn’t mean that it is going to stay like that forever. It doesn’t take a detective or an operator to put eyes on a position and know that, no f*cks given are within a position, or to simply observe undisciplined troops, which are ripe for an ambush or to be overrun. This video demonstrates the results of the complacent, “nothing is or has been happening here” attitude. A negligent posture that often can afflict inexperienced and undisciplined forces. This plague can further and decisively metamorphize in the favor of the enemy under bad leadership.

Many of us, including myself, were unhappy with the tumultuous relationship between the Obama administration and the Saudi elites. Except Saudi Arabia, behind closed doors, has never liked us. I’m looking back and thinking now – I’m not as upset. I’m not convinced a Saudi Arabia with broad powers in the Middle East is what we […]

On Monday, a constellation of lobbyists for Saudi Arabia, which has spent more than $5 million this past year to buy influence in Washington, called a crisis meeting to try to stop legislation allowing the families of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks to sue the Saudi government for any role in the plot. On Tuesday, […]

A Saudi Instagram account shows a shell with the words “Martyr Jamil Hadi” written on it. Additional images show that Saudi forces are using several systems for firing white phosphorus munitions, including tank rounds, mortars, howitzers and rifle grenades. The most recent footage — posted Sept. 9 — shows a U.S.-developed M198 155mm Saudi howitzer with the telltale sea-foam green white phosphorus rounds nearby ready to be loaded and fired.

Across the Islamic-majority countries there has been an ongoing struggle between modernization and Islamism. Riyadh views modernization as the vehicle through which the Saudi state, at long last, can confront and defeat extremism, foster a dynamic private sector and master the looming economic challenges. The Saudi program includes:

New limits on the ability of the religious police to arrest dissidents.
Purges of extremists from the government and greater efforts to monitor their influence in security institutions.
The appointment of new religious leaders to counter Islamic extremism on theological grounds.
The transformation of the world Muslim League—a key Saudi arm for supporting Islamic movements abroad—by the appointment of a new leader and a decision to stop supporting Islamist madrassas abroad.

There’s a chance things might get better in Syria. The Kurds are doing the heavy lifting. They protect Americans. They’re pragmatic. We owe the Kurds increased solidarity. The Kurds are like a girlfriend that never gives up on you. They very well might the best shot we have at eliminating ISIS if we openly support […]

President Barack Obama will veto a bill that would allow terror victims of the attacks on September 11, 2001, to sue Saudi Arabia, the White House said Monday. “That’s still the plan,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said when asked if the President planned to veto the bill. The White House had previously suggested […]

A formerly classified US policy paper found within Hillary Clinton’s emails (archived byWikiLeaks), promoting the forceful overthrow of Assad as “a massive boon to Israel’s security”, and as a way to start a war with Iran.
It appears that the Clinton email quoted below was sent in April 2012 (the email’s internal date upon release is an error)

Lebanese military aid from the U.S. is approximately $80 million. We train, advise, and assist the Lebanese to maintain security within their country. If the conflict in Syria were to spill over it would complicate the Lebanese theatre command.

Russia is delivering components of the advanced S-300 Surface to Air Missile (SAM) system to Iran.  Proliferation of this system from Russia to Iran will fundamentally alter the strategic balance of power in the Middle East according to Senior Naval Analyst Chris Harmer. FighterSweep sat down with Chris Harmer, Senior Naval Analyst (nonresident) for the Institute for […]

He maintained steady hit and run tactics on the Iraqi Army with and without his tank while working with Bedouin and varied anti-Saddam militias in Southern Iraq.

Saudi authorities have offered Berlin help in investigating two attacks claimed by Islamic State in Germany last month, officials from both countries said on Monday. Authorities here said the terror militia abroad had not only inspired the attacks but appeared to have helped execute them by instructing both perpetrators in how to maximize casualties. The […]