Lions led by a lamb, an open letter on 5th Special Forces Group leadership

Editors note: the following open letter was penned by a current member of 5th Special Forces Group who wanted to speak out against the current toxic command climate that exists in his unit. Toxic leadership is something that many soldiers and civilians accuse their command of, but rarely is it ever as bad as it […]

The Syrian Kurds and their model of governance

A new model of social organization is taking shape in the Kurdish areas of northern Syria. Rojava, as it is known, comprises three cantons in the western section of the historical homeland of the Kurdish people, which is now divided up among Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. In terms of social equality, ethnic pluralism, and […]

Where can the Kurds turn to next in an ocean of enemies?

The Kurds are on the cusp of betrayal again by U.S. policy makers. It’s not intentional against them, but international powers force the situation, leaving out the Kurds. Their primary enemy is Turkey. But, there’s almost nowhere they can turn. By the end of this they might look towards Communist China and Russia for support. […]

Has Aleppo become a global flashpoint?

In the “Afghan sector” near Khan Tuman southwest of the city, Dari is spoken, a dialect of Persian common in Afghanistan, Yazen says. In the “Hezbollah sector” in the south, Arabic with a Lebanese accent can be heard. The Iranian officers, meanwhile, speak Persian. And nobody, the scout continues, understands the Pakistanis when they speak […]

Obama weighing new military options in Syria today

U.S. President Barack Obama and his top foreign policy advisers are expected to meet on Friday to consider their military and other options in Syria as Syrian and Russian aircraft continue to pummel Aleppo and other targets, U.S. officials said. Some top officials argue the United States must act more forcefully in Syria or risk […]

When IS is defeated – will the Middle East need us?

The Islamic State has united many in the Middle East. However, what’s going to happen when they’re military defeated and Raqqa is just another town? The Arab Spring was a monumental event. The world watched in awe and fear as the Middle East looked like it was being turned upside down. We’re living and working […]

Give war a chance in Syria

And yet, today, the United States provides military knowhow, equipment, and support to Shi’a militias attacking the Sunnis of the Islamic State. The United States is helping the Shi’a attack the Islamic State, and at the same time, the Shi’a are attacking the Sunnis in Aleppo.  The United States is supporting Sunnis in Aleppo indirectly […]

U.S. and Russia share goals in a Middle East tired of western intervention

An article with an alternate idea and vision for our current dilemma. The U.S. and Russia are both tired of terror caused by extremists. Both nations face an existential threat of terror attacks within their borders. But, we’ve managed to demonize an old villain everyone knows. The Middle East is not under an illusion that […]

Is the new cold war with Russia about to turn hot?

I’m a broken record on the topic of the war in Syria, and especially its Russian component. But this issue waxes and wanes from the public discussion. We seem prepared to hurl service members into a war we haven’t yet adequately analyzed. What would be the real gain by committing to this war? This doesn’t feel […]

Top General says Army on cusp of monumental change – in decade or two.

We’ve entered an age of irregular warfare. We aren’t designed to fight this kind of war, yet. “The future of the Army may not involve divisions, corps, tanks or Bradley fighting vehicles, said the Army’s chief of staff. And that future isn’t 100 years away, or even 50. It’s only about 25 to 30 years away.” […]

Kurds want ISIL defeated, but Assad as our top ally

The Kurds are our friends. They protect American journalists and are the bastion of sanity left in the war-torn portion of Syria. It was an interesting and telling moment during the second debate when Hillary Clinton communicated some apprehension in “some circles” about increasing arms to the Kurds. The Kurds do not have a political […]

Watch: Interview reveals how a British PR firm helped shape the war on terror in Iraq

In the video below, Martin Wells a former employee of Bells Pottinger is interviewed. Bells Pottinger is the London PR company hired and paid millions to make “Arabic style” news and fake al Qaeda propaganda videos during the Iraq war. The primary reason behind the fake videos was the ability to track the audience. If they tracked the audience, […]