Assad fires prime minister as Syria edges closer to becoming a failed state

With Syria’s economy on the verge of collapse, the country’s currency is plunging to record lows. Although Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has thus far survived the decade-long civil war, his hold on the country now seems more tenuous than ever. Assad, on Thursday, fired prime minister Imad Khamis, state media reported. They did not give […]

Unknown drones whack Iranian militia base in Syria

An Iranian proxy militias’ base, in the eastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor, was hit by airstrikes. The attack killed at least 12 militias, who were reportedly from Iraq and Afghanistan. This attack comes just a few days after an Iranian base in Misyaf was similarly wracked by airstrikes. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human […]

Air Force sergeant arrested for deadly IED ambush in California

An Air Force sergeant has been arrested and is facing murder charges for the death of one police officer and the wounding of two in an ambush that involved several Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), last Saturday in California. Sergeant Damon Gutzwiller, a deputy with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office, was killed during the incident. […]

Russia beefs up its military presence in northeast Syria

Amid reports of further standoffs between American and Russian troops in northeast Syria, outside of the city of Derik near the Turkish and Iraqi borders, comes more evidence that the Russians are trying to beef up their military presence in the area by building a base in the Kurdish-controlled territory. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for […]

Israel continues to pound Iranian targets within Syria

On Sunday, five Iran-backed fighters were killed in an airstrike in eastern Syria near the border with Iraq the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a U.K.-based war monitor reported. The head of SOHR, Rami Abdul Rahman said that the airstrike targeted three military vehicles belonging to Iran-backed paramilitary fighters near the Iraqi border town […]

Why the US will never fully back an independent Kurdistan

The ongoing ethnic and religious strife in Iraq creates an opportunity for Kurdish nationalists to realize their aspirations and declare independence. Although the Kurds are a nation with a common culture, a shared identity, and have civic organizations that pursue nationalistic-type goals, they still do not have an internationally recognized state. And as we shall […]

Russian & Syrian forces have committed war crimes, report finds

The ongoing, brutal civil war in Syria has been the scene of acts that may constitute war crimes, according to Amnesty International. These acts have been perpetrated both by Syrian and Russian elements. The findings of Amnesty International are detailed in a recently published 39-page report. The U.K.-based human rights group has detailed 18 cases […]

48 years ago, the A-10 Thunderbolt flew for the first time

Few U.S. Air Force aircraft are as popular among the ground troops of the military as the A-10 Thunderbolt, aka “The Warthog.” And it is as unpopular with our foes in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan as it is popular with our troops. The distinctive sound of the jet’s high-bypass turbofan engines is enough to make […]

Continuous Israeli pounding makes Iran rethink its footprint in Syria

Since the 2011 Civil War in Syria began, the Iranians have seen a huge window of opportunity to not only increase their influence throughout the region, but to get their troops and, more importantly, their missiles on the border of their most hated enemy — Israel.   The combination of Iranian and Russian intervention has […]

Israeli fighters attack chemical weapons lab inside Syria

Heavy airstrikes struck the Scientific Studies and Research Center, a Syrian government defense laboratory, as well as a military base and warehouse that housed Iranian troops and proxies in Syria. The airstrikes took place at the beginning of this week, according to Syrian state-run media SANA.   Syrian military sources initially told the media that their […]

US SOF troops and Kurdish fighters take down ISIS cell leader

U.S. Special Operation Forces led a Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) operation against an Islamic State cell in Syria in response to increased ISIS attacks in the region. The combined operation resulted in the capturing of an ISIS leader responsible for the recent attacks in the Deir el-Zour countryside.  Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve […]

Sinkhole where ISIS dumped scores of bodies is uncovered

Human Rights Watch (HRW), has uncovered evidence that the Islamic State used a gorge in northeast Syria as a mass grave for the bodies of people it had abducted and executed.   The HRW drone flight and investigation was conducted at the al-Hota gorge located 85km (53 miles) north of Raqqa city. HRW reported that the […]