Turkey Readies For “Aggression” From US-Backed SDF in Raqqa

The US-backed coalition of Kurds and Arabs of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have begun their long-awaited assault on the Islamic State’s self-proclaimed caliphate in Raqqa. The forecast for the battle has it that it will be long and costly as the IS fighters are cut off from any support. But the government of Turkey […]

Will the US Policy of Annihilation and Humiliation Work?

The United States has shifted its focus from a war of attrition against ISIS and radical Islamism to one of annihilation and humiliation. Secretary of Defense James Mattis outlined the plan recently and he believes that this is a plan that the US and its allies can win. But the big question is, will this […]

In a first, authorities say they found 750,000 ‘Captagon’ pills in France

French authorities announced Tuesday that they have confiscated about 300 pounds of a drug known as Captagon this year. Officials said this marked the first time that the drug — infamous for its use by fighters in the Syrian war — has been discovered in the country. According to French customs officials, 750,000 pills worth an […]

German police detain Syrian teen suspected of planning a terrorist attack

Gerswalde, Germany- According to the Brandenburg Police, they detained a 17-year-old male after receiving a tip that there was a planned terrorist attack. He was detained shortly after his family received a farewell message via WhatsApp. Police in the state of Brandenburg said the teenager was detained Tuesday in the village of Gerswalde, 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast […]

In Syria the 75th Ranger Regiment is used as a political action force

The 75th Ranger Regiment describes itself as America’s premier raid force, with the missions of direct action, special reconnaissance, and forced entry operations such as airfield seizures.  However, the Ranger mission in Syria has taken a very different turn, one in which the Regiment is deployed as a political force to build rapport with allies […]

Iran Wants Military Base in Syria Near Israeli Border

The civil war in Syria has been a bloody affair and if the Iranian government gets its wish, the bloodshed will spread beyond the Syrian borders. With the defeat of the Islamic State in Syria,Iran wants a military base in southern Syria along the border with Israel and Jordan. The move would be to weaken US […]

USASOC Honors Gold Star Families in Ceremony

The Army’s Special Operations Command Memorial Wall added seven new names to their list of honored fallen soldiers in a solemn ceremony at Ft. Bragg, NC. After each name was read the toll of a bell was heard to honor the sacrifice of the troops. The command honored Maj. Andrew Byers, Sgt. 1st Class Ryan […]

Special Operations Painful Coming of Age After 9/11

Mark Moyer’s recent book on the US Special Operations Forces (Oppose Any Foe) is an excellent history of the birth of Special Operations and into the huge command of over 70,000 troops today. He tells it all, with the triumphs, the mistakes and the clashes with the conventional military establishment. In his latest piece for […]

Mattis, Dunford weigh in on ‘annihilating’ ISIS and how far we’ve already come

During a Pentagon briefing on Friday, U.S. Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, laid out a series of coalition successes in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, and explained how they lay the ground work for the continued “annihilation of ISIS.” “Thanks to the leadership and authorities granted by President (Donald J.) […]