Terrorism

Right-wing extremists in German SOF? Here’s how individual extremism looks in the US

In light of recent reporting addressing the prevalence of right-wing extremism in Germany’s top special operations unit, the Kommando Spezialkrafte (KSK), it is useful to examine the radicalization profiles of individuals in the United States. While not framed for comparison here, the discussion of individual extremism in the U.S. does offer value as various online-derived […]

Taliban kill hundreds of Afghan security forces in a week as peace talks fall apart

A wave of recent attacks in Afghanistan has left the Afghani government infuriated. Over the past week, the Taliban carried out 422 attacks in 32 provinces, killing a minimum of 291 Afghan security personnel and wounding 550 others. This marks the deadliest week in the country’s 19-year war, even as the Taliban reject the figures. […]

American fighter jets pound 3 ISIS mountain camps in Iraq

A flight of American F-15 Eagle Strike fighter jets struck and destroyed three remote Islamic State bases in the mountainous region of Iraq. Another strike pounded a cave complex in Nineveh. Defense Department officials stated that the airstrikes were carried out in coordination with the Iraqi government. The ISIS bases were in Wadi al-Shai, an […]

French military chief wants to overhaul military to prepare for a major conflict

General Thierry Burkhard, the French Army’s Chief of Staff, believes that a major conflict is now a relative possibility. He has a strategic plan to flip the French military from an emphasis on asymmetric warfare to symmetric and to toughen it up by 2030. Burkhard, who was the Commander of the Combined Operations Center, the […]

Islamic Jihadists ambush Malian Army convoy, heavy casualties

About a dozen military vehicles were ambushed on Sunday at Bouka Were, around 60 miles from the border with Mauritania, the army said. Unnamed Malian military sources confirmed that the ambush on the military convoy in central Mali left 24 soldiers dead and a number missing. Jihadists aligned with al-Qaeda perpetrated the attack.  According to […]

Boko Haram strikes again with multiple attacks in Nigeria, over 100 dead

Three separate attacks, including an assault on the military base of Monguno, killed dozens of people in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state. Boko Haram, which has allied itself with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), claimed responsibility for the attacks. The other two targets were a United Nations office and a refugee camp which hosts […]

Islamist militants continue to target and raze Christian villages in the Sahel

Within less than 24 hours, Islamic militants killed 27 civilians, some of whom were burned alive, in three attacks on predominately Christian farming villages in central Mali, local officials recently reported. Communal violence has plagued the West African country in recent years, as Fulani herders, their traditional grazing lands drying up from climate change, have […]

Israeli Air Force targets Iranian troops and arms depots in Syria

Syrian state media outlet SANA reported on Thursday that Israeli jets flying over Lebanese airspace hit military targets in northwestern Hama province. This is the latest airstrike against Iranian troops and their installations. Earlier Syrian state media reported that Syrian army air defenses thwarted a missile attack on Misyaf city in northwestern Hama province. However, […]

Ethiopian Military accused of extrajudicial killings, detentions, and torture

Amnesty International, in a report released on Friday, has accused the Ethiopian Military of committing a host of serious human rights abuses including torture, extrajudicial killings, and unlawful detentions. Amnesty International’s report urged Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to investigate the country’s security forces for oppressive measures. Prior to Ahmed’s administration, Ethiopia’s security forces had been […]

Trump wants troops out of Afghanistan by election day

According to sources first referenced by the New York Times, senior military officials are going to brief President Trump, in the very near future, on several possible timelines for completely withdrawing American military forces from Afghanistan. The military is looking at one proposal, which is thought to be the president’s wish, for a complete withdrawal […]

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 […]

In a landmark move, two African militaries jointly raid terrorist base

In the first joint operation between the two countries, troops from Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast have taken out an Islamic jihadist military base in Alidougou in southern Burkina Faso. The attack was part of Operation “Comoe,” an ongoing effort to stop the spread of Islamic terror that is gripping the region. Operation “Comoe” […]