No, the US isn’t abandoning the Kurds in Syria

No, the US isn’t abandoning the Kurds in Syria

“The Kurds have no friend but the mountains,” as the old saying goes. Yet there are few mountains in Northern Syria, where the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) formed a coalition with Arab militias called the Syrian Democratic Forces to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The […]

Know a SEAL from a Night Stalker: a breakdown of US Special Operations units

Know a SEAL from a Night Stalker: a breakdown of US Special Operations units

While it could be said that every unit which falls under the “special ops” umbrella is comprised of operators who can move, shoot, and communicate with lethal efficiency, different units developed to address specialized challenges. As the years wore on, and particularly since the onset of the Global War on Terrorism, lines may have blurred […]

United States Africa Command airstrikes decimate 32 al-Shabaab terrorist fighters in Somalia

United States Africa Command airstrikes decimate 32 al-Shabaab terrorist fighters in Somalia

On February 24th, United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) carried out airstrikes near Beledweyne, Somalia, wiping out at least 32 al-Shabaab fighters. The airstrikes targeted the Islamist fighters as they traveled between locations in a rural area of the Hiran region. The U.S. regularly utilizes airstrikes in Somalia as a means to support the fragile Somali […]

United States Africa Command airstrikes decimate 32 al-Shabaab terrorist fighters in Somalia

United States Africa Command airstrikes decimate 32 al-Shabaab terrorist fighters in Somalia

On February 24th, United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) carried out airstrikes near Beledweyne, Somalia, wiping out at least 32 al-Shabaab fighters. The airstrikes targeted the Islamist fighters as they traveled between locations in a rural area of the Hiran region. The U.S. regularly utilizes airstrikes in Somalia as a means to support the fragile Somali […]

Special Air Service operators wounded during top-secret mission in Yemen

Special Air Service operators wounded during top-secret mission in Yemen

Two Special Air Service (SAS) operators were wounded by an IED during a recent clandestine operation inside Yemen. The two SAS troopers are part of a joint U.S-U.K. special operations team conducting reconnaissance for ideal drop-zones in case the West decided to provide much-needed humanitarian aid to the challenged Yemenis. However, the SAS operators weren’t […]

US Africa Command denies American casualties in latest al-Shabaab terrorist attack

US Africa Command denies American casualties in latest al-Shabaab terrorist attack

The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) denied that three U.S. soldiers were killed by an al-Shabaab mortar attack. AFRICOM accuses the extremist group of fabricating casualties of U.S. service members at the forward operating base (FOB) of Baledogle–also referred to as “B-dog”–on February 15, 2019. AFRICOM spokesman Christopher P. Karns told Xinhua News Agency, “No […]

Cyber warfare: Did Russia hack the Army’s Stryker Dragoon armored vehicles?

Cyber warfare: Did Russia hack the Army’s Stryker Dragoon armored vehicles?

In 2017, the U.S. Army’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment stationed in Europe received the first batch of the improved or up-gunned—in military parlance—Stryker Dragoon armored vehicles. Commanders on the ground requested them, as the 2nd needed to improve its capabilities against near-peer adversaries in theatre. In Europe, this likely would mean Russia. The term adversary is […]

New winds blowing: Pompeo and US leadership comment on World Economic Forum

New winds blowing: Pompeo and US leadership comment on World Economic Forum

As the 2019 World Economic Forum gets underway in Davos, Switzerland, notably absent is the U.S. delegation, last year headed up by President Donald Trump. Today, in a live video conference, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed the forum from Washington D.C. as the government shutdown–now at 31 days–precluded him from travel. Early in his […]

Analysis: Latest Islamic State propaganda video shows recovered weapons of Niger ambush?

Analysis: Latest Islamic State propaganda video shows recovered weapons of Niger ambush?

A video recently released by the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), the group responsible for the ambush on October 4th, shows U.S.-made weapons. The video is titled Punishments of Traitors and features brutal executions, accompanied by nasheeds (Islamic ballads). In the video, Abdelhakim al-Sahrawi, the Emir of Gourma for ISGS, can be seen […]