$15 million bounty for Iranian officer behind the deaths of 5 American soldiers

The State Department is offering $15 million for information relating to the financial activities, networks, and associates of a high-ranking Iranian operative. According to U.S. Special Representative on Iran Brian Hook, Abdul Reza Shahlai, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officer with Quds Force, has been behind attacks targeting American soldiers and civilians. In 2007, […]

We ain’t messing around: Entire SEAL Team 7 leadership gets canned

There is no more messing around for the Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) when it comes to discipline and professionalism issues in the SEAL Teams. In a sudden move, NSWC decided to relieve the officer and enlisted leadership of SEAL Team 7 (ST-7). According to a NSWC press statement, Commander Edward Mason (ST-7, commanding officer), […]

Addicted to SEALs: Overdependence on SOF units is dangerous

It is an undeniable fact that since the twin towers went down on 9/11 the role of Special Operations Forces (SOF) has changed. The gradual change saw SOF shift from their traditional role of supporting conventional forces to that of being supported by conventional units. With increased frequency, conventional elements fulfil secondary tasks during operations […]

One’s weapons embargo is another’s gain: How a German arms embargo benefits the US

The German parliament has passed a motion that extends an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia until September. German lawmakers cited the ongoing civil war in Yemen and the murder of U.S-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi for the decision. The previous embargo, which was activated last October after the vicious murder of Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate […]

Kid finds hatchet belonging to fallen SEAL Team 6 operator killed in Yemen

Andrew Moore, a 13-year-old from Houston, Texas, sold a hatchet replica of an ax belonging to Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator William Ryan Owens, a SEAL Team 6 operator who was killed during a High-Value Target (HVT) operation in Yemen in 2017. Moore had won the hatchet during a biker rally event that was organized […]

How to improve the relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the US defense industry

During the International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) 2019, which was held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the UAE government spent close to $5.4 billion on weapons and military hardware contracts. According to reports from the UAE government, the deals that were signed involved firms from across to globe, including Chinese, Russian, French, […]

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 […]

Proxy warfare: The strategic dilemma of relying on proxy counterterrorism forces

Proxy warfare isn’t a new concept. It has been used since ancient times. More recently, the British used it quite successfully during the Dhofar War in Oman in the early 1970s. Special Air Service (SAS) operators trained, advised, and, perhaps, accompanied Yemeni dissenters in cross-border operations deep inside Yemen. Another example—this time of active proxy […]

“Death to America:” We finally know what Iran means by it

Since the Iranian Revolution began in 1978, the United States is known among protestors as the “Great Satan.” “Death to America” is the favorite chant of pretty much anyone who wishes to display his or her anti-American credentials, whether it’s an al-Qaeda terrorist or an Iranian politician. Now, the Iranian supreme leader finally offers some […]

Breaking: Mastermind behind USS Cole attack killed in airstrike

A U.S. airstrike has killed the al-Qaeda mastermind behind the attack on the USS Cole in 2000 that killed 17 American sailors and wounded 39. According to emerging reports, Jamel Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Badawi was killed on Tuesday by a bomb whilst driving his car in the Ma’rib Governorate of Yemen. The Governorate is situated […]

Obama or Trump: Who is the real ‘drone president?’

In his first two years in office, President Donald Trump has authorised 238 drone strikes against terrorist groups, surpassing his predecessor President Barack Obama. Despite his statements, Obama had been quite aggressive and eager to use armed drones as a foreign policy tool. Between 2009 and 2010, Obama authorised 186 drone strikes. Both presidents’ strikes have […]

Trump: Iranian terrorism? This is how we’ll deal with them

Since the Iranian Revolution in 1978, Iran has been the leading state sponsor of terrorism. Working through the Quds Force, a unit that conducts, among others, covert intelligence gathering and special operations around the world, the Iranian government has been assisting Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shia militias in Iraq and Syria, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, […]