During the mad scramble to leave the country in August 2021, as many as 300 interpreters may have been left behind. These individuals face the possibility of severe Taliban reprisals, including incarceration or death. “There is no future for these people in Afghanistan,” said Matt Zeller, co-founder of No One Left Behind and senior advisor to the Iraq and Afghanistan …
Kremlin-Wagner Group Link Confirmed
Yevgeny Prigozhin, a top Russian official who is also known as Putin’s chef, publicly admitted that he started the shadowy mercenary organization. He called the fighters “heroes.” Prigozhin made these statements during a recruiting video targeted at Russian convicts to boost Russia’s force in Ukraine. He promised them freedom in exchange for six months of service. In 2014 he founded …
Simon Mann: Africa Needs Private Military Contractors
The former SAS officer-turned mercenary leader said that the continent, with its 1.3 billion inhabitants, could become a “huge consumer market or “fall into a black hole,” largely depending on the amount of PMC intervention. Mann accused the west of “negligence” in dealing with conflicts throughout the continent. He said that with China and Russia ruthlessly exploiting many of the …
DoD Eyes Expanded Missile Defense System on Guam
To counter threats from advanced North Korean and Chinese missiles, the DoD wants to upgrade missile defense systems on the strategically-important island by 2026. Vice Admiral Jon Hill said he was specifically concerned about North Korea’s Hwasong-12 missile, which has a 4500km range, and China’s self-styled “Guam killer” missile, which has a similar range. Currently, two large American bases in …
Veterans Eligible for Burn Pit Coverage
After much debate, the President signed a measure extending VA disability benefits to some Southwest Asia burn pit victims. The PACT Act adds conditions related to burn pit and toxic exposure, including hypertension, to the Department of Veterans Affairs list of illnesses that have been incurred or exacerbated during military service, removing the burden for veterans to prove that their …