Strongman Bashar Assad, who has already been in power for a decade, is expected to easily win a vote which the United States and its allies have already called a “fraudulent election [that] does not represent any progress toward a political settlement.” The vote takes place as Government forces only occupy parts of the war-torn country. Generally, Assad’s control is …
Is Now Really the Time for an Afghanistan Pullout?
An October 2020 raid which killed a top al Qaeda leader indicates that the terrorist group is thriving under the protective wing of the Taliban. When raiders breached the lair of Husam Abd-al-Rauf and killed him, they also discovered messages to cell groups and instructions for a pair of drone strikes in Syria. The evidence indicated that the link between …
Conflict Escalating in Iraq
Iraninan-backed militias are wielding a new weapon in their war against Iraq’s fledgling democratic government. Low-flying drones, which are almost impossible to counteract, have replaced rocket-propelled grenades as their weapon of choice. American officials analyzed the remains of a drone that struck a CIA hanger. It damaged the facility but injured no one. Preliminary analysis indicates that the Iranians made …
Did the Use of Private Military Contractors Worsen the Coronavirus Pandemic?
Military action was the root of the Spanish Flu pandemic in the early 20th century. Was it also the root of the COVID-19 pandemic? Coronavirus was an issue on many crowded Navy ships. These ships caused great consternation in places like Okinawa and Guam. Furthermore, aggression against China and Iran diverted resources from public health matters, at least according to …
AI: Contractors Committing War Crimes in Mozambique
A new report from Amnesty International accuses government security forces and its private contractor allies of committing atrocities in the fight against an intensifying Islamic insurgency. In support of this conclusion, the watchdog group cited a number of examples. Following a successful attack on Quissanga, government forces rounded up suspected ISIS sympathizers and summarily executed them, according to witnesses. DAG …