Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Brian M Downing The US is withdrawing troops from Afghanistan though the recent agreement with President Ahmid Karzai indicates that the US will retain a significant presence, civilian and military, for many years to come. It is unclear how many western troops will remain but the level will certainly be Read More …
Brian M Downing Tensions between Iran on the one hand and the US and Israel have eased substantially since war loomed just a few weeks ago. Israeli politicians, generals, and security experts have openly expressed opposition to attacking Iran. More recently, the hawkish coalition in power has brought in the Read More …
Brian M Downing A new chapter in the Syrian resurrection is opening in the form of a wave of bombings. It comes on the heels of the Free Syrian Army’s (FSA) failure to mount a significant defense of key cities and the outside powers’ indecision as to what to do Read More …
Brian M Downing Only in a country whose public is largely removed from military service, hesitant to criticize its generals, and susceptible to media lionization, could Gen David Petraeus receive the accolades he’s been given. Gen Petraeus has been lauded as an extraordinary soldier-scholar who developed counterinsurgency doctrines and saw Read More …
Brian M Downing This week brought news that the United States was releasing a number of Taliban figures of mid-to-high standing in the insurgent group’s political and military apparatus. This is a good sign of efforts to bring about meaningful peace talks, which were thought to have been on hold Read More …
Brian M Downing The United States is withdrawing troops from Afghanistan though the recent agreement with President Hamid Karzai indicates that the US will retain a significant presence, civilian and military, for many years to come. It is unclear how many Western troops will remain but the level will certainly Read More …
Brian M Downing President Barack Obama has ordered the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. Though how many and how fast remains unknown, it seems that only a relatively small force will remain after 2014 as part of the recently signed strategic partnership between the US and Afghanistan. Withdrawal will be Read More …
Reviewed by Brian M Downing With the US ensnarled in the Afghan insurgency and Pakistan headed toward implosion, Af-Pak and the countries around it are in crisis. Renowned journalist Ahmed Rashid offers a series of essays drawn from his connections to figures in the state, army, and insurgent groups which Read More …
Brian M Downing The war in Afghanistan has been stalemated for several years now and eyes are turning to a negotiated settlement. In recent weeks, talks between the United States and the Taliban have come and gone, but they will almost assuredly return. As welcome as these bilateral talks are, Read More …
Brian M Downing The national borders from the eastern Mediterranean to the Iranian border were made after the breakup of the Ottoman Empire in 1918. Britain and France, with little consideration for sectarian or ethnic realities, drew lines across the area and established the new countries of Iraq and Syria. Read More …