Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
While many parts of the world have called the Iranian nuclear deal a triumph of diplomacy, Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has branded it an “historic mistake, even though international inspection teams will monitor the number of centrifuges and see that Iran’s uranium is well below weapons grade. The Read More …
Brian M Downing Last week Vladimir Putin executed bold moves in the Eastern Ukraine – a part of the country that may soon be an autonomous region, an independent country, or part of Russia (again). There can be little doubt as to who would be the first to recognize it Read More …
Brian M Downing The United States faces another embarrassment amid its difficult wars in the Islamic world. Following close on the heels of atrocities and miscues in Afghanistan, it has come to light that Colonel Matthew Dooley, an instructor at a military graduate school, taught his officers that the US 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 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 …
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 …
Brian M Downing Wars are often fought over natural resources and peace agreements wrestle over them. And any settlement in Afghanistan will have to contend with them. China, aloof from the war but enmeshed in the economy, is positioning itself to be the biggest winner. China already operates an immense Read More …
Brian M Downing With the change of presidents in 2009, many observers expected to see a decline in unmanned aircraft strikes inside Pakistan. After all, these drone attacks were widely seen as part of the George W Bush administration’s heavy-handed approach to going after terrorists along the AfPak line. The Read More …
Brian M Downing Wars are often fought over natural resources and peace agreements wrestle over them. And any settlement in Afghanistan will have to contend with them. China, aloof from the war but enmeshed in the economy, is positioning itself to be the biggest winner. China already operates an immense Read More …
Brian M Downing Trade follows the flag – but whose trade? The US is seeking a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan. It hopes to reverse the Taliban’s momentum and bring them to the bargaining table through a counterinsurgency program, diplomacy with indigenous tribes and foreign powers, and the attrition of Taliban Read More …