Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Brian M Downing Libya is divided between a western region based in Tripoli and an east based in Benghazi. Each side has considerable foreign support – diplomatic and military. Last year the warlord of eastern Libya, Khalifa Haftar, launched an offensive to take the western capital, Tripoli. The capital’s defenders, Read More …
Brian M Downing Over the last century the United States has played crucial roles in world politics. In World War Two the US supplied the arms, oil, troops, and leadership that defeated Imperial Japan and the Third Reich. America’s respect and relative power in the world reached apogee in 1945. Read More …
Brian M Downing The crown prince Mohammed bin Salman’s unexpected rise to power brought hope to outsiders who wanted the kingdom to liberalize, for its own good. Inside the kingdom, especially within the ranks, there were expectations of professionalizing the senior officer corps and turning the army into a capable Read More …
Brian M Downing Word came this week that the Saudi cadet who killed three American servicemen in Pensacola in January had ties to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Someone with deep hatred for the US and almost certainly for Saudi Arabia, or at least its monarchy, got through the Read More …
Brian M Downing Saudi Arabia has been accustomed to immense export revenue since at least the 1973 embargo. MBS, scion of the ruling House of Saud, was raised in limitless opulence and has ruled in the manner of a Bourbon or Romanov, though not an especially judicious one. The young Read More …
Director: Taika Waititi Stars: Sam Neill, Julian Dennison 7.5/10 This adventure-comedy made in New Zealand pairs Sam Neill as a crusty rural-dweller with a young teenager in and out of foster homes. The boy runs away into the rain forest where Neill tracks him down, only to injure his leg Read More …
Brian M Downing In recent weeks Trump has been upset with Mohammad bin Salman, the reigning prince of Saudi Arabia. The headstrong young ruler boosted oil production to punish Russia but in so doing he endangered the fiscal stability of many countries, including his own. Trump demanded MBS cut production Read More …
Candidate Trump ran on standing up to China, chiefly on trade. New agreements have been hammered out that call for more Chinese purchases of US goods but it remains to be seen if Beijing will live up to them. As accusations fly and tensions increase amid the pandemic, Beijing has Read More …
Brian M Downing Moscow has had a number of disappointments in the Middle East over the years. During the Cold War it backed Arab states against Israel and its western backers and even goaded them into starting wars. The disastrous results were showcases of second-rate Soviet hardware and corrupt, inept Read More …
Brian M Downing The contest with China is on. But how much domestic support can Washington mobilize, especially compared to what Beijing can command? Anti-Chinese sentiment There’s been considerable antipathy toward what was once called Red China since the days of the Cold War. Back then “Beiping” was deemed a Read More …