Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Brian M Downing The war in Syria has eased considerably. Rebel positions along the periphery remain but Assad controls most of the country. Two interesting events have taken place in recent weeks. Delegates from Sunni Gulf states, key backers of Syrian rebel groups, have visited Damascus, and today President Trump Read More …
Brian M Downing The Yemeni civil war has been underway for three and a half years. The Houthis took hold in the Shia north, drove deep into the Sunni south, and neared Aden. The drive south was unwise from the start. It took the Houthis into hostile land and elicited Read More …
Brian M Downing The US-led campaign in Iraq booted out Saddam Hussein, disbanded his army, and set up elections. A frail democracy has been in place for over a decade. The position here is that Iraq is not fertile soil for democratic government. Sectarianism, factionalism, tribalism, and corruption pose serious Read More …
Brian M Downing The 2003 invasion of Iraq, we are told, was done to ensure Saddam Hussein didn’t have WMDs. However, days before the shooting started, the Bush administration framed the war as an effort to bring democracy to Iraq. That was an interesting shift in rhetoric from hard-nosed security Read More …
Brian M Downing China has been expanding its presence across the world, especially in Africa and South Asia. The Chinese see the process as a welcome and even inevitable historical process whereby they reattain their rightful place as center of the world. Of course, not everyone sees this in the Read More …
Brian M Downing The Trump administration and its Saudi allies were relieved as US interest in the Khashoggi assassination receded. The passage of time and midterm elections saw to that. Riyadh, Washington, and Jerusalem breathed easier as their hardline Iran policy seemed back on track. The issue returned to the Read More …
Brian M Downing Over the last decade, Vladimir Putin has embarked on a program of reasserting his country’s power prestige, often at the expense of the United States. Russian naval and air assets menace US ships and planes. The Crimea has been invaded and annexed, the eastern Ukraine is halfway Read More …
Brian M Downing Sunday marks the centenary of France’s surrender to Germany, ending the Great War (1914-1918). Though the guns fell silent, the effects of the war continued to reverberate across the continent for decades. Historians will debate many aspects of the Great War but they can agree that the Read More …
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Brian M Downing Conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran has been underway for decades. It’s on the verge of becoming more intense as the US and Israel are siding with the Saudis. All three countries are legitimizing their position by claiming Iran is the leading supporter of terrorism and expanding Read More …