Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Brian M Downing President Trump issued a warning to Pakistan last January and this week he cut $300 million in military aid to our putative ally. Other forms of aid are continuing, however. The reason for the cuts is Islamabad’s support for the Taliban, which has been gaining ground in Read More …
Brian M Downing President Trump, like many people, is frustrated by the lack of progress in Afghanistan. This comes only a year after he sent in more GIs. Since then, the Taliban have continued to expand their presence in rural districts and recently struck a large city, Ghazni, a hundred Read More …
Brian M Downing Regime strengthened The entente’s efforts to weaken the Iranian government may have the reverse effect, especially if more aggressive actions are taken. The importance attached to urban middle classes is overestimated owing to their parallels to westernized people and an attendant faith that they must represent Iran’s Read More …
Brian M Downing The US, Saudi Arabia, and Israel are determined to bring change to Iran. They claim it’s violating the JCPOA, supporting terrorism, and aggressively expanding its influence in the region. The US has reimposed sanctions. More will follow in the autumn. This three-power entente wants to soften demand Read More …
Brian M Downing It’s been 73 years since the US dropped atomic bombs on Germany, ending the stalemated world war and the Third Reich as well. The anniversary scarcely elicited mention in world media, though the occasion was marked in Berlin. The bombs were dropped a year after the failure Read More …
Brian M Downing The Trump administration is concerned about China’s ascendance in world affairs, often at US expense. Its economy will surpass the US’s in a decade or so. Military spending has increased, especially in naval and air might. China’s territorial claims and fortified artificial islands are well known. Beijing’s Read More …
Brian M Downing President Trump has signaled displeasure with the absence of progress in the Afghanistan war. Only a year ago he dismissed his instincts to get out of the landlocked country and instead opted to send in more troops. Some NATO allies have already done so. Whether the president’s Read More …
Brian M Downing Saudi Arabia and Iran have been engaged in conflict since the Khomeini Revolution of 1979 and the Iran-Iraq War that began the following year. Washington may think it can limit involvement to supplying arms and intelligence with an occasional skirmish and airstrike. But the US risks deeper involvement and Read More …
Brian M Downing A Sunni-Shia conflict has been underway at least since Khomeini took power in Iran in early 1979. Fearing Shia uprisings and Sunni ones as well, Saudi Arabia and its allies formed a league to oppose Iran. They supported Iraq against Iran in the 80s and have aligned Read More …
Brian M Downing The Syrian civil war appears to be moving into a final chapter, though the region’s conflicts are prone to sudden addendums. Government forces, with the aid of Russian airpower and Iranian-trained militias, are moving on Idlib in the north and Deraa in the south. The latter campaign Read More …