Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Brian M Downing I voted in the 1964 presidential elections. I wasn’t old enough, but I went into a voting booth and pulled a lever. I wasn’t in Cook County, but I nonetheless took part in the election. Pulling the lever that November evening and watching events unfold over the Read More …
Russia looks for opportunities in Iraq Brian M Downing Russia and the United States are engaged in Cold War Two – a global contest for influence, trade, military bases, and power. Russia, in conjunction with China, want to establish hegemony in the Eurasian land mass, including the Middle East. Read More …
Kurdistan after the liberation of Mosul Brian M Downing Iraqi troops will probably retake Mosul in coming weeks or months. The battle will be fierce, the casualties, both civilian and military, will be high. Afterwards, old political conflicts that were put aside after the 2014 ISIL offensive will reemerge and Read More …
The coming battle for Raqqa – and the future of Iraq and Syria Brian M Downing Iraqi and Kurdish troops are on the outskirts of Mosul, ISIL’s prized holding in Iraq. The battle will be long and costly and will entail a slew of political complications involving various foreign powers, especially the Read More …
Apocalypse soon in the battle of Mosul? Brian M Downing The fight for Mosul is underway. Surrounding villages have fallen, ISIL has launched spoiling attacks, Iraqi special forces are nearing the city itself. ISIL fighters have the advantage in combat effectiveness and in fighting from defensive positions in urban areas, Read More …
The potential for Russian escalation in Syria Brian M Downing Vladimir Putin’s intervention in Syria has thus far been cautious. Russian air support allowed Syrian and allied ground forces to regain territory around Damascus and Aleppo. When the Syrian president boasted of reconquering all of Syria, and as the ineffectiveness Read More …
What to expect in the battle for Mosul Brian M Downing The campaign to retake Mosul has been promised for quite some time. Troops have been positioned, supply depots set up, and plans reworked over and over. Many surrounding towns and villages have fallen in referent weeks. Though coordinating the Iraqi army, Read More …
Turkey reaches for greater power Brian M Downing Turkey has long pursued regional interests. It has championed Kurdish autonomy in Iraq, but tries to quash it elsewhere. It has supported a slew of rebel groups in Syria. And it has established itself as an important transporter of Central Asian and Read More …
Russian leverage in the Syrian war (It’s a lot more than the US has) Brian M Downing Syria, in war and peace, has been an object in the foreign policies of several countries, including the US and Russia. Now, with the war entering a new, disturbingly violent phase, a search Read More …
Russia’s goals in Syria – and elsewhere Brian M Downing With the recent airstrikes on Aleppo, the Syrian war has taken yet another dreadful turn. Syrian and Russian aircraft, jets and helicopters, are pummeling civilian districts, relief convoys, water pumping stations, and medical facilities. World opinion, weary of the mayhem that has Read More …