Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Secretary of State Kerry and Foreign Minister Lavrov have come to a tentative agreement on a ceasefire in Syria which will allow humanitarian aid to reach hapless civilians. The timing is unclear, as are the likely effectiveness and duration. Optimism in recent days has faded. Whatever comes of it will shed Read More …
The Syrian offensive, backed by Russian airpower and Iranian ground troops, has finally made some gains, both in the south near Deraa and in the north near Aleppo. A major battle is shaping up around the latter. It remains to be seen if it indeed becomes a significant battle, or Read More …
Vladimir Putin is determined to act boldly in the world. This will signal the world, especially the US and NATO, that Russia is again a major actor in the world. Further, it strengthens his domestic support and his grasp on the power that great Russian tsars and general secretaries once Read More …
Riyadh has announced it would participate in coalition ground operations in the Syrian civil war. The statement loses boldness when it’s noted that there are no such ground operations in the offing. The Saudis have accomplished two things with the proclamation. First, they have, to some extent, countered the Read More …
Kurdistan, the northern region of Iraq, has been heading toward independence for many years. Thwarted in their statehood effort after World War I, the Kurds are determined not to let today’s opportunity slip away. After Gulf War I the US and other powers established an aircap over northern Iraq, preventing Read More …
During World War Two, soldiers of the American 1st Infantry Division observed that the army consisted of them and millions of rear-echelon troops. Big Red One indeed led the way into North Africa and Normandy, but the comment was more lament or boast than fact. Special forces troops of Afghanistan Read More …
Israel and Iran were once allies, both before and after the 1979 revolution that brought the mullahs to power. Hostility began in the nineties and sharpened as suspicions of an Iranian nuclear weapons program grew over the last decade. The recent agreement has done little to soften things. The Israeli government opposes rapprochement between the Read More …
Turkey claims a second Russian air intrusion Turkey summoned the Russian ambassador and upbraided him for another incursion into Turkish airspace. A few months ago, Turkey shot down a Russian jet that cross the border, although the plane was probably back in Syrian airspace when the missile struck. Since then, Read More …
Iran pressures Afghan refugees to fight in Syria For well over a year Iran has recruited Afghan militias to fight in Syria and Iraq. Iran has used financial incentives and used religion to get Afghans to sign up. For example, refugees are told of the need too protect Shia holy Read More …
My father returned from service in World War Two aboard a troopship that left the Philippines, passed through the Panama Canal, and eventually pulled into Brooklyn Navy Yard. It was a few weeks late for the boisterous crowds and tugboat horns that greeted troopships in the immediate aftermath of VJ Read More …