Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Downing Reports: Brian M Downing and the world at war Discontent emerging in Turkey over war with Kurds Turkey has lost sixty troops since the conflict with Turkish Kurds erupted into warfare last month. Discontent is growing among the population. Interesting that the Kurds are refraining from targeting civilians, as they Read More …
Downing Reports: Brian M Downing and the world at war Saudi Arabia opens to Hamas This is an effort to detach Hamas from its ties to Iran. This may initially seem like good news for Israel, but I’ve long noted that Saudi Arabia is a greater threat to Israel than Iran. Read More …
Downing Reports: Brian M Downing and the world at war Pakistan steadily increasing nuclear arsenal Pakistan is said to be making twenty nuclear weapons a year, playing it on track to be the third largest nuclear power, behind the US and Russia. The concern with Pakistan is that its generals are mercurial Read More …
Downing Reports: Brian M Downing and the world at war Key suspect in Khobar Towers bombing arrested Ahmed al-Mughassil, leader of a Shia group in Saudi Arabia, has been arrested in Lebanon and taken to Saudi Arabia. His group, Hezbollah al-Hejaz, is thought to have executed the bombing of a US housing Read More …
Downing Reports: Brian M Downing and the world at war Saudi troops land in Yemen According to a London-based news source, Saudi troops have landed in the southern port of Aden. They are there to provide security in the city, not to engage the Houthis just to the north of the Read More …
Downing Reports: Brian M Downing and the world at war Israel increasingly interested in Kurdistan Kurdistan is a landlocked autonomous region that wants to become an independent country. Landlocked countries usually face serious trouble, but Kurdistan has oil and is positioned in the middle of a great geopolitical contest. Iran and Israel are Read More …
Jordan may establish a “safe zone” in Syria If Turkey does the same, and if Israel establishes a protectorate over the Druze population east if the Golan Heights, this will be an important part of the fragmentation of Syria into statelets. Add in the Kurds. Syria doesn’t exist anymore. Battle for Read More …
Downing Reports: Training missions in foreign lands [I wrote this article on the training program in Iraq a little over seven years ago. The poor performance of Iraqi troops over the last year makes me think it is still relevant. BD.] In recent weeks we’ve seen numerous supporters of the war Read More …
Downing Reports: Brian M Downing and the world at war Syrian missiles inflict harsh casualties on civilians Fighting near the capital of Damascus is up as government positions in the north fall to rebels. Over fifty civilians were killed. Damascus has great significance in the apocalyptic thought that guides some Read More …
Downing Reports Israeli jets bomb targets inside Syria In response to rocket fire on Galilee, Israeli warplanes have bombed targets just east of the Golan Heights. The Israeli government blames an Iranian-backe group known as Islamic Jihad. The small Palestinian group denies doing it and insists it has no Read More …