Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Brian M Downing The four armed groups warring in Iraq – Islamic State (IS), the Kurdish peshmerga, the Iraqi army, and Sunni tribal levies – have strengths and weaknesses. They also have varying levels of foreign support and capacities for cooperation. IS troops have a marked qualitative edge but are Read More …
Brian M Downing In June, well equipped Iraqi troops trained by the US and other powers collapsed before a smaller and less well equipped force led by men who had little military experience until they plunged into wars in Iraq and Syria. Shadows of doubt have been cast on the Read More …
Brian M Downing The astonishing and alarming Islamic State (IS) drive into northern Iraq and Kurdistan has led to American airstrikes and also to arms sales and additional support from Britain, France, and Germany to defeat the militants. The US response comes amid considerable criticism over the Obama administration’s less Read More …
Brian M Downing The air war over Germany in WWII lasted five years and its effectiveness is debated to this day. Nonetheless, after five weeks of airstrikes, many analysts and politicians are already judging the air campaign against the Islamist State to be a failure. This may be in large Read More …
Brian M Downing Most accounts of the Second Gulf War (2003-11) attach significant importance to the US’s adoption of counterinsurgency doctrine in ending the Sunni insurgency there. The shift away from conventional warfare to winning hearts and minds is said to have changed the course of the war and brought Read More …
Brian M Downing The Syrian government has won the upper hand on the ground owing to Hisbollah ground troops, his own airpower, and the failure of most rebel groups to develop into skilled fighting forces. Rebel groups are in considerable disarray and fighting each other fiercely in several parts of Read More …
Brian M Downing The Iraqi province of Anbar, which lies to the west of Baghdad and leads to the border with Syria, has been the scene of momentous historical events over the last decade. It was the site of fierce resistance to US forces and later a short-lived alliance between Read More …
Brian M Downing Over the last three years Saudi Arabia has devoted considerable diplomatic and financial resources into dual efforts in the Middle East: thwarting democracy and opposing Iranian-Shia influence. Riyadh has financed militant groups, strategically manipulated fiscal and oil subsidies, and trained students in zealous militancy to serve in Read More …
Brian M Downing The Assad government, having lost control of large swathes of the country and deemed near collapse only a few months ago, has put together a surprising counteroffensive. The operation seeks to reestablish the ground route between the capital Damascus and the Mediterranean coast, where the regime’s Alawi Read More …
Brian M Downing Most accounts of the Second Iraq War (2003-11) attach great importance to counterinsurgency programs in ending the conflict there. The shift from using heavy firepower to winning hearts and minds is said to have created a “Sunni Awakening,” which changed the course of the war and brought Read More …