Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Brian M Downing The US is walking away from the JCPOA and sectarian conflict is poised to spread, intensify, and probably go on for years. The US and Israel are foursquare on the Sunni side. Iran and Saudi Arabia have been at odds since Khomeini came to power in 1979 Read More …
Brian M Downing The US and Britain, along with Kurdish-Arab SDF allies, have established themselves in eastern Syria. Washington and Riyadh are discussing a contingent from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. President Trump recently said the US would soon be out of Syria. The statement has been dialed back Read More …
Brian M Downing Mohammed bin Salman, heir apparent and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, is in Washington this week. Discussions will bear on the geopolitics of the Middle East and the political economy of the United States. The prince brought his checkbook. High on the agenda is dealing with Read More …
Brian M Downing Turkey sat on the sidelines during most of the Syrian Civil War. President Erdogan looked on as ISIL mauled the Kurds of Syria, whom he deems supportive of Kurdish militants in his country’s southeast. To his dismay but to the world’s delight, the Kurds, with American help, Read More …
Brian M Downing The wars in Syria are less intense than in previous years. Battered ISIL forces are losing position after position and rebel forces are on the defensive in most areas. Foreign backers of all sides want the war to wind down. Syria has fragmented and is unlikely to Read More …
Brian M Downing Iraqi forces began the effort to retake Mosul from ISIL some ten weeks ago. Though ISIL troops are greatly outnumbered, and have no defense from airstrikes, they have put up a formidable defense of their prized Iraqi holding. ISIL fighters continue to demonstrate that they are the 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 …
Expectations that Iran would move closer to the US after the nuclear deal have to be put aside, at least for the foreseeable future. Supreme Leader Khameini has closed off further dialog with Washington, synchronized the media with the mullahs and generals, tested the limits of the nuclear deal, and aligned his country’s foreign policy Read More …
Brian M Downing Kurdistan will stay within an Iraqi political framework, at least for now. After years of conflict, including being on the brink of war, Iraq and Kurdistan have signed an agreement for sharing oil revenues. The deal allows the Kurds to export their oil and gives them a Read More …
Brian M Downing The Islamic State (IS) offensive in Iraq has been blunted. Kurdish troops and the Iraqi national army have even made slow progress in pushing IS back. US and allied airpower has played an important role, hitting IS positions and convoys hard. However, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Read More …