Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Brian M Downing A new chapter in the Syrian resurrection is opening in the form of a wave of bombings. It comes on the heels of the Free Syrian Army’s (FSA) failure to mount a significant defense of key cities and the outside powers’ indecision as to what to do Read More …
Brian M Downing Only in a country whose public is largely removed from military service, hesitant to criticize its generals, and susceptible to media lionization, could Gen David Petraeus receive the accolades he’s been given. Gen Petraeus has been lauded as an extraordinary soldier-scholar who developed counterinsurgency doctrines and saw Read More …
Brian M Downing The national borders from the eastern Mediterranean to the Iranian border were made after the breakup of the Ottoman Empire in 1918. Britain and France, with little consideration for sectarian or ethnic realities, drew lines across the area and established the new countries of Iraq and Syria. Read More …
Brian M Downing Discussion of a possible war between Iran and the coalition aligning against it centers on destroying Iranian nuclear sites and ensuring that oil tankers freely transit the Strait of Hormuz. Countries embarking on war scrutinize as many scenarios and possibilities as they can, but wars invariably present Read More …
Brian M Downing Sectarian conflict in Iraq is again a concern as the Shi’ite government seeks the arrest of a Sunni vice president whom they tie to an assassination team. Implicit in the accusation is the charge that Sunni politicians were complicit in a number of bombings over the past Read More …
Brian M Downing The United States and other powers are seeking to change the government of Iran from the present mullah-centered authoritarianism to a representative government, or at least to a government more acceptable to regional powers. This objective is being pursued amid a program of sanctions and violent attacks, Read More …
Brian M Downing The uprising in Syria has in the last week become much more violent and the Assad government is tottering. Civilians have obtained weapons and begun an armed resistance. Syrian soldiers are deserting and forming a Free Syrian Army. Fighting is breaking out between the Sunni majority and Read More …
Brian M Downing United States President Barack Obama announced on Friday that US troops would be out of Iraq by the end of 2011, little more than two months away. This date was set three years ago with the Iraqi government’s status of forces agreement, but two US administrations have Read More …
Brian M Downing Iran recently offered to assist in a new probe of the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Argentina that killed 85 people – an event often attributed to Iran and its Hezbollah ally. While Iran has hinted at evidence that might be in its favor, Read More …
Brian M Downing World attention is rightly fixed on the fighting in Libya, but events in Saudi Arabia slated for Friday, March 11th might well take precedent. Young Saudis are mobilizing for demonstrations calling for political reforms but the regime has warned against any such gatherings. A confrontation with immense Read More …