Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
The coming ISIL dispersal – Iraq and Syria Brian M Downing In coming weeks, or months, ISIL’s prestigious holdings, Mosul and Raqqa, will have been retaken. ISIL will have only a handful of smaller towns and expanses of land – most of it wasteland. Several thousand ISIL fighters are in Read More …
Russia looks for opportunities in Iraq Brian M Downing Russia and the United States are engaged in Cold War Two – a global contest for influence, trade, military bases, and power. Russia, in conjunction with China, want to establish hegemony in the Eurasian land mass, including the Middle East. Read More …
The coming battle for Raqqa – and the future of Iraq and Syria Brian M Downing Iraqi and Kurdish troops are on the outskirts of Mosul, ISIL’s prized holding in Iraq. The battle will be long and costly and will entail a slew of political complications involving various foreign powers, especially the Read More …
The House of Saud comes down on ISIL Brian M Downing Saudi Arabia was jolted by three ISIL bombings earlier this week. One of them shook the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina – a centerpiece of the Kingdom which confers prestige from much of the Islamic world. The bombing calls into Read More …
Obama’s foreign policy and the Nixon Doctrine Brian M Downing Politicians and the public at large are voicing frustration at the slow pace of the ISIL War. Some claim the administration doesn’t have a strategy. Many are eager to see more US troops sent back into the Middle East. Owing Read More …
The Islamic world continues to break apart – Pakistan Brian M Downing Rand-McNally must be a busy place. Europe has seen the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia break apart; the Ukraine is being broken apart. The Islamic world has been even more tumultuous. The Sudan broke in two; Iraq is Read More …
The battles in Baghdad and the future of Iraq Brian M Downing Just as Iraqi units were beginning to clear the approaches to Mosul and prepare to retake the city, the Baghdad government has fallen into crisis. Its reform efforts have stalled in parliament. Angry demonstrators broke into the heavily Read More …
Donald Trump takes on Saudi Arabia – and foreign policy Brian M Downing Throughout the presidential campaign Donald Trump has spoken freely and often harshly of many individuals and groups. He recently bluntly noted Saudi Arabia’s AWOL status in the ISIL War, even though it takes place not far from Read More …
Putin pulls back in Syria Brian M Downing As unexpectedly as it sent forces into Syria last fall, Russia is now withdrawing them – or least it has begun to. Monday’s announcement referred to the “main part” being pulled out. What has the short-lived deployment accomplished? What lies ahead for Read More …
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 …