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“U.S. military commanders are now quietly talking about an American commitment that could keep thousands of troops in the country for decades.”

"Is there a fundamental difference between war fought for reasons of belief and war fought out of self-interest? Is one more primitive than the other, or morally superior?"

My respect goes to Nick Brown as he endeavors to capture the essence of a band of brothers nearly lost to time. 

“The U.S. cannot rely heavily on international partners to achieve its objectives.”

“For Camus, true rebellion entails great tension. It holds fast to the moral center, resisting oppression while resisting one’s own tendency to oppress.”

"Analyst Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi of the Middle East Forum, a U.S.-based think tank, has amassed an archive of official IS documents."

“Kerry that progress has been made in combating the Islamic State and violent extremism, and called fighting government corruption an integral part of the battle.”

"As Defense Secretary Carter calls for continued U.S. "boots on the ground" in Iraq and Syria to defeat the Islamic State, the public is still trying to figure out the current role of U.S. troops."

“As Russia and the U.S. work to bring Syria’s government and its domestic opponents to peace talks next week, the two countries are jockeying for position on the ground.”

“Whatever the administration is thinking, it is clear that they have failed to learn at least five important lessons from the experiences in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.”

We are likely stuck with the lead from behind Global Shepherd doctrine until January 2017; this administration is not going admit that it is wrong at this point.

“Potential adversaries know U.S. military capabilities and vulnerabilities.”

"Peace in Afghanistan is possible, but first the parties need to let go of five pernicious myths."

“The balance of power in the Pacific is slipping away from the U.S. because the ‘pivot’ has been hampered by budget cuts, lack of clear policy goals and China’s willingness to take risks.”

“A former Navy SEAL and current Defense Department official is being called on to revamp the federal government's effort to counter ISIS and other groups' recruitment propaganda.”

“Slowly but surely al-Qaida’s Syria affiliate - Jabhat al Nusra - appears to be positioning itself to emerge as the victor in the U.S.-led war against the Islamic State.”

“The main 26 nations in the anti-IS coalition, as well as Iraq, will assemble in Brussels next month, after a NATO defense ministers' meeting, to continue the talks.”

“The Pentagon may strip the former general of a star. And Hillary?”

“His death was shocking: Suicide was rare among SEALs, unusual during a deployment in a war zone and unprecedented for a high-achieving SEAL officer.”

“Russia’s military intervention in Syria is finally generating gains on the ground for Syrian government forces.”

Continue on for a link to the January issue and the table of contents.

Videos: “The Radicalized Foreign Fighter Threat: Real or Imagined?” & “Lessons Encountered: Learning from the Long War.”

“The UN says violence suffered by civilians in Iraq remains staggering, with at least 18,800 killed between 1 January 2014 and 31 October 2015.”

“The generals and admirals, who have been at war for 15 years, know that success can’t be bought cheaply.”

“Discovery of more civilians than expected, after what was a deliberate effort by fighters to use them as shields, suggests future battles against IS could be more complicated.”