Small Wars Journal

Blog Posts

SWJ Blog is a multi-author blog publishing news and commentary on the various goings on across the broad community of practice.  We gladly accept guest posts from serious voices in the community.

by Defence-in-Depth | Mon, 03/07/2016 - 5:51pm | 0 comments

“The myth of a ‘British way in counterinsurgency’... judicious and humane application of minimum force and ‘hearts and minds’ has been comprehensively debunked.”

by Voice of America | Mon, 03/07/2016 - 3:18pm | 0 comments

"The Pentagon says a U.S. airstrike in central Somalia has killed more than 150 Al-Shabab militants who were preparing for a large-scale attack."

by Voice of America | Mon, 03/07/2016 - 1:05am | 0 comments

The U.S. National Guard's cyber unit may join the fight against the Islamic State terrorist group in Iraq and Syria, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said.

by Keith Nightingale | Sun, 03/06/2016 - 5:13pm | 0 comments

Lost in the strident rhetoric of the election season is the fact that the President has several thousand constituents laboring on his and our behalf.

by RAND Corporation | Sun, 03/06/2016 - 10:07am | 4 comments

This report documents P2C options: financial sanctions, support for nonviolent political opposition to hostile regimes, and offensive cyber operations.

by SWJ Editors | Sat, 03/05/2016 - 11:12pm | 0 comments

Continue on for a link to Malcolm Nance’s 2007 SWJ article. Our most read, by far.

by Reuters | Sat, 03/05/2016 - 12:10pm | 0 comments

"Carter said on Friday he planned to unveil proposals in a few weeks to reform the structure of the U.S. military."

by G. Murphy Donovan | Sat, 03/05/2016 - 10:24am | 0 comments

Some speculation on what presidential election candidate Donald Trump's defense/foreign policy might look like as the field narrows.

by Voice of America | Sat, 03/05/2016 - 9:26am | 1 comment

"Afghanistan's Taliban has cast further doubt on prospects for peace talks with the Kabul government."

by The New York Times | Fri, 03/04/2016 - 5:27am | 2 comments

“Lawmakers are calling on the Pentagon to reinstate a decorated US Army sergeant whose status is under review after he hit an Afghan militia officer for raping a boy.”

by Stars & Stripes | Thu, 03/03/2016 - 7:08pm | 0 comments

“Sen. John McCain on Thursday charged the Air Force chief of staff with being dishonest about the critical role of the A-10 Thunderbolt II in the war against IS militants.”

by The National Interest | Thu, 03/03/2016 - 5:20pm | 2 comments

"The tension between what the Army is—the relationship between its three components—and what the Army does—provide effective forces to fight the nation’s wars."

by Africa Center for Strategic Studies | Thu, 03/03/2016 - 11:47am | 1 comment

Continue on for additional information and links to this 7 March event in Washington, D.C.

by Henri Boré | Thu, 03/03/2016 - 11:14am | 0 comments

A summary look at the long list of current crises and conflicts on the continent raises the question of the effectiveness of the AU to prevent and protect peace and stability in Africa.

by Real Clear Defense | Thu, 03/03/2016 - 6:13am | 0 comments

“The 25th anniversary of America’s victory in Operation Desert Storm passed without much fanfare on Sunday, February 28.”

by The New York Times | Wed, 03/02/2016 - 5:39pm | 2 comments

"It was a grisly start to the new era... The dictator was dragged from the sewer pipe where he was hiding, tossed around by rebel soldiers, beaten bloody and sodomized with a bayonet."

by Voice of America | Wed, 03/02/2016 - 5:29pm | 0 comments

"Several mass executions by the IS in Syria and Iraq suggest the terror group is encountering more dissent or at least fears losing its grip on the territory it controls."

by Keith Nightingale | Sun, 02/28/2016 - 12:12pm | 0 comments

This is Major Nguyen Hiep. He was my counterpart in the 52d Ranger Battalion 67-68. I hold him in great regard.

by The New York Times | Sun, 02/28/2016 - 11:45am | 8 comments

“The President was wary. The Secretary of State was persuasive. But the ouster of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi left Libya a failed state and a terrorist haven.”

by Military Times | Sat, 02/27/2016 - 10:29pm | 0 comments

Defense officials' hopes for sweeping personnel reforms were crushed by Senate Republicans on Thursday who attacked the ideas as “an outrageous waste of time”.

by Voice of America | Sat, 02/27/2016 - 7:06am | 2 comments

"The cease-fire in Syria that began Saturday has mostly held, but there have been some incidents of violence."

by RAND Corporation | Fri, 02/26/2016 - 5:54pm | 2 comments

“The U.S. requires new approaches for exerting influence between the limitations of distant strike and the costly, indefinite commitment of conventional forces.”

by Voice of America | Fri, 02/26/2016 - 4:22pm | 0 comments

President Obama says although the U.S.-led effort to combat Islamic State has made progress, the fight “remains difficult” and he has instructed his security team to ramp up efforts.

by SWJ Editors | Fri, 02/26/2016 - 1:07pm | 0 comments

“The situation in Syria and Iraq is one of the most complex the world has seen in recent times. ISIL is entrenched…”

by The International Institute for Strategic Studies | Fri, 02/26/2016 - 7:06am | 0 comments

Video of 24 February IISS discussion meeting featuring Daniel Byman and Bruce Hoffman. Chaired by Donald Daniel.