Blog Posts

"Turkish forces have suffered more casualties in the latest round of fighting in Syria's northwestern Idlib province. But despite Russia backing Syrian government forces in the ongoing attacks on Turkish forces, Ankara has refrained from confronting Moscow — a sign, analysts suggest, of the considerable economic leverage Russia retains over Turkey."

"Afghan officials say at least six people have been killed in a Taliban attack in the northern Balkh Province, amid a weeklong 'reduction of violence' agreed between the United States and the Taliban."

"Battles with characteristics of near-peer combat are raging in Africa — especially in Libya, where high-tech precision strike weapons are flooding the battlefield. And at a time when the U.S. is considering drawing down troops, the conflict in Libya is providing Pentagon planners with an opportunity to better prepare for any future conflict with China or Russia."

"Julian Assange put lives in danger when he published a decade ago thousands of classified documents related to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, a lawyer representing the U.S. government said at the opening day of a court hearing to determine whether the WikiLeaks founder should be extradited to the U.S. to stand trial."

"The Taliban is lying. That's my response to Sirajuddin Haqqani's 'New York Times' opinion article on Thursday, 'What We, the Taliban, Want.'"

"In October, dozens of armed Russian mercenaries fanned out across two Libyan oil ports. Brought in by a renegade Libyan general, they helped rebel forces wrest control of the oil-rich region from the Libyan government."

"The United States and the Taliban are on the verge of signing what would be a historic agreement aimed at winding down America's longest war, potentially fulfilling one of President Trump's key promises."

"U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday a seven-day partial truce with the Afghan Taliban has 'been holding up' and it could eventually lead to his signing of a peace deal with the insurgent group scheduled for this week."

"At war with each other in the Middle East, groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State are working together to take control of territory across a vast stretch of West Africa."

"The United Nations mission in Afghanistan has reported that 3,404 civilians were killed and 6,989 were injured in violence there in 2019. According to the report issued on February 22 by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), 2019 was the sixth consecutive year that civilian casualties have topped 10,000."

"Idlib is home to nearly 3 million people, almost half of whom have been displaced from other parts of Syria during the country’s civil war. Since December 2019, the governorate has come under intensifying attacks by forces loyal to the Syrian regime aiming to seize the remaining rebel-held areas."

"Yemen's Houthi rebels have blocked half of the United Nations' aid delivery programs in the war-torn country, a strong-arm tactic to force the agency to give them greater control over the massive humanitarian campaign, along with a cut of billions of dollars in foreign assistance, according to aid officials and internal documents obtained by The Associated Press."

"Crouching in the sparse brush, maneuvering into formations through a divide, and then shooting at a target, about 10 soldiers from Burkina Faso are among a select group of African soldiers being trained to battle West Africa's fast-growing extremist threat."

"Libya’s security chief called on the U.S. to set up a base in the North African country to counter Russia’s expanding influence in Africa."

"As the U.S. and the Afghan Taliban started Saturday a seven-day partial truce ahead of a possible peace deal to end more than 18 years of war, the United Nations provided evidence of the conflict’s massive toll on civilians."

"The deal due to be signed on February 29 will trigger the phased withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan and kick off talks among warring Afghan factions over a power-sharing arrangement."

"As a peace deal looms between the Taliban and the U.S. warring parties in the 18-year long conflict are calling on their forces to be prepared to use self-defense, signaling a potential partial cessation of offensive operations across Afghanistan."

"A global agency leading the fight against the financing of terrorism and money laundering has kept Pakistan on its “gray list” of nations with inadequate mechanisms to curb funding sources to terrorist groups."

"The countdown to the signing of a peace agreement between the Taliban and the United States on Feb. 29 to end the 18 years of war in Afghanistan will begin at midnight Friday, when a seven-day 'reduction of violence' promised by the Taliban goes into effect, an Afghan official said."

"The New York Times is being criticized by many, including its own Afghanistan correspondent, after publishing an opinion piece Thursday by the deputy leader of the Taliban, who is wanted by the U.S. government."

"In simultaneously issued statements, U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and the Taliban announced Friday that a deal between the U.S. and the Taliban will be signed February 29, paving the way toward ending the longest American war in history."

"A recent UN report said that record breaking airstrikes targeting al-Shabab militants in Somalia is forcing the group to move from rural areas to urban centers to mitigate American air power."

"The Taliban is still angling for a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, the Taliban’s deputy leader said — comments that come as the U.S. and the Taliban are on the brink of a 7-day agreement to reduce violence."

"A global terror-finance watchdog agency is set to blacklist Iran, broadening a U.S. effort to isolate Tehran financially and potentially straining the already sanctions-battered Iranian economy."

"Tensions between Turkey and Russia escalated Thursday with the killing of the two Turkish soldiers in a Syrian airstrike. Moscow, which backs the Damascus government, accused Ankara of supporting terrorists in Syria."