Blog Posts

“The Afghan government and its US and NATO allies have been fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan for the past 14 years.”

“Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran on Sunday and fellow-Sunni Bahrain followed suit on Monday.”

Continue on for recent Military Review articles of interest.

"The execution of a prominent Shi'ite critic of Saudi Arabia’s ruling royal family has caused international outrage and a serious escalation of diplomatic tensions in the region."

I wondered if I was a contributor to the lifelessness before me. Did I see the warning signs? Was I looking in the right places? 

“Even the administration itself has hesitated to call the victory a vindication, or claim it as evidence that the militants are close to the destruction Obama has promised.”

"Western intelligence agencies are taking increasing notice of dream accounts shared by jihadists on social media sites and in telephone and email exchanges."

“My guess is that before Obama departs, he will adopt some of the more aggressive military options he has been resisting.”

From today’s DOS FOIA release of then Secretary of State Clinton's e-mails. Includes COIN discussion concerning Afghanistan strategy based on a historical perspective.

Fair winds and following seas to you and yours from SWJ...

“What they needed was to do a better job of explaining it. Obama ordered what the official called an ‘uptick in our communications tempo.’”

“The Obama record in 2015 suggests that our struggle to determine how best to shepherd and use U.S. power continues.”

"The Pentagon faces major challenges ahead in 2016 as it works to make good on a pledge to open all U.S. military combat jobs to women."

"A U.N. plan to suspend Syria's nearly five-year-old civil war calls for listing which militant groups may be fought despite an eventual ceasefire."

"Some experts believe that some purported Islamic State internal documents shared online are hoaxes, deliberately designed to deceive."

“An end to male bonding, infidelity in the field, and a sense that the special forces would be 'less elite' were among the worries cited in two recently released studies.”

“General John Campbell will ask Barack Obama to delay the withdrawal of troops for as long as possible as the Taliban offensive gathers strength.”

"Afghans are fleeing to Europe in numbers not seen even under the repressive Taliban regime."

"With Iraqi forces claiming victory in Ramadi, Baghdad finds itself facing a pair of difficult tests."

"Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi visited Ramadi Tuesday after government forces recaptured the government compound in the key western city."

Sponsored and organized jointly by TRENDS Research and Advisory, the UAE and the Orfalea Center for Global & International Studies.

"Calling for integrity in an election year may be a particularly good way to ensure that any resolutions that follow will be broken early and often."

Frequent SWJ contributing author Ben Zweibelson has two military design articles out recently, as design continues to become an international affair.

"The White House has steadily expanded the global missions of American Special Operations troops."

“A surprise visit on Christmas Day between the leaders of India and Pakistan hint at a mutual desire to no longer let historic tensions hinder their drive against poverty.”