In the last major foreign policy speech of his presidency on Tuesday, President Barack Obama defended his counter-terrorism strategy over the last eight years, while simultaneously offering advice to his successor, Donald Trump, along with thinly-veiled criticism of some of the president-elect's policy proposals. "I will become the first President of the United States to … Continue reading Obama defends foreign policy record, suggests Trump try to achieve what he failed to
Tag: iraq
Today, Nov. 11, 2016, three days after Donald Trump's election win, is Veterans Day. It is the 98th anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting in World War I. It marks fifteen years and two months since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. A large majority of military veterans voted for Trump, by about … Continue reading Vets voted for ‘unpredictable’ Trump over Clinton’s status quo foreign policy
The US military reportedly plans to launch an offensive against ISIS in Raqqa -- the Syrian city that serves as the jihadist "caliphate's" de facto capital -- "within weeks," according to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, "and not many weeks." But while the US is quick to point out that it is leading a coalition in … Continue reading USA: Clumsy puppet master in the Middle East
A new report published this month from House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) titled "Cash to Chaos: Dismantling ISIS’ Financial Infrastructure" explores in some detail the various funding sources behind the Islamic State extremist group operating in Iraq and Syria. "ISIS’ march across the globe is fueled not just by a hateful ideology—but … Continue reading ISIS cashes in on US-sponsored chaos
With the U.S. presidential election less than three weeks away, many Americans remain focused on domestic politics, or in foreign affairs, on the escalating tensions with Russia over the war in Syria. In other news, however, the U.S. is also escalating its role in an array of other conflicts across the Middle East -- and … Continue reading As Americans focus on election, U.S. steps up involvement in several wars
It's typically not every day that Americans hear about "influence operations," though recent history has been an exception to that rule as news outlets and government officials have aggressively hyped the alleged threat of Russian covert ops aimed at swaying the U.S. election, or at least at causing chaos leading up to it. Indeed, much … Continue reading Anti-ISIS influence ops drill reveals parts of U.S. deception strategy
Recent polls showing disproportionate active duty military support for Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson versus that among the overall population may represent more than simple dissatisfaction with this year's regrettable major party candidates. Signs increasingly point to a U.S. military that is broadly dissatisfied with the direction of the country, along with its politicians' decisions … Continue reading Military polls show dissatisfaction with U.S. politics beyond election
Earlier this month, NBC News published a "heat map" leaked from the National Counterterrorism Center that purported to show that the Islamic State extremist group has expanded to "fully operational" status in 18 countries and is spreading to several others. Writing in The Hill this week, however, counterterrorism researcher Anhvinh Doanvo argues that it is … Continue reading Fuzzy math, the ISIS brand, and America’s foreign military presence
Less than a month after the release of the infamous "28 pages" of a congressional 9/11 investigation that had been withheld for over a decade, which dealt with alleged ties between the government of Saudi Arabia and some of the hijackers, the Pentagon and State Department announced a new arms sale totaling more than $1 … Continue reading A billion more in arms for Saudi intervention in Yemen civil war
The news media has recently focused much attention on the supposedly imminent collapse of the "caliphate" of the Islamic State extremist group (a.k.a. ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) in the main area it has controlled in the past couple of years in Iraq and Syria. Developments elsewhere, however, show that ISIS and the broader Islamist extremism … Continue reading ISIS “caliphate” collapse won’t bring end to War on Terror
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