For some time, the U.S. military has been offering conflicting statements on its presence in Syria. In October, for example, a general said the U.S. had 4,000 troops in the war-torn Middle Eastern country, or about eight times the official number of roughly 500, before correcting himself and giving that official figure. The Washington Post … Continue reading U.S. officials deny Syrian ‘presence patrols’
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The Pentagon's recent admission that more U.S. troops are deployed to war zones than previously disclosed has caused some controversy. But another consistently underestimated number -- that of civilian casualties of America's wars -- has received less attention, even as the death toll continues to mount seemingly without interruption. On Friday the U.S.-led coalition fighting … Continue reading U.S. acknowledges civilian casualties as death toll keeps rising
The United States' military has been in Afghanistan for nearly 16 years. Yet details of the situation today in that country tend to remain unclear to many Americans, as the war has long faded into the background of the often asinine 24-hour news cycle. While U.S. civilians should probably pay more attention to their country's … Continue reading Thousands more U.S. troops stationed overseas than previously acknowledged
Nearly three years after the U.S. began bombing the Islamic State extremist group in Iraq and Syria, and just in time for Memorial Day weekend, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle called for a new Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) in the ongoing conflict on Thursday, echoing past proposals. "Congress should be … Continue reading Lawmakers renew push for counter-terrorism military force authorization
While former President Barack Obama recently left office with a much higher approval rating than his predecessor, George W. Bush, his dramatic escalation of drone strikes around the world remains an undeniable and controversial component of his legacy -- and one that, like his healthcare reform law, appears to be continuing under the new … Continue reading U.S. airstrike civilian deaths escalate, no end in sight
A Central Intelligence Agency-coordinated program to aid Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces fighting against Bashar al-Assad in northwest Syria has been frozen, Reuters reported Tuesday, as the rebels there have faced recent setbacks amidst the chaotic and multifaceted war that has engulfed the region for the past several years. "The support funneled to vetted FSA … Continue reading CIA aid to Syrian rebels partially frozen, temporarily
A linguist, left, shares a smartphone device with a Afghan Army command sergeant major during a security meeting at the Qara Bagh district's center in Afghanistan's Ghazni province, July 16, 2012. Smartphone devices are increasing in use on the battlefield in Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Defense. In 2015, the U.S. officially ended … Continue reading A military-grade ‘Wikipedia’ app for cross-cultural understanding?
When it comes to reporting numbers of civilians and "combatants" it kills, the Pentagon attempts to paint itself in a positive light. Last summer, after the Obama administration released a report estimating that between 64 and 116 civilians had been killed in drone strikes on the president's watch, it was widely criticized for under-counting by … Continue reading Thousands of unreported deadly airstrikes the latest in sloppy Pentagon record keeping
Among other unprecedented steps, President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration includes a temporarily ban on immigration from seven majority-Muslim countries -- Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, and Somalia -- with the ostensible goal of preventing terrorism. For a variety of reasons, however, close observers of Islamist extremism say that Trump's plan will only … Continue reading Trump’s Muslim ban is the recruiting tool ISIS has dreamed of, experts say
The U.S. reached some new military milestones last year. America dropped at least 26,171 bombs in 2016, for example -- over 3,000 more than the year before, averaging about one bomb every 20 minutes. And that number includes only bombs dropped in some of the better known conflict areas where the U.S. is involved -- … Continue reading Trump promises more for less military spending, experts expect budget hikes
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