Recent news, analysis, and commentary about the Middle East – politics, conflict, Iraq withdrawal, and great power competition. Security Overview CENTCOM Now Has Israel. In his last week in office President Trump ordered that U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) add Israel […]
Army University Press Films announces its second film in the Operation Iraqi Freedom film series. Beginning on 1 April 2003, this film features Coalition Forces’ fight for Saddam Hussein’s capital. The film opens with the fight for Objective PEACH, covers […]
By Affan Burki. Allied forces have utilised the decapitation of insurgent network leaders in its counterinsurgency campaigns in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world. However, this is why our COIN efforts have failed. Cutting the head off the snake just […]
SOF News Update – Curated news, analysis, and commentary on special operations forces, national security, and conflicts from around the world. Top Story Casualties in Iraq. On Wednesday, March 11, 2020 a Coalition base in Taji, Iraq was hit with […]
Captain Moises Navas, a special operations officer assigned to the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, was killed in Iraq on March 8, 2020. He died from wounds suffered while accompanying Iraqi Security Forces during a mission to eliminate an ISIS stronghold […]
Gunnery Sergeant Diego Pongo, a Marine Raider, was killed in action in Iraq on March 8, 2020 while conducting combat operations against the Islamic State. Another Marine Raider – Captain Moises Navas – was also killed. Four other U.S. service […]
Central Command released a statement saying that two U.S. service members were killed in action in Iraq on Sunday, March 8, 2020. “Two U.S. service members were killed by enemy forces while advising and accompanying Iraqi Security Forces during a […]
The killing of General Qassem Soleimani by a U.S. drone just after he arrived at the Baghdad International Airport in Iraq on January 2, 2020, raised the stakes in the Middle East. The Iranians responded with rhetoric and a relatively […]
Current news, analysis, and commentary on special operations, national security, and conflicts from around the world. SOF News New Acting SECDEF – Former Ranger. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan has decided not to continue his pursuit of nomination for […]
CWO3 Taylor Galvin died on August 20, 2018 as a result of injuries sustained when his helicopter crashed in Iraq. The crash occurred in Sinjar, Ninevah Province. He was assigned to the Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation […]
SOF News Update 20180319 – Kurds fighting Turkish forces (not ISIS), HH-60 crash in Iraq, building coalitions, 4th Recon Bn Cdr dies, USMC seeks RIAB for PSYOP, NATO’s annual report, ‘7 Days in Entebbe’, Singapore’s combat divers, SF field kitchen […]
Helicopter Crash in Iraq – On Thursday, March 15, 2018 a U.S. Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crash in Iraq claimed the lives of seven U.S. military personnel. Military sources say the crash did not appear to be a […]
Over the past decade and a half the U.S. special operations community, and Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) in particular, has developed the capability and capacity to conduct surgical strike operations to degrade terrorist networks while at the same to […]
RAND SFA Paper – A recently published (October 2017) 253-page paper by the RAND Corporation provides a history of the U.S. military’s advisory efforts over the past several decades and offers some recommendations on how security force assistance (SFA) programs […]
Middle East Update – ISIS downfall in Iraq and Syria, Iranian influence grows, Kurds lose out, easy victory for Baghdad, Raqqa cleared of ISIS (almost), Iraqi elections coming soon, and more. Hawija Offensive. The last urban stronghold of the Islamic […]
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