Ivan Plis on October 5, 2015 A program to train Syrian rebels is the most public failure in the multi-billion-dollar effort to advance U.S. interests through local militias, but far from the only one. Starting with the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan early last decade, the U.S. was determined to create and support anti-terrorist forces without…
A Venezuelan Governor Has Suggested Starving Citizens Eat Rocks And Sticks When Oscar Wilde said, “Socialism would relieve us from that sordid necessity of living for others” he may have unintentionally intuited the mindset of future socialist rulers, i.e. socialism always leads to an attenuated “us”–a small clique of ruling elites–not “living for others” but…
Much to the chagrin of policy makers in the West, Russia is promising to ramp up their bombing campaign in Syria. From Reuters: “A senior Russian military officer said Russian jets based in western Syria had carried out more than 60 sorties in 72 hours across Syria. ‘We will not only continue strikes… We will…
Jonah Bennett on October 2, 2015 Major veterans’ groups endorsed a House resolution forwarded by Republican Reps. Vern Buchanan and Duncan Hunter to reinstate Army Sgt. Charles Martland, a Green Beret set to be discharged for standing up to boy rape practices in Afghanistan. Three of the country’s main veterans’ organizations, Concerned Veterans for America,…
by Alison Basley The official US combat mission in Afghanistan has been declared over by the Obama Administration since 2014 and the country has largely been out of the media’s radar. But as the 14th anniversary of Operation Enduring Freedom approaches this month, the Taliban is back making headlines, having successfully overtaken the city of Kunduz…
Juliegrace Brufke on October 1, 2015 The House passed a bill Thursday to prevent the lifting of sanctions on Iran before the country pays American victims of terrorism billions of dollars in damages. The Justice for Victims of Iranian Terrorism Act passed 251-173, and would require Iran to pay $43.5 billion in U.S. court-ordered damages to…
Ivan Plis on September 30, 2015 Britain’s top diplomat has said Russia’s military support of Syria’s government could lead to shared responsibility for the Syrian regime’s war crimes. “We are clear that if Russia wants to join with the coalition in air strikes against [ISIS] then we would welcome that,” Philip Hammond, the U.K. foreign secretary, told…
Rachel Stoltzfoos Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed a question from a female reporter at a meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry Wednesday by telling her not to address a man while “on her knees.” As Kerry was dismissing an inaudible question from the journalist, Lavrov interrupted. “It is politically incorrect for a lady…
Ivan Plis In a conflict often defined by uncertainty and slow progress, targeting and killing top Islamic State officials has been one of the U.S.’ successes against the group. The targeting campaign is separate from the Pentagon-led airstrikes taking place in Syria and Iraq. According to The Associated Press, the CIA is leading the initiative…
Last summer President Obama traded five high-level terrorist leaders for one US soldier; Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. But soldiers who knew Bergdahl were not happy; they believed he had deserted. In the following missions to find and rescue Bergdahl, many US soldiers were killed or wounded. But surely, if the president arranged such a high-profile trade…