Kurds at a Crossroads as Middle East Shifts
Syrian Kurdish military leader Mazloum Abdi’s recent meeting with top Kurdish officials of northern Iraq points to the region’s shifting political landscape. Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander...
Coalition
US Central Command opens Civil-Military Coordination Center in Israel to back Gaza deal
On October 21, US Vice President JD Vance spoke at a press conference at the new Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) opened by US Central Command (CENTCOM) in southern Israel on October 17. “We...
Op-eds
What the Mar Elias Church Bombing Means for Syria’s Future
The June 22 attack on the Mar Elias Church in Damascus underscores the threat of extremism in Syria even after the fall of Assad. The new government must demonstrate control and protect minorities.
Op-eds
Iraqi military bases targeted in overnight strikes
As Israel and Iran exchanged final volleys of fire in the early hours of June 24 after US President Donald Trump brokered a still-uncertain ceasefire, unknown actors, strongly thought to be Iran-backed...
Op-eds
Will U.S. Forces Leave Syria for Good in 2025?
U.S. forces in Syria continue to support their partners in the war against ISIS. This is part of a mission that dates back to 2015, when the U.S. first became involved in Syria. However, recent reports point to an increasing likelihood that the U.S. role in Syria may end within months.
Op-eds
American troops train Syrian Free Army at Tanf Garrison as US weighs next moves in Syria
US forces in Tanf continue to train with Syrian partner forces and support their work securing an area of southern Syria near the Iraqi and Jordanian borders. On April 11, Combined Joint Task Force...
Op-eds
After SDF-Damascus deal, a spotlight on US forces in Syria
On March 10, Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), signed an agreement with Syria’s interim President Ahmad al Sharaa. The deal outlines a plan to integrate the SDF and other...
Op-eds
Houthis, Hezbollah threaten Israel with ongoing war
Despite the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire, Israel continues to suffer threats from multiple fronts.
Op-eds
Jihadi history: Kenyan detainee transferred out of Guantanamo shows the extent of Al Qaeda’s jihad in East Africa
The US Department of Defense (DoD) announced yesterday that longtime Guantanamo Bay detainee Mohammed Abdul Malik Bajabu was transferred to his native Kenya. The Ugandan-born Kenyan national...
Op-eds
US forces in Syria at frontline of Iran, regime threats
This appears to be a show of force from the US to show the regime and militias not to get any ideas amid the chaos in Syria.
Op-eds
Iran-backed Iraqi militia threatens to strike US interests should Israel attack Lebanon
The leader of one of Iraq’s most influential and powerful Iran-backed militias threatened US interests in the Middle East in response to a potential large-scale Israeli military campaign against Hezbollah...
Op-eds
Lessons, 10 years after ISIS took over Mosul
The defeat of ISIS took years. However, Iraq was able to mobilize against the extremists.
Op-eds
US Army ships heading to Gaza, arrive in Crete
US Army ships on their way to Gaza are part of the increased efforts by US-Israeli cooperation to increase humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Op-eds
U.S. carries out strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq
The U.S. military struck three “facilities” run by the Iran-backed Hezbollah Brigades in Iraq in response to militia attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, including a ballistic missile attack over...
Op-eds
Iran’s FM visits Lebanon: Hezbollah planning larger attacks on Israel?
US Central Command defended against Houthi drones in the Red Sea and also struck Iranian-backed militias in Iraq this week; Hezbollah threatens escalation
Op-eds
U.S. military kills Hezbollah Brigades fighter in strike in Iraq
The U.S. military killed a fighter from the Iranian-backed Hezbollah Brigades in an airstrike in western Iraq on Nov. 21. The Hezbollah Brigades fighter had previously attacked U.S. troops at the Ain al-Asad...
Op-eds
U.S. adds Iranian-backed militia, five commanders, and an IRGC operative to list of designated terrorists
The U.S. government added Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, an Iranian proxy militia, its secretary general, five members of terrorist organization Hezbollah Brigades, and an Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps...
Op-eds
Iran-backed Iraqi militia says it is ‘ready for a war of attrition,’ called Israel its ‘enemy’
Hezbollah Brigades, an Iranian proxy that operates a powerful militia primarily in Iraq but also in Syria, said it is “ready for a war of attrition that may extend for years,” and described Israel,...
Op-eds
U.S. State Department officials speak at same conference as dangerous Iran-backed Iraqi terrorist
Senior U.S. State Department officials spoke at the same conference as Qais al Khazali, a known Shia terrorist who is responsible for arming, training and forming the deadly Iranian-backed militias that...
Op-eds
Kabul Attack Network commander brags about suicide assaults in TV interview
A co-leader of what the U.S. military called the Kabul Attack Network appeared on Afghan television and bragged about his role in killing thousands of Afghans and hundreds of U.S. and Coalition personnel...