Israel SitRep: Jan. 19, 2024
Today’s Issue: IDF Completes 45-Hour Operation in Tulkarem Refugee Camp in West Bank | Iron Dome Intercepts Drone From Lebanon Over the Sea | IDF Soldiers in Khan Younis Kill Terrorists, Find Model of...
Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr.
Biden White House’s deadly Afghanistan withdrawal symptoms lets foes flourish
A classified Pentagon assessment a US airman posted on the Discord server network indicates the Islamic State is ensconced in Afghanistan and plotting attacks across the globe. The leaked doc highlights...
Op-eds
Lawmakers, Former Top Officials Offer Bipartisan Rebuke of Biden’s Syria Policy
Earlier today, an open letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the administration’s passive response to Arab governments’ accelerating normalization...
Flash Briefs
U.S., Israeli Navies Conduct Exercise as Iran Steps up Maritime Aggression
The naval forces of the United States and Israel conducted a four-day bilateral training exercise, dubbed Digital Shield, this month in the Red Sea’s Gulf of Aqaba. The joint exercise comes in the wake of Iran’s attempts to seize American unmanned surface vessels, or USVs, in both the Red Sea and Persian Gulf over the past 30 days. The exercise focused on “enhancing maritime awareness using unmanned systems and artificial intelligence in support of vessel boarding operations,” according to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. The USVs used in the exercise improve the ability to monitor the malign maritime activities of Tehran and its terror proxies.
Flash Briefs
New Iran Nuclear Deal? Same Old Missile Problems.
The U.S. and Europe ignore Iranian missile tech developments at their own peril.
Op-eds
How Loitering Munitions Can Help Counter China
“Suicide drones” are already tapped to fill various roles, but more are needed, and faster.
Op-eds
The Taliban Is Using the Doha Accord to Protect Al-Qaeda
That's one of many problems with ‘over the horizon’ counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan.
Op-eds
The Bizarre Positive Biden Spin on Afghanistan
No, the Taliban are not America’s partners
Op-eds
Why Israel’s transfer to US Central Command could help deter Iran
U.S. Central Command announced Sept. 1 that it has assumed responsibility for U.S. forces in Israel. This positive development reflects changes in Arab-Israeli relations and offers an opportunity to build...
Op-eds
Help The Afghan Air Force To Blunt Taliban Attacks
At the NATO Summit in Brussels, the United States should finalize a plan with its allies to ensure the Afghan air force has the maintenance and logistical support it requires to remain combat effective. The...
Op-eds
The Powerful Implications of Israel’s Successful Missile Defense Test
The Israeli Missile Defense Organization and U.S. Missile Defense Agency announced earlier this month the successful completion of a series of tests of a multilayered missile defense system using the David’s...
Op-eds
Trump’s Wish to End the ‘Endless Wars’ Denies Reality
ISIS isn't dead, al-Qaeda is not a ‘shadow of its former self,’ and the Taliban is not our counterterrorism partner.
Op-eds
To Succeed in Competition with China, Don’t Abandon the Middle East
As the United States somberly observes the 9/11 anniversary this week, some Americans are in a mood to withdraw military forces from the wider Middle East. Long-time advocates for withdrawal on the political...
Insights
Trump’s ‘They Want to Do Nothing But Fight Wars’ Smear Was Nasty—And Inaccurate
Contrary to the president’s claim, the Pentagon wants out of the 9/11 wars.
Op-eds
Taliban suicide team strikes NDS headquarters in Afghan city
The Taliban has claimed credit for today’s suicide assault in the provincial capital of Samangan in northern Afghanistan. The attack belies U.S. officials’ claims that the Taliban has not been fighting...
Op-eds
Taliban again denies Al Qaeda is in Afghanistan
In an effort to keep up the facade of a ‘peace’ deal with the U.S. government, the Taliban has yet again denied that Al Qaeda has a presence in Afghanistan. This time, the group refuted a Department...
Op-eds
Donald Trump’s Silence on Al-Qaeda Is Deafening
The administration is still going after terrorists even as it claims to be ending ‘endless war.’
Op-eds
Taliban falsely claims al Qaeda doesn’t exist in Afghanistan
General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., the commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), questioned the Taliban’s willingness to take action against al Qaeda during an online conference held last week. The...
Op-eds
U.S. Troops Are Vulnerable. Israeli Technologies Can Help
The recent U.S. decision to withdraw two Patriot missile defense batteries from Saudi Arabia has again highlighted how vulnerable U.S. interests in the Middle East remain to Iran’s growing arsenal of...
Op-eds
Attacks in Iraq underscore need for indirect fire protection capability
U.S. troops in Iraq were once again in the line of fire last week without sufficient capability to defend themselves. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, confirmed on Friday...