You probably remember Blackwater, the notorious U.S. mercenary company that rose to fame — or infamy, as it were — during the Iraq war. You might also remember Erik Prince, a former Navy SEAL who founded Blackwater in 1997. Prince had no choice but to sell his company after a spate of shootings involving Blackwater…
Category: Africa
Modern Crime: Illegal Online Arms Trade in North Africa Skyrocketing
An online marketplace for illicit weapons is thriving in the Middle East and North Africa, according to a study released today that found sales of heavy machine guns, rocket and grenade launchers, and anti-aircraft guns on private Facebook groups in Libya. During his 40-year reign, colonel Muammar Gaddafi stockpiled an estimated $30 billion worth of weapons. At the time,…
Cold War Files: After-Action-Report (AAR) of a Rhodesian Ambush
Imagine initiating an ambush with a 40 mike-mike training round. That would be a Bad Thing. This ambush, as remembered by our friend and former Rhodie troopie Nick Bliksem, is just about as bad (but not quite). This was during the “Second Chimurenga” period of the Rhodesian Bush War, back when Jimmy Carter was POTUS,…
Military Defense News: After Benghazi, USMC Marks New Approach to Embassy Security in Africa
Close to the third anniversary of the infamous Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, a small detachment of Marines descended on the U.S. Embassy in Bamako, Mali, on the other side of the African continent. The little-publicized 48-hour operation took about 200 Marines attached to Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground…
Dose of Truth: When Christians are Slaughtered, Look the Other Way
This Easter, Remember in fervent prayer the Christians ALL OVER THE WORLD who are persecuted and murdered for their Faith in Jesus Christ by muslim barbarians. -SF Muslims Slaughter Over 10,000 Christians and Destroy 13,000 Churches in Nigeria Over 500 Christian villagers were slain in one night.” — Emmanuel Ogebe, Nigerian human rights lawyer,…
British SAS Have been Operating in Libya
According to a leaked memo written by King Abdullah II, Jordanian troops have operated alongside UK Special Air Service troops in Libya since January. The memo was sent to US lawmakers by King Abdullah to brief them of Jordan’s plans to embed special forces “with British SAS” in Libya. The document also reveals that the…
Military Weapons From the Past: Historical Weapons Found in Libya War Zone
Armament Research Services (ARES) has a database of Conflict Material (CONMAT), logging arms and munitions documented within the illicit sphere in conflict and post-conflict zones. I have been working on co-athoring a report with N.R. Jenzen-Jones covering Libyan arms trading conducted via social media platforms between November 2014 and November 2015 for Small Arms Survey. One of the…
Crusader Corner: The Spreading Cancer of Islam in West Africa
Côte d’Ivoire has become the latest country in West Africa to suffer a major terror attack. No fewer than 15 civilians and three special forces troops died when six attackers opened fire on the beaches in Grand-Bassam, a seaside town that’s popular with expats. Thirty-three people were wounded. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed…
Crusader Corner: Al Shabaab 101
Islamist Groups Currently in Somalia: Al Shabaab Hizbul Islam Islamic Courts Union The recent U.S. airstrike targeting al Shabaab is the latest in a series of fights that seem to be growing in intensity. Below is a brief timeline of al Shabaab: History: Al-Shabaab is an al-Qaida associated militant group that seeks to establish an…
ISIS Corner: The Islamic State’s Tunisia Strategy
Bottom Line Up Front: • Armed militants are suspected to have crossed into Tunisia from Libya on March 7, carrying out attacks on Tunisian security forces in the border town of Ben Gardane • The assault comes less than a week after five militants crossed the border from Libya and were killed in a shootout with Tunisian…