The incoming Commander-in-Chief already has a handful of issues waiting for him or her on January 20th and surely doesn’t need any more foreign policy headaches. Unfortunately, the job is “Leader of the Free World” and not “Autopilot of the Worldwide Ramones/P-Funk Block Party.” Inevitably, things go awry. Reactions have unintended consequences. If you don’t…
Category: Iraq War
Know Your Weapons: The “Toophan”; The Iranian TOW Missile Knockoff
The CIA program to supply Arab rebels in Syria has made TOW anti-tank guided missiles a nearly ubiquitous sight in media coming from the conflict. But the United States might not be the only country waging a covert war with TOW (or TOW-like) missiles in the Middle East. Iranian reverse-engineered TOW anti-tank guided missiles, dubbed…
Military History: 8 Unbelievable Stories from the Second Battle of Fallujah
Veterans from 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines share their incredible stories from the Second Battle of Fallujah. This time of year marks the anniversary of one of the most storied battles in recent Marine Corps history: the Second Battle of Fallujah. The city became the scene of brutal urban combat when American, Iraqi, and British forces…
Military History: Israel’s Operation Opera, 1981
Thirty-five years after Operation Opera – the Israeli air attack that destroyed Saddam Hussein’s nuclear reactor at Osirak, retired IAF officers and Mossad agents revealed hitherto unknown details of the operation on Friday. n an expose aired on Channel 10, Col. (Ret.) Ze’ev Raz, who led the June 7, 1981 raid, said that Air Force…
Profiles in Courage: The Tank Killers of Roughneck 91
I highly recommend the book Roughneck 91: The Amazing True Story of a Special Forces A-Team at War. This happened early on in the War and did not get a lot of coverage, but next to the Marines at Fallujah, this is definitely one of the most amazing stories of the War. -SF When a group…
Crusader Corner: Killing Terrorist Leaders Is Not the “Magical Solution” to Stopping Terrorism
Another day, another dead terrorist leader. This time, the dead terrorist guy was Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, killed by a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan, and everyone is cheering, because everyone knows that each dead terrorist leader is, well, another dead terrorist leader. Mullah Mansour’s death is “an important milestone,” President Barack Obama…
Examining Terrorist Tactics: Cowards Tactics and The ISIS Way of War
The Islamic State Is Reportedly Rounding Up Civilians to Use As Human Shields in Fallujah The Islamic State has reportedly moved civilians to the center of Fallujah, attempting to use residents of the Iraqi city as shields to ward off government recapture, according to humanitarian officials and local leaders. Fallujah, a mere 40 miles from…
Learning From Terrorist Tactics: Preparing For Subterranean Warfare
I posted an article last year on Subterranean Warfare in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank and it now looks like this nasty type of fighting is definitely going to be part of the landscape in the battle zones in Syria and Iraq as well. -SF Last year, members of Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate,…
Modern War: The Decade of the Mercenary
Contrary to popular belief, Mercenaries are the “Silent Majority” in Obama’s Military, and the president’s “light footprint” approach to war has relied on thousands of Americans paid to fight — and die — in the shadows. Last weekend, the New York Times published one of what will be many takes on President Barack Obama’s legacy…
War Books Worth a Damn: Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
Although I obviously have not seen the movie yet, I can vouch for this book as being one of the best stories I have ever read of a soldier trying to make sense of life after War. You should definitely put this one on your reading list and make plans to see the movie, as…