Like communists of yore, the soldiers of the caliphate are seeking to ‘exacerbate the contradictions’ of those ranged against them. PARIS — Saudi King Salman bin Abdelaziz sounded at once angry and plaintive as he marked the end of this blood-drenched month of Ramadan. The so-called Islamic State, ISIS, had just staged attacks in three…
Category: Warfare
Europe’s Forgotten War
Fighting in the Donbas Has Never Stopped Despite the existence of a ceasefire agreement, fighting in eastern Ukraine continues and is increasing. On July 5, three Ukrainian servicemen were killed and thirteen were wounded. The uptick in fighting began this past January, when Ukrainian officials reported up to seventy-one attacks a day and the OSCE’s…
Military History: 10 Notorious Death Squads
In 1984, George Orwell gave his readers a shocking glimpse into the mind of authoritarianism when he put these words in the mouth of state torturer O’Brien: “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.” This image of complete state control (which Orwell lifted from Jack London’s…
The Warrior Ethos
Zachary Mierva July 1, 2016 This essay was written in 2012 en route to my second deployment to Afghanistan with a reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition squadron. A family friend and Vietnam veteran recommended I keep a journal to remember my deployments. I used this journal to create “dispatches” that I sent to my family…
World War I History: Slaughter on the Somme
The Limits of Foresight On the Road To The Great War One hundred years ago today, long lines of British infantry climbed out of their trenches in the Somme region of France and hurled themselves at the entrenched Germans. The next 24 hours would turn out to be the bloodiest day in British military history,…
Crusader Corner: The Attack On The ISIS Convoy Is a Tactic As Old As War
Personally, I got a lot of satisfaction watching these ISIS camel turds get wiped off the face of the planet, I hope you do too.-SF Killing retreating soldiers has a long — and totally legal — history As the Iraqi army overran the last of Fallujah’s neighborhoods remaining in the Islamic State’s hands this week, more than 500…
International Military News: The Russian Hind Mi-25 Gunship in Syria…The Devils Chariot Reigns Down Terror Once Again
For three weeks starting in early June 2016, the Damascus suburb of Darayya was exposed to merciless aerial bombardment carried out primarily by Mil Mi-25 — NATO code name “Hind” — gunship helicopters belonging to the Syrian Arab Air Force. The Hinds dropped no fewer than 564 bombs over this period, underscoring the Mi-25’s reputation as one of Syria’s…
Ancient History: 10 Little Known Facts About The Anglo-Saxons
It can be argued that no people are more important in English history than the Anglo-Saxons. This loose confederation of Germanic tribes not only gave Britain its language, but also its first and most enduring literary hero—the Geat warrior-king Beowulf. The Anglo-Saxons also bequeathed a culture of dispersed power and widespread liberty, which is still evident…
Military History: 10 Amazing Military Deception Operations
Deception operations have been employed in warfare throughout history, with the earliest mentions being in works like Virgil’s Aeneid describing the Trojan Horse during the Trojan War. The Greeks invented smokescreens for use during the Peloponnesian War, and there are countless other examples of deception tactics that have both worked and failed. This list comprises…
Military History: World War I Vintage Photo, “Fix Bayonets!!”
French Poilu attacking in an uphill Bayonet Charge in the Argonne in 1915 Read the Original Article at Forgotten Weapons