AFGHANISTAN This morning's bombing in Kabul, news of which just started to break as I wrapped up last night, was, perhaps unsurprisingly, far deadlier than initial reports seemed to suggest. The most recent updates I've seen, like this one from the BBC, put the death toll at 90, and it's been steadily climbing throughout the day … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: May 31 2017

SYRIA Hopefully I'm wrong here, but it seems to me that--without getting a lot of attention--the potential for a dramatic escalation in southern Syria is growing by the day. Here's the latest tiptoe in the direction of what could be a very dangerous line: Western-backed Syrian rebels said on Wednesday that Russian jets attacked them as … Continue reading Middle East update: May 31 2017

MISSILE DEFENSE Well, this might actually be good news: The US military has successfully carried out its first-ever missile defense test involving a simulated attack by an intercontinental ballistic missile, in a major milestone for a program meant to defend against a mounting North Korean threat. The US military fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)-type … Continue reading World update: May 30 2017

IRAQ Yesterday evening's bombing in Baghdad was the first of several that have struck the Iraqi capital over the past 24 hours. The attack yesterday, targeting a popular ice cream shop in central Baghdad, has killed 17 people so far and I'm not sure if any of the wounded are still in critical condition. This morning, … Continue reading Middle East update: May 30 2017

THE TRUMP EFFECT Donald Trump just returned from an extended trip in Europe, where he attended a meeting of NATO heads of state and then the G7 summit in Sicily. It...didn't go very well: Body language aside, there was much else to marvel at. In his speech at Nato’s new headquarters – the cost of … Continue reading Europe update: May 27-29 2017

PHILIPPINES The Philippine military says that it's "close" to defeating a group of ISIS-aligned militants who have dug themselves in to part of the southern city of Marawi over the past week. Over 100 people have been killed in the fighting, most of them Maute Group fighters, and of course there's no way to tell … Continue reading Asia/Africa/Americas update: May 27-29 2017

IRAQ The main story here is that the final phase (or, I guess, the first part of the final phase) of the Mosul operation has begun. On Saturday, Iraqi forces began their effort to clear the last section of western Mosul, including the Old City, of ISIS insurgents. Federal police are still anchoring the line … Continue reading Middle East update: May 27-29 2017

WHEN THE KUSH HITS So, uh, you remember how, yesterday, Jared Kushner was just a "person of interest" in the FBI investigation into ties between the Trump 2016 campaign and the Russian government? Well, it seems he's a whole lot more interesting than the FBI made it seem: Jared Kushner and Russia’s ambassador to Washington … Continue reading Europe/Americas/World update: May 26 2017

PHILIPPINES Fighting between government forces and ISIS-aligned Islamist militants is ongoing in the southern city of Marawi, with yesterday's government artillery barrages and airstrikes apparently having done little to dislodge the insurgents. Philippine officials say that Abu Sayyaf boss Isnilon Hapilon, whose arrest they were seeking in the raid that started this whole situation earlier … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: May 26 2017

With the three day weekend I may--may--not be back until Monday. The downside of taking any significant time away from these updates is that it just makes the ones I have to write when I get started again that much longer. So I might sneak one in Sunday night just to keep Monday's from being … Continue reading Middle East update: May 26 2017