ASIA AFGHANISTAN The Taliban attacked a military checkpoint in Sar-e Pol Province on Thursday night, killing at least six soldiers according to provincial officials. Nine Taliban fighters are believed to have been killed in the battle. PHILIPPINES The Washington Post reports on Marawi, the Philippine city that was effectively captured by jihadist fighters in May 2017 … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: February 1 2019

YEMEN The United Nations ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen wrote a letter to the UN Security Council on Friday expressing "growing alarm" at the Houthis' "persistent, deliberate violations" of the Hudaydah ceasefire agreement. They counted 970 Houthi violations, but the big complaints are that the rebels haven't withdrawn their forces … Continue reading Middle East update: February 1 2019

CLIMATE CHANGE Full disclosure: I am not a climate scientist. With that said, this seems pretty bad in my layman's opinion: https://twitter.com/julian0liver/status/1091028901428711424 Again I'm not an expert! Maybe we don't need oxygen that much? But it kinds of seems like we do! EUROPE RUSSIA What seems like the longest and most anti-climactic arms control negotiation … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: January 31 2019

ASIA AFGHANISTAN The latest report from the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR) is out and, well, you know how they tell you that if you don't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all? The report, by the agency of the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction, or Sigar, said … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: January 31 2019

SYRIA When (if?) it finally pulls US forces out of Syria, the Trump administration reportedly wants a "coalition of Western nations" to establish and maintain a buffer zone in northern Syria to protect the YPG from Turkey. Which would be huge for the YPG and maybe prevent it from having to capitulate to the Syrian … Continue reading Middle East update: January 31 2019

ASIA AFGHANISTAN The Taliban is trying to assure other Afghans that, if it does conclude a peace deal with the US and US forces do withdraw from Afghanistan, they're not looking to seize total control of the country again: The statement Wednesday by Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen appears aimed at easing fears among those worried … Continue reading World update: January 30 2019

SYRIA Al-Monitor's Metin Gürcan reports that there's no discernible sign yet that Turkey is preparing to invade northeastern Syria and take on the YPG Kurds, mostly because the Turks can't get a green light from Russia: Turkish forces continue to mass in the region but there is no a sense of an imminent operation. As … Continue reading Middle East update: January 30 2019

EUROPE UKRAINE Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced Tuesday that he will run for reelection in March. The announcement was mostly a foregone conclusion, as is--probably--his eventual defeat. Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is considered the favorite according to polling. Poroshenko has of course failed to bring the war in eastern Ukraine to an end and … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: January 29 2019

ASIA AFGHANISTAN With the US and Taliban circling a peace accord, Afghans are starting to wonder what's in store should the militant group regain some degree of legitimate political authority: Haroun Mir, an analyst in Kabul, said Afghans are anxiously waiting for the insurgents to clarify their demands in the next round of talks, especially … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: January 29 2019

SYRIA A suspected ISIS suicide bomber struck the offices of the "National Salvation Government" in Idlib on Tuesday, killing at least one person. The National Salvation Government is Hayat Tahrir al-Sham's governing wing for Idlib province. Meanwhile, the Syrian army shelled the town of Maarat al-Numan, killing at least 11 people. This in itself violates … Continue reading Middle East update: January 29 2019