SYRIA Tens of thousands of civilians have fled fighting in Eastern Ghouta and Afrin over the past few days. Conservative estimates put the number at 50,000 but the Syrian government says that over 40,000 fled Eastern Ghouta on Thursday alone, so if their count is accurate the overall number must certainly be well north of … Continue reading Middle East update: March 16 2018

EUROPE NATO Four more NATO members have cleared the alliance's informal two percent of GDP defense spending target for 2018. Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania all joined Britain, Estonia, and Greece--who met the target in 2017 and again this year--and the United States, which annually spends approximately 473 percent of its GDP on defense (I might … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: March 14-15 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN Another likely Taliban attack on a checkpoint in Farah province on Wednesday killed 10 members of the Afghan security services. Farah's provincial council has requested reinforcements from Kabul to help stabilize the province. Additionally, a truck bombing on Wednesday in Helmand province reportedly killed at least two Afghan border guards. PAKISTAN The Pakistani … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: March 14-15 2018

SYRIA Thousands of civilians poured out of the Eastern Ghouta town of Hamouriyah on Thursday after a heavy bombardment from pro-government forces reportedly broke rebel defensive positions and left much of the town in ruins. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimated that 12,500 people evacuated the town and fled toward government-controlled territory. It's unclear … Continue reading Middle East update: March 14-15 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN Another (likely) Taliban attack on a police checkpoint in Farah province left at least five police officers dead on Tuesday. Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis made a surprise visit to the country (always a good sign for the war effort when leaders have to duck in to the country without telling … Continue reading World update: March 13 2018

SYRIA The promised medical evacuation of Eastern Ghouta took place on Tuesday, with Jaysh al-Islam allowing the wounded, the elderly, new mothers, and others on a United Nations list of people in critical need of medical care to leave Douma. The evacuation is supposed to take place in "batches" with potentially hundreds of people being … Continue reading Middle East update: March 13 2018

So Rex Tillerson is out as US Secretary of State, effective April 1 (though he's handed over all his responsibilities to his deputy, John Sullivan, in the meantime). This is big news, inasmuch as the firing of any Secretary of State would be big news. The US Secretary of State is a very important person--he … Continue reading Rex Tillerson update: March 13 2018

EUROPE EUROPEAN UNION European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is taking a lot of heat for appointing his personal aid, Martin Selmayr, to be the commission's secretary-general. Needless to say the appointment smacks of nepotism at a time when euroskepticism is already high, though defenders say that Selmayr is qualified for the job. RUSSIA OK, I am prepared … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: March 12 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN The Taliban captured the Anardarah district of Farah province on Monday morning before being driven back out of the area later in the day by Afghan reinforcements and air support. Farah province has become a serious battleground, given its proximity to Taliban strongholds in Helmand province and its position along western smuggling routes into … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: March 12 2018