SYRIA In a major development in the cleanup operation against ISIS in Deir Ezzor province, Syrian Democratic Forces fighters have reportedly broken through ISIS defenses into Hajin, the largest Syrian town still under ISIS control. The SDF now controls part of the town, though you can probably expect a major ISIS counterattack to be forthcoming. … Continue reading Middle East update: December 5-6 2018

EUROPE RUSSIA Mike Pompeo's visit to the NATO foreign ministers meeting on Tuesday produced a rare bit of common ground between the US and the rest of the alliance over alleged Russian violations of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty: After a meeting of senior U.S., Canadian, and European diplomats at NATO in Brussels on Tuesday, … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: December 4 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN During his confirmation hearing for his appointment to head US Central Command on Tuesday, Marine Corps Lt. General Kenneth McKenzie told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the casualty rate among Afghan security forces is "not going to be sustainable." More than 28,000 Afghan forces have been killed since 2015, and the rate … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: December 4 2018

SYRIA US Syria envoy James Jeffrey told reporters in DC on Tuesday that the US wouldn't mind seeing the United Nations impose a no-fly zone over Syria similar to the one the US imposed over parts of Iraq after the Gulf War. He did not explain how on earth he would expect that to happen. … Continue reading Middle East update: December 4 2018

OPEC OPEC members are meeting in Vienna on Thursday, and most expectations are that they'll agree on a 500,000 barrel per day cut in oil production in order to boost prices. If they do it probably won't go over well with Donald Trump, and OPEC members have to be cognizant of his mood swings as … Continue reading World update: December 3 2018

Happy Hanukkah to those readers who are celebrating! ASIA GEORGIA Thousands of people protested in Tblisi on Sunday due to anger over the result of Wednesday's presidential runoff. New President-elect Salome Zurabishvili, the candidate of the ruling Georgian Dream party, won handily, but the defeated Grigol Vashadze has alleged that the vote was rigged. International observers … Continue reading World update: December 1-2 2018

Happy Hanukkah to those readers who are celebrating! SYRIA A US airstrike in southeastern Syria on Sunday reportedly killed Abu al-Umarayn, an ISIS leader who was involved in the execution of US citizen and former Army ranger medic Peter Kassig in 2014. Meanwhile, Syrian state media says that US aircraft bombed Syrian army positions south of … Continue reading Middle East update: December 1-2 2018

G20 I was trying to figure out why there seems to have been less news than usual over the past couple of days, and then it hit me: it's the G20. With most of the worst human beings in the world gathered together in Buenos Aires to irritate one another, they're forced to leave the … Continue reading World update: November 30 2018

It's been a long day here and fortunately nothing particularly horrifying appears to have happened in the world, so I'm going to quickly run through a few stories and call it a night. MIDDLE EAST SYRIA In a story that is very much still developing, Russian media is reporting that Syrian air defenses shot down … Continue reading World update: November 29 2018

ASIA GEORGIA Salome Zurabishvili, the candidate of the ruling Georgian Dream party, won Tuesday's presidential runoff election with almost 60 percent of the vote, besting challenger Grigol Vashadze. Georgian Dream is the party of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the richest man in Georgia and the man many believe is really running the country behind the scenes. Zurabishvili, … Continue reading World update: November 28 2018