MIDDLE EAST SYRIA In what was incredibly only the second most heinous atrocity story of the day (see Pakistan, below) a Thursday airstrike on the Syrian village of al-Soussa, near al-Bukamel, reportedly killed at least 54 people, at least 28 of them civilians. This was likely a US airstrike--the anti-ISIS coalition has admitted that it … Continue reading World update: July 13 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN A likely Taliban attack on a military post in Kunduz province killed at least 15 Afghan soldiers on Thursday, though some estimates had the toll as high as 30. A separate likely Taliban attack on a police checkpoint in Farah province left four police officers dead. Additionally, a US service member died of … Continue reading World update: July 12 2018

SYRIA The Syrian military seized the city of Daraa on Thursday, symbolically flying the Syrian flag in the middle of town in commemoration. Daraa is an important tactical victory--you can't control southwestern Syria without it, obviously. But it may be an even bigger symbolic victory, because it was in Daraa in the spring of 2011 … Continue reading Middle East update: July 12 2018

It's another hectic day at HQ so I'm going to try to be briefer and earlier than usual again. MIDDLE EAST SYRIA Syrian and Russian attention in Daraa province has focused on the Yarmouk Basin, where an ISIS affiliate called Jaysh Khalid ibn al-Walid has been ensconced since 2014. ISIS and its subdivisions aren't covered under … Continue reading World update: July 11 2018

It's been a long day so if it's OK with you I'm going to roll through these updates with a minimum of banter. MIDDLE EAST SYRIA Rebels in Daraa city say they've begun surrender talks with Russian officials in hopes of staving off a full Syrian-Russian offensive. The inevitable recovery of Daraa will be a … Continue reading World update: July 10 2018

EUROPE NATO With a NATO summit starting on Wednesday in Brussels, leaders from member states are trying to figure out how best to handle Donald Trump: The allies see the President Trump of 2018 as different from the one who came to NATO last year — more aggressive, less willing to be moderated or guided … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: July 9 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a surprise stopover in Afghanistan on Monday on his way back from North Korea. He gushed about the success of the US operation there even as he had to fly in and out in a matter of a few hours under extremely heavy security and without making … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: July 9 2018

SYRIA Syrian military forces have reportedly surrounded and besieged rebel-held parts of Daraa city. These rebels have presumably rejected the ceasefire deals that rebels in other parts of Daraa province have struck. Syrian forces are also pressuring Jaysh Khalid ibn al-Walid, a hardline group with links to ISIS that controls some territory in Daraa province. … Continue reading Middle East update: July 9 2018

EUROPE REPUBLIC OF NORTH (?) MACEDONIA Several thousand people turned out in Skopje on Sunday in an opposition-organized protest against the Macedonian government's deal to change the country's name to the "Republic of North Macedonia" in order to appease the Greek government and potentially advance its membership bids for both the European Union and NATO. … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: July 7-8 2018

ASIAAFGHANISTAN An Afghan soldier attacked US service personnel stationed at the Tarin Kowt airfield in Afghanistan's Uruzgan province on Saturday. One US soldier was killed and two others wounded in the attack. Elsewhere on Saturday, the chief of the Charsada district was killed by a roadside bomb in Ghor province and a Taliban ambush in Ghazni province … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: July 7-8 2018