Taliban
Established In: 1994;
Established By: Mohammed Omar;
Also Known As: Taleban;
Country Of Origin: Afghanistan;
Red Sea Crisis
The U.S. and U.K. have launched several strikes against Houthis military sites throughout Yemen in response to the groups’s attacks on Red Sea shipping.
This infographic provides an overview of this month’s operations.
Iran Demonstrates Strength to Keep Adversaries at Bay
In mid-January, Iran aimed a missile barrage at a range of adversaries based in Pakistan, Iraq, and Syria in a show of force intended to deter its two main adversaries, the United States and Israel.
Iran’s volleys deviated from Tehran’s classic strategy of acting through a network of allied militias and movements.
Despite the Terrorism Designation, the Houthis Remain Undeterred
The U.S. designation of the Ansarallah movement (Houthis) as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” organization last week is unlikely to stop Houthi attacks on commercial shipping through the Red Sea.
The Houthis’ leaders are defying U.S.-led retaliatory attacks and the terrorism designation, insisting their attacks will only cease when the Israel-Hamas war ends.
Iran says US strikes are a ‘strategic mistake’
Iran has called US air strikes on Iraq and Syria a “strategic mistake” after 85 targets were hit across the region on Friday.
The US launched retaliatory strikes in response to last week’s drone attack on a US military base that killed three American soldiers.
Clausewitz et la Russie
L’étude de Clausewitz, ainsi que d’autres classiques de la doctrine militaire, nous permet de mieux comprendre la position historique de la Russie qui consiste à «se défendre en attaquant», ce qui a été évident tout au long de l’opération militaire spéciale.
The New Bipolarity: Tom Friedman Prophesies a New Global Conflict and Mostly Gets It Wrong
In a recent long opinion article for the New York Times, pundit Thomas Friedman announces “a titanic geopolitical struggle between two opposing networks of nations and nonstate actors over whose values and interests will dominate our post-Cold War world.” (NY Times, January 26, 2024, p. A26). This perception is not silly. The essentially unipolar hegemony enjoyed by the United States since the end of the Cold War is surely under fire, and new constellations of power and influence are forming. But Friedman’s description of the emerging conflict is a sophomoric mashup of historical theory and primitive moralism. It is as if he were a sportscaster announcing a fight between villainous and heroic contestants.
Israel Lifts Veil on Strikes Against Hezbollah in Syria
struck more than 50 Hezbollah targets in Syria since the Gaza war began, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) disclosed on February 3. In a televised briefing, IDF chief spokesperson Adm. Daniel Hagari showed a map of Syria including the coordinates of Israeli military strikes on “Hezbollah infrastructure.” Adm. Hagari added, “We are continuing to take action. Everywhere Hezbollah is present, we shall be. We will take action everywhere required in the Middle East.”
Iran Update, January 27, 2024
Key Takeaways:
Northern Gaza Strip: Palestinian fighters claimed clashes with Israeli forces. Hamas and other Palestinian fighters have contested Israeli raids in certain areas of the northern Gaza Strip throughout January 2024.
Central Gaza Strip: Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s militant wing targeted an Israeli supply line with mortars and rockets.
Southern Gaza Strip: The Israel Defense Forces 98th Division destroyed weapons warehouses and clashed with Palestinian fighters in western Khan Younis. Several Palestinian militias, including Hamas, continued to execute a deliberate defense against the Israeli ground operations in Khan Younis, particularly west and south of the city.
The United States Is A Colonial Empire, And An Extremely Successful One – Analysis
For those who remember their high school textbooks, the issue of America’s imperial history is very clear cut. American imperialism, the textbooks told us, was that fairly brief period in American history that lasted from 1898 to 1945. This was the period during which the United States acquired a number of overseas territories, including the Philippines and Puerto Rico, among others. The era of imperialism, we are told, ended in 1945 when the Philippines was finally granted full independence from Washington. Even more dubious—the textbook writers tell us—is the idea that the US is or has been a colonial empire. After all, American citizens did not set up any colonies in the Philippines or in Puerto Rico in the way that British migrants populated Virginia or New England.