On August 24, 2016, a Turkish expeditionary force entered Jarablus, Syria. Today, the Arab League began a military operation to persuade Turkey to withdraw. In short, Arab League and allied strategic special operators are blowing the hell out of the Turks. Operation Euphrates Shield Turkish armored vehicles, special forces, and aircraft assaulted Jarablus. Also, about…
National suicide: How to do it in the new Middle East
August 25, 2016
Kurds are saying in plain language that Turkey is committing national suicide. Despite what you might think, the meaning of these words is clear. Unlike the Turks, the Kurds have unbelievably powerful friends. And these friends have said the same things. “Good neighborliness and non-interference in the affairs of others.” The Turks have done the…
Shoddy theater won’t change the outcome in Syria
August 24, 2016
The Turks did not drive the Islamic State from the Syrian city of Jarablus. “Operation Euphrates Shield” was a shoddy performance. It had enormous continuity errors. Continuity error? In the film Jurassic Park, for example. The Tyrannosaurus rex first appears on the other side of the low wall. Therefore the dinosaur must be standing on…
Jibber-jabber had its day. Action is the new normal
August 23, 2016
It’s axiomatic that those who talk the most are also those who care the least about their fellow humans. We reached peak jibber-jabber during the presidency of Barack Obama, who does nothing but talk. And golf. Now, fearless men and women are taking action. The courage of these people stuns me daily. They operate under…
Follow the money: How liars profit from death and suffering
August 13, 2016
The 1976 movie All the President’s Men popularized the phrase “Follow the money.” I’ve never actually seen the film. However, if one does follow the money—meaning determines who benefits from a situation—everything becomes clear. Latin: Cui bono? Who stands to gain? Always ask yourself that. Follow the propaganda Before I continue, I have to say…
Rigidity is the reason that the west is in so much trouble
July 25, 2016
I’ll admit that I’m hostile to tradition. This is a deficit on my part. There’s nothing wrong with tradition itself. However, it too often becomes rigidity, which is the bane of western civilization. Implacable rigidity I had a surreal exchange on Twitter that exemplifies the rigidity that cripples westerners. A man wants the US military…
Defeat the enemy without giving him a reason to rise again
July 23, 2016
Although I’ve studied warfare for over forty years, I was wrong about how to defeat the enemy. This is what I used to believe. This is actually not true. Killing large numbers of combatants causes trauma that will never heal. Death is the main reason that the western powers can’t create peace in any region…
Firepower now has multiple applications
July 12, 2016
For centuries, firepower meant only one thing. The “best” weapons killed the largest number of people in the the shortest amount of time. Probably in around 2005, the Gulf Cooperation Council made peace with Israel. Together they created weapons that increase firepower and narrow its scope. To me, the motivation doesn’t matter. I don’t care…
Useless “analysts” and “experts” should shut up
July 10, 2016
Every day, we see more useless blather from self-described experts on the Middle East. These people are all idiots. Their opinions are completely wrong. All they need to do is study munitions and military operations. Then they’ll know the truth. Let me show you how easy it is. One of these men fighting for the…