International Affairs

The Little Known Battle Against DAESH in Libya

In May, the Government of National Accord (GNA), the Western backed Libyan government, launched a military campaign in order to liberate the Libyan city of Sirte from DAESH. This battle has proved more difficult than expected, recently leading to direct military intervention by the United States through air strikes conducted against DAESH positions in the city. The more than 300 American strikes started in August and quickly destroyed the few DAESH tanks and armored vehicles that were there, but did little to push DAESH out of the city. This is a surprise to analysts who predicted a swift victory against DEASH militants who have only controlled the city for a year. These strikes have continued as recently as late November and are being coordinated out of US Africa Command in Germany. In return, Sirte has become a magnet for foreign Islamic fighters from across Africa.

9 things you might not have known about General “Mad Dog” Mattis

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“Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet” – General James Mattis

President Trump has announced his pick for Secretary of Defense, General James Mattis. This is a critical role among the Trump administration considering the United States is engaged in combat in multiple countries around the world, and have had cooling relations with Russia over the last few years. Can you name the Secretaries of Defense that President Obama has had? Probably not all of them, but it’s likely that you’ll remember Mad Dog Mattis’ name for years to come.

Drone Wars

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When President Obama took office in 2009, he inherited a few things from his predecessor, President Bush. He inherited wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Guantanamo, use of enhanced interrogations (waterboarding), and a drone program. President Obama immediately signed an Executive Order revoking torture, and then the next day ordered CIA drone strikes in Pakistan, which killed an one militant and 10 civilians, including four to five children. Although President Obama was openly anti-hawkish when it comes to military action abroad, including stating over and over that he was one of the few Senators who did not want to invade Iraq, he has ramped up the drone program significantly. While promising to close Guantanamo, withdraw troops from Iraq, stabilize Afghanistan, he has none of the above. However, he does have a legacy to leave. Whether willingly or unwillingly, he has become the Drone President.

While President Bush ordered approximately 50 drone strikes that killed around 300, President Obama has ordered over 500 drone strikes that have killed approximately 3,000, including a handful of Americans.

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The Pentagon Contractor that Makes Fake Al-Qaeda Videos

By Pedro 1 Comment

What would you say if I told you that over $500M worth of American taxpayer money went to create fake terrorist propaganda? You might think that would make a great movie, but this is real life and that’s exactly what happened.

Did Obama Give Away the Internet?

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“In 22 short days, if Congress fails to act, the Obama administration intends to give away control of the internet to an international body akin to the United Nations.” – Senator Ted Cruz (September 8, 2016)

The Battle of Mosul: Week 1

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The Battle of Mosul

The battle to take Mosul from DAESH has been underway for a about a week now. Mosul has been surrounded and forces have been gaining ground and retaking villages surrounding Mosul, with the predominantly Christian village of Qaraqosh being one of the first villages to be liberated. Christian residents are celebrating, putting crosses back on their churches, and looking to rebuild their lives.

Leading the assault are 18,000 Iraqi forces, 10,000 Kurdish Peshmerga, and a few thousand Iraqi Federal Police, with Shia militias and Turkish troops ready to join.

American Presidents are Pretty Bad Hombres

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Much has been said lately about how vile our Presidential Candidates are this year. While I do agree that our candidates this year are pretty vile, I would like to remind you that our Presidents aren’t exactly Boy Scouts. Although this note from President George H.W. Bush was extremely thoughtful and caring, this act is one of the exceptions to the American Presidents as Bad Hombres rule.

Here’s a list of US Presidents for the last 100 years and at least one bad thing they’ve done. I admit, most of these acts are foreign military escapades that could have been argued were done as preemptive strikes to keep ourselves or our allies safe, but they still didn’t end well.

Boko Haram – Bring Back More of Our Girls

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Bring Back Our Girls

On April 14, 2014, approximately 276 girls were awoken in the middle of the night by armed men, ripped from their beds, and marched into hiding. Most of these girls are still unaccounted for. These are the Chibok girls in Nigeria. They were taken and held captive by the terrorist group Boko Haram. 57 of them escaped almost immediately and one was found earlier this year. Over 200 of them are still being held. In 2014, you probably saw an endless string of celebrities and public figures holding signs saying “Bring Back Our Girls.” You might have even seen the picture above of First Lady Michelle Obama advocating for the girls’ release. I can’t image a situation in the United States, or most other countries, where an armed group can kidnap 276 girls and hide them for years. Yet, that’s exactly what Boko Haram managed to do in Nigeria.

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