Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Brian M Downing American troops in Syria and Iraq have come under fire since the Hamas war began. Over the weekend an Iranian drone struck an outpost in Jordan near its borders with Syria and Iraq. The Houthis continue to attack Western shipping in the Red Sea. It’s all part Read More …
Brian M Downing The US and Saudi Arabia have been aligned since the 1945 FDR-ibn Saud meeting aboard an American warship. Washington was concerned the Second World War was consuming too much domestic oil and wanted Europe’s reconstruction to use foreign crude. A deal was struck. The Saudis would allow Read More …
Brian M Downing The Israeli government is being criticized for ignoring Egyptian warnings of a major Hamas strike. There may be a larger intelligence failure – one stretching back years and posing great danger for Israeli security and American standing. The present war isn’t just against Iran, Hamas, and aligned Read More …
Brian M Downing China and Russia are trying to replace the US as the dominant world power. They aided the Taliban and gave the US an embarrassing defeat. They’re cooperating in Ukraine to the same end. The Gaza war presents extraordinary opportunities for the agenda. China and Russia will use Read More …
Brian M Downing Decades of Israeli diplomacy, conducted by centrist and Likud governments with help from both US parties, laid the foundations of a stable Middle Eastern order. Egypt and Jordan inked agreements with Israel. Saudi Arabia and the Emirates shared Israel’s concern with Iran and moved closer. Embassies opened, Read More …
Brian M Downing Redrawing maps invites suspicion. Sometimes it invites conflict. China has long been claiming land and waters regarded parts of India, the Philippines, Japan, and Vietnam – historic enemies. And of course there’s Taiwan. Now, however, Chinese maps claim land heretofore recognized as part of Russia – an Read More …
Brian M Downing The Ukraine war may be accelerating Saudi Arabia’s detachment from the United States and realignment with Russia and China. The process, long followed here, has been underway for years through oil contracts, output quotas, arms sales, and diplomacy. The Russo-Ukraine war is making the process clear and Read More …
Brian M Downing China has forged important ties with Russia over the last twenty years. The two countries’ military, financial, business, and foreign policy bureaus collaborate and benefit mutually. The guiding star is to weaken and subordinate the West, especially the United States. Xi sees Putin’s war on Ukraine as Read More …
Brian M Downing The Yemen war has been going on since 2014. It’s the most recent civil war since the 1960s when north and south were formed into a single country, despite widely disparate cultures and histories. Today, each side is backed by foreign powers – the north by Iran, Read More …
Brian M Downing As more districts fall concerns mount as to what will become of the country. One of more alarming claims, one used in calls for the US to reconsider withdrawal, is that it will become a sanctuary for al Qaeda and ISIL. The view here has long been Read More …