Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Brian M Downing The Trump administration’s Iran policy stumbles ahead. An attack was authorized, then suddenly called back. The president spoke of making Iran great again, then returned to threats. The only clear thing coming from last week’s step back from war is that our generals and admirals are not Read More …
Brian M Downing Over the last week Iran has been accused of attacking more oil tankers near its shores. It responded to the deepening tensions by announcing intentions to exceed uranium-enrichment limits set by the JCPOA – an agreement the US walked away from long ago. The US is blaming Read More …
Brian M Downing Military thinkers have long stressed the importance of deception. Hiding troop movements, disguising weaknesses, and faking retreats have all been part of warfare since Sun Tzu wrote twenty-five centuries ago. Eisenhower pretended to have an entire army waiting to invade the Pas de Calais. He even placed George Read More …
Brian M Downing In coming years, probably no more than fifteen years, the national debt will reach a crisis point. Debt servicing, the amount of money the government expends simply to pay off the interest, will near $1 trillion a year. This will force spending cuts – large ones. The crisis Read More …
I long for the vanished gardens of Cordoba. However, before the gardens must come the fighting. Prince Feisal, in Lawrence of Arabia Brian M Downing The United States and Saudi Arabia have been aligned since President Roosevelt and King Abdul Aziz parleyed aboard a US warship near the end Read More …
Brian M Downing A new Arab Spring may be coming. It’s not as widespread as the one eight years ago. Only Algeria and the Sudan are presently experiencing serious protests. Nonetheless, Saudi Arabia is determined to prevent democracy from taking hold in the Middle East. It was instrumental in weakening Read More …
Brian M Downing President Trump announced a complete pullout from Syria late last year. Not long thereafter, generals and allies talked him out of it. His most recent “position” is to withdraw the bulk of the 2,000 troops but keep a force of 200 in eastern Syria. The pullout hasn’t Read More …
Brian M Downing Whistleblowers this week released information on the Trump administration’s keen interest in selling nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia. The deal was being pushed ahead without adequate scrutiny by Congress or the public – despite, or because of, considerable mistrust of Saudi Arabia. Congress and the public are Read More …
Brian M Downing Mohammad bin Salman, heir apparent to the Saudi throne, is using his petrodollars to isolate and perhaps destroy Iran. He’s already won the support of the US defense industry and Washington. They are backing his war in Yemen and ignoring his murder of Khashoggi in Turkey. This Read More …
Brian M Downing [T]here is no such thing as an independent terrorist group and there never has been. [A]ll terrorism is the product of one or another regional powers meddling in the affairs of its neighbors. – former Iranian president Bani Sadr. Iran’s southeastern region is home to a restive Baloch population. The Read More …