Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Brian M Downing The “surge” of General David Petraeus, the commander of United States forces in Iraq, is widely credited with bringing down violence in Iraq to a level that allows for political development and the withdrawal of some US troops. In an interview published on Tuesday, following a series Read More …
Brian M Downing Last week, reports surfaced that Israel has been conducting large-scale and long-range attack simulations over the Mediterranean. Inasmuch as the exercises included aerial refueling, they are interpreted as preparation for a strike on Iran, specifically its nuclear facilities. Though the US’s National Intelligence Estimate of last fall Read More …
Brian M Downing Senator Barack Obama has repeatedly assured the public that, if elected to the presidency, he will withdraw US troops from Iraq, and in a manner more cautious than the way in which the US went in. He is unclear as to how many troops he would withdraw, Read More …
Brian M Downing Last week President Bush humbly and movingly announced that to show his “solidarity” with our troops fighting in the Middle East he would refrain from playing golf. The magnanimity of the act, evocative as it is of our nation’s long tradition of noblesse oblige, speaks for itself. Read More …
Brian M Downing Every war draws upon myths of past conflicts. World War One drew upon the myths of the Civil War. Vietnam did the same with the myths of World War Two, at least until they lost their vitality. And during the present war in Iraq, our first war Read More …
Brian M Downing Our presence in Iraq is far different from what it was a year ago. There was no decisive battle, no act of Congress, no shift in public opinion. Though largely unremarked upon, the US has stumbled into a long-term presence in Iraq. Administration officials and like-minded media Read More …
Brian M. Downing Few men realize that their life, the very essence of their character, their capabilities and their audacities, are only the expression of their belief in the safety of their surroundings. The courage, the composure, the confidence; the emotions and principles; every great and every insignificant thought belongs Read More …
Brian M Downing It’s been clear for several years now that the neoconservatives want to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities and probably much of its military and infrastructure as well. The recent National Intelligence Estimate that concluded Iran abandoned its nuclear weapons program several years ago seemed to have thwarted the Read More …
Brian M. Downing In recent months the administration has been touting successes in Iraq, and polling data show a modest increase in public support for the war. Various reports on the war will be released in the next week or so, the interpretations of which will be contested widely, bitterly, Read More …
Brian M Downing In recent months, the George W Bush administration has been touting successes in Iraq, and polling data show a modest increase in US public support for the war. Various reports on the war will be released in the next week or so, the interpretations of which will Read More …