Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Brian M Downing In recent years American policies in the Middle East have met with mixed success. Key allies are reasonably secure and arms sales are on the rise. However, intermittent efforts to liberalize the region have brought more chaos than democracy, in large part because most Arab rulers oppose Read More …
Brian M Downing The Yemen war has been stalemated for over a year. The southern Sunnis, despite strong foreign backing, have failed to take the Shia north. The Houthis have occasionally fired missiles into Saudi Arabia and skirmished along the northern frontier. Over the weekend, however, Houthi drones struck a Read More …
Brian M Downing War seemed imminent not long ago. Not between Saudi Arabia and Iran, of course, but between the US and Iran. Saudi Arabia and its allies have been hostile toward Iran for generations and their predecessors have despised Shiiism for almost fourteen centuries. They’ve prevailed upon an inexperienced, Read More …
Brian M Downing Kenneth M Pollack – Armies of Sand: The Past, Present, and Future of Arab Military Effectiveness (New York: Oxford University Press, 2019) Shortly after ISIL routed the Iraqi army in 2014, I was told that Iraqi tanks had several reverse gears and one forward gear. The latter Read More …
Brian M Downing Candidate Trump sounded ominous warnings toward Iran which continued into his presidency. He withdrew the US from the JCPOA, reimposed sanctions, and is trying to bring Tehran’s oil exports down to a trickle. Only Saudi Arabia, the GCC states, and Israel support the US. Fighting seemed near 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 Strategic alignments are usually based on compelling economic and military interests. But as argued previously, the US and Saudi Arabia are moving in different directions economically and militarily. The US is no longer buying crude from the Gulf and may not be able to afford to keep Read More …
Brian M Downing Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Israel are collaborating to gravely weaken or even fragment Iran. The view here is the alliance cannot last long, especially if it succeeds against Iran. A triumphant Mohammad bin Salman would likely turn on Israel. His Wahhabi creed is deeply hostile Read More …
Brian M Downing The US has officially recognized Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, the narrow strip of elevated land overlooking western Syria. Israel took control of it in the Six-Day War of 1967 and battled for it again six years later in the Yom Kippur War. The US has 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 …