Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
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 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 Something’s developing in Central Asia. There, amid expansive steppes and imposing mountains, numerous militant Islamist groups are planning, training, and coalescing. They are thriving amid the three great powers they oppose and plan to fight – the US, Russia, and China. The region has been Islamic for centuries, but Read More …
Brian M Downing In recent months, US casualties and Iraqi deaths have dropped markedly. Americans and Iraqis welcome the news but are perplexed by it as well. This is especially so in the US Congress, where confusion and indecision have deepened, and opposition to the war is even more tepid 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 …
Brian M Downing Divisions between red and blue America and between rich and poor are well known. But another one, related but not quite identical, exists as well. There is a deep divide between those who honorably live the traditions surrounding war and those who dishonorably capitalize on them, between Read More …
Brian M Downing The Iraq war is the first in American history to steadily worsen our national security. Our generals, through action and acquiescence, despite their sworn duty to protect the nation, have played no small role in endangering America. This is all the more paradoxical and alarming because Read More …
A review of Gary Berntsen and Ralph Pezzullo, Jawbreaker, The Attack on Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda: A Personal Account by the CIA’s Key Field Commander. New York: Crown, 2005. 328 pp; $25.95 cloth. Gary Berntsen has not lived a dull life. The future case officer and director of the ground Read More …