Brian M Downing and the world at war. Timely, thoughtful, and nonpartisan analysis of military matters. @BrianMDowning1.
Secretary of State Kerry and Foreign Minister Lavrov have come to a tentative agreement on a ceasefire in Syria which will allow humanitarian aid to reach hapless civilians. The timing is unclear, as are the likely effectiveness and duration. Optimism in recent days has faded. Whatever comes of it will shed Read More …
Brian M Downing Recent fighting in Damascus and Aleppo has differed markedly from that of only a couple of months ago when the regular army swiftly defeated rebel enclaves in Homs, Idlib, and Deraa. Fighting in Damascus has persisted for several weeks now and while it trails off at times, Read More …
Brian M Downing A new chapter in the Syrian resurrection is opening in the form of a wave of bombings. It comes on the heels of the Free Syrian Army’s (FSA) failure to mount a significant defense of key cities and the outside powers’ indecision as to what to do Read More …
Brian M Downing For over two weeks now, Syrian troops have surrounded Homs, a city of about a million people not far from the northern border with Lebanon. President Bashir Assad’s troops are firing indiscriminately into the hapless town, entering parts of it, and preparing a full assault to crush Read More …