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IDF captures Hamas security chief, reports 29 Gaza ceasefire violations Aug. 19–Sept. 3
Israeli special operations forces captured a senior Hamas security official in a September 1 operation in the Katiba area of western Gaza City. The raid came as the US-backed Board of Peace’s stabilization plan and Hamas disarmament agreement, which had prompted Israel to scale back strikes in response to reported ceasefire violations, appeared to falter.
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Kurdistan Region concerned over US support amid Iran’s continued attacks
The latest report that the US is cutting funding for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq’s Peshmerga military force comes as Washington prepares to withdraw forces from Iraq and Iran continues its campaign of drone and missile attacks against the KRG.
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White House, Caracas release details on historic US-Venezuela oil deal
President Donald Trump announced on August 28 that the United States had reached a sweeping oil agreement with Venezuela that grants American interests majority control over more than 65 billion barrels of proven reserves. The US described the agreement as part of a 25-year strategy to expand US access to Venezuelan energy resources while building…
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The UN Monitoring Team’s latest report: Where the global jihad stands now
Generation Jihad guest host Edmund Fitton-Brown, FDD senior fellow and former coordinator of the UN Monitoring Team, talks with Colin Smith, the Monitoring Team’s current coordinator, about what the latest 1267 report shows about Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and their affiliates, plus how the report is built and the challenges of keeping the spotlight…
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Top Islamic State spokesman killed in Yemen
Abu Hudhayfah al Ansari, who has been the official Islamic State spokesman for three years, was reported killed in a joint Saudi-Yemeni special forces raid in Hadhramaut Governorate. The Islamic State has yet to comment on Ansari’s status.
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Iranian-backed militia in Iraq sets ‘conditions’ for disarmament
Iraq’s efforts to bring the weapons of Iranian-backed militias under state control are facing a new challenge as one of the country’s groups, Kataib Sayyid al Shuhada, has laid out conditions for disarmament. The debate comes amid continued US pressure on Baghdad to disarm the groups, a looming coalition withdrawal deadline, and renewed efforts by…
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What is the Axis of Aggressors doing in Europe and the Middle East?
China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are engaged in “unprecedented” cooperation, empowering Russian aggression in Ukraine and making the regime in Iran more lethal and resilient. Generation Jihad guest host Bradley Bowman, senior director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP), discusses these relationships and impacts with John Hardie, deputy director of FDD’s…
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Iranian-backed Iraqi militias may seek to delay disarmament
Iraq’s efforts to disarm the country’s Iranian-backed militias appear to be facing growing political resistance as some factions seek to delay or avoid a September deadline. The debate comes as Washington continues pressing Baghdad to bring all weapons under state control.
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Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces announce its dissolution
The dissolution of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the main US-backed anti-Islamic State group in Syria, ends more than a decade of Kurdish-led autonomy in the country’s northeast, as the SDF’s military, security, and civilian institutions are integrated into the state.
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US rescinds Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism
On August 24, the United States formally rescinded Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, marking a milestone in Washington’s effort to improve relations with Damascus. The decision came as the US has sought to advance security talks between Syria and Israel.
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Taliban force surrender of dissident commander, kill senior anti-Taliban resistance leader
The surrender of dissident Taliban commander Juma Khan Fateh and the death of senior National Resistance Front commander Hasib Panjshiri give the Taliban notable victories as Afghanistan’s armed resistance attempts to build momentum.
All Articles
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So Long Mogadishu, Hello Fallujah
Two days into the Second Battle of Fallujah, Coalition forces appear to be making stunning progress. Toby Harnden continues his ride with the Phantoms of Task Force 2-2, composed of elements of the 1st Infantry Division. This unit entered the fray in the Askari district, in the upper Northeast corner of Fallujah (see map below for details). The Phantoms have swept through Askari and overtaken the industrial district with little resistance. The Washington Post reports that a psyops exercise is being conducted on the streets of Fallujah. The Americans are taunting the terrorists in their own language, appealing to their…
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Thru Fallujah
The Seattle Times and the Telegraph gives excellent narratives on the tactics used by the Marines and Army forces tasked to retake Fallujah. These articles also provide insight on the overall strategy to destroy the insurgents in Fallujah. Matthew McAllester of Newsday is embedded with the 2nd Battalion of the Army’s 7th Cavalry Regiment, and describes the sophistication and lethality of the Coalition forces arrayed against Fallujah. The American way of war is deadly as the battlefield is integrated. UAVs pinpoint targets, transmit coordinates and images to field commanders, and the orders are quickly given to destroy the enemy position.…
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The Box
News reports indicate the assault on Fallujah is moving forward. Marines supported by the elements of the 1st Infantry Division, the 1st Calvary Division, and Iraqi Army units have attacked from the Northwest and Northeast, into the respective neighborhoods of Jolan and Askari. At the start of the offensive, Coalition forces attacked from the West, taking the two bridges that span the Eastern segment of the Euphrates River. While the media is not reporting this, it is likely Fallujah’s industrial park district is either under Coalition control or will be assaulted shortly; the same goes with the region West of…
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The Weak Horse
The Second Battle of Fallujah has begun. After weeks of failed attempts to negotiate with the various indigenous local factions, Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi has declared a state of emergency and has given the vast forces arrayed against Fallujah the permission to attack. The Adventures of Chester provides the order of battle, which is a mix of American Marines, The British Black Watch Regiment and 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards, Iraqi forces and possibly the U.S. Army’s 10th Special forces. According to CENTCOM, the “Iraqi forces will comprise a major element of the assault including five Iraqi army battalions,…
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The Battle of the Sunni Triangle
“First we’re going to cut it off, and then we’re going to kill it.” General Colin Powell, Gulf War I The battle to retake the untamed region of Iraq commonly known as the Sunni Triangle has been underway for several months. While there has been reporting of the discrete assaults on individual cities and towns, I have yet to read a comprehensive report on the scope of the conflict. This post is an attempt to piece together the individual accounts and draw a picture of the ongoing battle that is leading up to the showdown in Fallujah. There is little…
