Task Force Takuba in Sahel

Task Force Takuba – European SOF in Sahel

March 29, 2020 SOF News 0

Several European nations are contributing special operations forces to Task Force Takuba to fight armed groups in the Sahel. The special operations task force will fight in the Liptako region alongside troops from Niger and Mali. Most of the attacks […]

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) provide security for a Coalition mortar crew providing fires support to SDF against ISIS locations in Operation Round Up taking place in the Middle Euphrates River Valley (MERV) in Syria. (photo by SSG Timothy Koster, CJTF-OIR, May 13, 2018).

One Year Later – Physical Defeat of Daesh

March 23, 2020 SOF News 0

On March 23, 2019 the Pentagon announced the physical defeat of the Daesh caliphate in Syria. Over 110,000 square miles were liberated and 7.7 million people freed from Daesh oppression. The Syrian Democratic Front was assisted by U.S. airpower, ISR, […]

SDF mortar team fires 120mm at ISIS target near Deir ez-Zor in the Middle Euphrates River Valley, Syria. Photo by SGT Matthew Crane, CJTF-OIR, November 16, 2018.

Trump Said Turkey Will Finish Off ISIS. Maybe Not.

January 29, 2019 SOF News 0

In December 19, 2018 President Trump surprised just about everyone when he announced that the U.S. would begin immediately withdrawing its 2,200 military personnel from northeastern Syria. This decision was apparently the result of a phone call with the Turkish […]

Social Media News and the Islamic State

Social Media and Conflict and Influence

January 8, 2017 SOF News 0

Social Media and Conflict – selected articles, papers, analysis, and commentary on the role of social media in conflict and war. The Importance of Counter Influence Operations. History has shown that the United States is vulnerable to an extent by […]

4-319th Artillery in Latvia conducting fire support training in winter of 2016 (photo Department of Defense)

Defense and National Security News

January 6, 2017 SOF News 0

National Security and Defense News – JSTARS, Syria, Iran, Iraq, fixing the Navy, fighting terrorism, counterinsurgency, state-building, foreign policy, and more. JSTARS Over the Middle East. One reporter, Eric Schmitt, recently spent some time with the Air Force visiting a […]

Afghan War Update 20170106

Afghan War Update 20170106

January 6, 2017 SOF News 0

Afghan War Update 20170106 – Turkey extends its mission in Afghanistan, Taliban’s diplomatic offensive, Afghan women in a Trump world, meddling of Russia, CSIS report on Afghanistan, Marines back to Helmand, and more. Turkey Extends RS Mission. Turkey has been […]

US artillery unit providing fire support to Iraqi government forces in the offensive to take Mosul from the Islamic State.

Mosul Offensive – Now in Phase II

January 5, 2017 SOF News 0

The Fight Continues – Phase II. After a two-week lull in the action in the waning days of December the Iraqi military and its allies (Kurdish Peshmerga, Iran proxy militias, etc.) have re-started the campaign to re-capture Mosul. Phase II […]

Nangarhar Province Afghanistan

Update: Islamic State in Afghanistan

January 4, 2017 SOF News 0

The growth of the Islamic State in Afghanistan had a surprising beginning and then the size of the group quickly diminished. ISIS had a lot of opponents – including the United States (SOF, air attacks, and drones), the Afghan security […]