Iranian Proxy War Escalating

Tehran-backed forces are routinely shooting at American forces.

Unreality in Russia?

And some cable “news” thoughts.

The Good Guys Do Propaganda, Too

Ukraine is heavily censoring foreign media.

Ukraine War Widens

The invasion has led to a series of proxy wars.

Government Cases and the Federal Courts

A lone judge has halted the military’s vaccine mandate.

Defense Bill Stalled Over Amendments

Every now and again, it’s not Mitch McConnell’s fault.

Joseph Galloway, 1941-2021

A legendary journalist is gone.

Who’s to Blame for the War Dead?

The answer seems simple but it isn’t.

Defining ‘Extremism’ in the Military

It’s harder than a looks, especially given the limited size of the problem.

National Guard Sleeping in a Garage!

What we have here is failure to communicate.

Freedom, Security, and Insurrection

The aftermath of the January 6 Capitol riots runs into the First Amendment,

The Slow Rollout of Pinks and Greens

The Army is finally getting its World War II uniforms, one base at a time.

A Surprising Poll

Trump is less popular with the troops that one might assume.

A Timeline Of Nihilism And Fecklessness

How about crowd sourcing a timeline for all of Trump’s enablers?

A Diminished, Surreal July 4th

The crowd for DC’s fireworks celebration was small but weird.

Twitter Flags Trump for ‘Glorifying Violence’

The President is sending a terrible message.

Afghan War Marked By Incompetence, Misrepresentation, And Outright Lies

A new report details the extent to which the eighteen-year Afghanistan War has been marked by mistakes, and lies by the government to cover-up the fact that we went to war without a clear understanding of what we were doing.

The Trouble With Trump’s Pardons For War Criminals

Donald Trump’s pardons of soldiers convicted of war crimes sends the wrong message to the military, to our allies, and to the world.

Trump Clears American Soldiers Involved In War Crimes

Against the advice of his top military advisers, President Trump has cleared three American soldiers of war crimes, sending a horrible signal to the world and to the troops in the field.

Turks Continue Offensive As Trump Imposes Weak-Kneed Sanctions

As the Turkish invasion of northern Syria continues, Donald Trump responds with basically nothing.

More Shakeups At The Top Of The Intelligence Community

Just over a week after Dan Coats announced he was stepping own as Director of National Intelligence, there are more shakeups at the top of the U.S. intelligence community.

Trump Reportedly Will Pardon American Servicemen Convicted Of War Crimes

President Trump is reportedly planning to pardon several American servicemen convicted of war crimes, an action that would be an insult to everyone who has ever worn an American uniform.

U.S. Halts Public Progress Reports On The Never-Ending War In Afghanistan

The U.S. military will no longer release reports regarding the success, or failure, of the current strategy in Afghanistan.

Trump Vetoes Measure To Curtail U.S. Support For War On Yemen

President Trump has not surprisingly vetoed a Congressional resolution to limit American support for the Saudi war on Yemen. His defense for doing so is utterly absurd.

Pelosi Demands Open Release of Mueller Report

The Speaker says she will reject any attempt to deliver it in a “highly classified” manner.

Crowdsourcing: Patriotism vs Nationalism vs Loyalty vs ?

Looking to OTB readers for insights into an argument with which I’m struggling.

U.S. Leaving Behind A Token Force In Syria

Rather than pulling completely out of Syria the United States will be leaving behind a token force of about 200 troops. This is a mistake.

House Vote Votes To End U.S. Assistance For Saudi War On Yemen

In a rare display of assertiveness in the foreign policy arena, the House voted yesterday to bar U.S. assistance in Saudi Arabia’s genocidal war on Yemen.

The Phony Arguments Against Withdrawing From Afghanistan

The arguments against withdrawing American forces from Afghanistan are becoming weaker and weaker.

U.S. To Withdraw Up To 7,000 Troops From Afghanistan

The Pentagon is being ordered to draw up plans to withdraw roughly one-half of the American forces remaining in Afghanistan. It’s about time.

Military Deployment To Southern Border Extended Through End Of Year

Defense Secretary James Mattis has announced that the deployment of U.S. troops to the Mexican border will be extended through the end of this year.

The Trump Doctrine

It isn’t about foreign policy, it is about self-serving manipulation of the public.

Donald Trump Shrugging Donald Trump Shrugging

Donald Trump And The Incredible Disappearing Caravan

Now that the election is over, President Trump and his sycophants in the right-wing media seem to have completely forgotten about the “invading” “caravan” of Central American asylum seekers.

As Midterms Near, Trump And The GOP Turn To Fear And Demonization Of Immigrants

As the midterm campaign draws to a close, Donald Trump is returning to the message of xenophobia and fear that dominated his Presidential campaign.

Trump Sending 5,200 Troops To Border In Response To Non-Existent ‘Caravan’ Threat

President Trump wants to send more troops than we have in Syria and Iraq combined to the border to deal with a non-existent threat.

James Mattis On The Way Out? It Sure Looks That Way

Reports about tension between Defense Secretary James Mattis and President Trump are becoming louder, and it’s being suggested that Mattis could be out of office after the midterms.

Trump’s Military Parade Postponed As Cost Soars

Donald Trump’s vanity-seeking military parade has been postponed amid reports that the estimated cost has increased dramatically.

Mueller Probe Indicts 12 More Russians For Election Meddling

The Office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller has issued indictments against twelve Russian intelligence officials for election-related hacking, and in the process has shown most of the arguments made by the President and his surrogates regarding the Russia investigation are nonsense.

Army Refutes AP ‘Army Discharging Immigrant Recruits’ Story

The situation isn’t as awful as portrayed by the AP—but it’s still pretty bad.

We Don’t Need a Desert Storm Memorial

The Vietnam memorial helped heal a gaping wound. What purpose will this one serve?

Troops Sent To Guard Border Aren’t Guarding Border

Two months ago, the President called on states to send National Guard troops to the border. As expected, they’re not guarding the border.

Trump To Trudeau: Blame Canada!

Once again, President Trump seems intent on insulting a major American ally.

N.F.L. To Fine Teams If Players Fail To “Stand And Show Respect” During National Anthem

The N.F.L. has come up with a dumb “solution” to a non-existent problem.

North Korea Halts Nuclear And Ballistic Missile Tests

The Kim regime has announced the end, for now, of its nuclear and ballistic missile testing programs. To understand why they made this concession, one needs to read between the lines.

Trump’s Call For National Guard Troops At The Border Falling Flat

President Trump’s call for National Guard troops isn’t going over well even with Republican Governors.

Are We Staying Or Are We Going? Trump Sends Mixed Signals On Syria

President Trump is talking about pulling American troops out of Syria, but his own White House is contradicting him.

Trump Wants To Send Troops To The Border; That’s A Bad Idea

President Trump wants to send the military to the Mexican border. This is both unnecessary and a bad idea.

Ralph Peters Suddenly ‘Ashamed’ of Fox News After Decade of Appearances

The network’s longtime “strategic analyst” is “ashamed” of his association because they’ve become a “propaganda machine.”

So Trump Is Getting His Military Parade

There won’t be any tanks, but it looks like President Trump will get his military parade.

Trump’s Military Parade Could Cost Up To $30,000,000

President Trump’s military parade would come with a not insignificant cost.