War Is Boring

by DAVID AXE It’s conventional wisdom that deep unemployment in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan contributes to extremism and insurgency. For that reason, coalition forces often make job creation a centerpiece of their strategies. In southern Iraq in 2006, British Lieutenant Colonel John Bowron said joblessness “puts people in front of a militia recruiter.” The [...]

by KYLE MIZOKAMI * Obama issues orders for Afghanistan reinforcement * U.K. Afghan deployment to top 10,000 * Mine Ban Treaty: the FAQ * French look to Kashmir for insurgency lessons * Japan launches new spy satellite

To prepare for the rigors of combat in Iraq, Afghanistan, East Africa and other conflict zones, the U.S. Special Forces visit the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, for several weeks of hyper-realistic training. Bryan William Jones paid a visit to see the training first-hand. by BRYAN WILLIAM JONES The 3rd Special Forces Group [...]

by DAVID AXE Jeff Haynes retired as a colonel after years overseeing the U.S. Marine Corps teams training the Afghan National Army. As Afghan war boss General Stan McChrystal weighs nearly doubling the current 90,000-strong ANA, Haynes is urging caution. “The reality is that ANA effectiveness is already suffering because of an inadequate number of [...]

To prepare for the rigors of combat in Iraq, Afghanistan, East Africa and other conflict zones, the U.S. Special Forces visit the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, for several weeks of hyper-realistic training. Bryan William Jones paid a visit to see the training first-hand. by BRYAN WILLIAM JONES The National Training Center at [...]

by KYLE MIZOKAMI * Foreign fighters in Afghanistan: 10 percent of all Chechens? * Nine Saudi troops taken captive in Yemen fighting * U.K. intelligence looks to recruit via Xbox ads * As U.S. leaves Bolivia, cocaine output up sharply * Cuba mobilizes to train against U.S. invasion

To prepare for the rigors of combat in Iraq, Afghanistan, East Africa and other conflict zones, the U.S. Special Forces visit the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, for several weeks of hyper-realistic training. Bryan William Jones paid a visit to see the training first-hand. by BRYAN WILLIAM JONES I was completely unprepared for [...]

by DAVID AXE Watch my free-ranging Thanksgiving-Day C-SPAN interview here. (Video: C-SPAN)

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/eDfUfl5tqUU" width="490" height="400" wmode="transparent" /] by DAVID AXE U.S. President Barack Obama plans to announce his new strategy for Afghanistan on Tuesday, and U.S. news organizations say he will most likely send between 30,000 and 35,000 additional troops. The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan earlier this year told the president that up [...]

To prepare for the rigors of combat in Iraq, Afghanistan, East Africa and other conflict zones, the U.S. Special Forces visit the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, for several weeks of hyper-realistic training. Bryan William Jones paid a visit to see the training first-hand. by BRYAN WILLIAM JONES I had checked out. The [...]

by DAVID AXE On Thursday at 2:45 PM EST, C-SPAN will air a 40-minute interview with yours truly, on all things Afghanistan. The spot will air again on Saturday at 11:20 in the morning. So after gorging on turkey and stuffing and family-time, take your pumpkin spice latte to the living room and doze off [...]

by KYLE MIZOKAMI * One year after Mumbai, missteps in security force upgrades * Russia cleans house after ammo depot explosions * Saudi king reportedly forbids border crossing in Yemen conflict * New conflict may be brewing between Khartoum, Darfur rebels * Dozens killed in Central African Republic by LRA