The Havok Journal

The Voice of the Veteran Community

West and Dunn Law

U.S. – Iran Relations and the “Abu Monroe” Doctrine

U.S. - Iran Relations and the "Abu Monroe" Doctrine by John Chandler This article first appeared in The Havok Journal in October of 2017. It has been republished as the issues discussed are just as relevant today. _____ In recent weeks, an MQ9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down over Yemen, continuing a trend of attacks against US personnel and combat systems … [Read more...]

Israel, Palestine, and the False Hope of “CoExistence”

Israel, Palestine, and the False Hope of "CoExistence" by Mike Kelvington Editor's Note: Former Army Ranger and longtime Havok Journal writer Mike Kelvington penned this piece for a journal run by the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism in the Interdisciplinary College (IDC) at Herzilya, Israel. We're re-posting an excerpt here, I highly encourage you to read the … [Read more...]

One Hell of a Ride Back to the FOB

One Hell of a Ride Back to the FOB by Carlos Techera There I was laying on my back in a ditch. Everything flashing before my eyes, in an empty silence. "What just happened, no way did that just happened. Shit, we crashed... we crashed," my inner voice yelling at me open your eyes. There the silence subsided, my senses restarted I gasped for air, "I am alive." … [Read more...]

Saudi Women and the War on Terror

Saudi Women and the War on Terror by Mike Kelvington In the masculine-driven nation of Saudi Arabia, women are subordinate men and the state, yet, in the eyes of both, they serve as an important role within their society.  Historically and contextually, the Saudi government sees women as weak and “depicted as needing to be protected, controlled, and guided within an … [Read more...]

Importing the Muslim Brotherhood: Creation of the “Sahwa” in Saudi Arabia

Importing the Muslim Brotherhood: Creation of the “Sahwa” in Saudi Arabia by Mike Kelvington A movement known as the Islamic Awakening (al-Sahwa al-Islamiyya) or Sahwa quickly established itself as a counter-culture to the religious establishment in Saudi Arabia over the course of only a few decades, starting in the mid-1950s.[1]  During this time, the Muslim Brotherhood … [Read more...]

“No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor” Part 2: Combat Losses

"No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor" Part 2: Combat Losses by Gunnery Sergeant L. Christian Bussler Editor's Note: These excerpts are from the multi-award winning book “No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor” and were provided by the book's author, Gunnery Sergeant L. Christian Bussler, who retains the copyrights. This an exclusive look into the world of a how the Marine Corps … [Read more...]

National Identity Crisis in the Gulf States? A Puzzle For The Future

In reading a chapter titled, “The Oil-Driven Nation-Building of the Gulf States After the Second World War” from The Emergence of the Gulf States, I was struck by how fast the Gulf States have changed and evolved since 1971.  By that year, all the Gulf States had earned their independence, mostly from Britain. During that same period, there was an oil boom beginning in … [Read more...]

“Never Forget”: Rising Up to Call Genocide ‘Genocide’

I’ll never forget standing outside the gates of the Mathhausen concentration camp to tour the prison camp at noontime. The tour guards said, “We’re closing for lunch. You can come back after lunch or if you want to tour Mathhausen right now, we’ll lock you in while we go eat lunch.” On a tight deadline to arrive at our evening destination, we said, “That works for us.” We … [Read more...]

Generations at War

The mind of the young is malleable and we can condition children to limit their feelings, harden their revulsion, and we can teach them to hate.  Nowhere is this more evident than in the Middle East. Prior to the 1920’s the Middle East had been relatively unchanged for over 400 years.  The stability of the Ottoman Empire ruled then entire area and while it might not have … [Read more...]