"No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor" Part 2: Combat Losses by Gunnery Sergeant L. Christian BusslerEditor'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...]
“Shirk:” Why the Islamic State Hates Shrines (and Kills Those Who Worship There)
"Shirk:" Why the Islamic State Hates Shrines (and Kills Those Who Worship There) by Michael KelvingtonOn 16 February 2017, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device that killed at least 83 Pakistanis at the Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, a Sufi shrine in Sindh Province. It was a catastrophic attack which also wounded over 200 other innocent worshippers, and has already been … [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...]
“No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor” Part 1: Into the Fray Once Again
"No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor" Part 1: Into the Fray Once Again by Gunnery Sergeant (retired) L. Christian BusslerEditor'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 (retired) L. Christian Bussler, who retains the copyrights. This an exclusive look into the … [Read more...]
Muslim Veterans Speak Out, Part II: Women’s Rights and Islam
When it comes to terrorism, US foreign policy, US military operations, the true nature of Islam and the extent of Islamic radicalization, there are no shortages of opinions. As a survivor of the 9/11 attacks and a former US soldier, I certainly had my own. But when it came to discussing Islam intelligently, I had more questions than answers. Frustratingly, most interviews I’ve … [Read more...]
Trump, Mattis, Middle East Policy, and “One World Government”
Trump, Mattis, Middle East Policy, and "One World Government" by Nathan PlayerIf the press is to be believed, America’s adventurism in the Middle East is winding down. Agree or disagree on the policy, this should surprise no one. This has always been the current administration’s goal. It has also been the stated policy objective of politicians on both sides of the aisle … [Read more...]
Afghanistan serves U.S. strategic interests, and it is time to stop pretending it doesn’t.
On Monday, U.S. officials met with representatives of the Afghan Taliban in the United Arab Emirates to discuss a potential political settlement to the war in Afghanistan. On Wednesday, President Trump announced that the U.S. will immediately withdraw from Syria and only one day later, the Trump Administration announced that it is considering a significant drawdown of American … [Read more...]
Leaders: Myth and Reality – A Review
When many big names in business, politics, and pop culture sit down to pen a new book, they tend to capture personal exploits, successes, accumulation of wealth, awards, and achievements. In the new, bestselling release of Leaders: Myth and Reality, GEN (Retired) McChrystal and his co-authors manage to approach the topic of leadership with a focus still on individuals, but … [Read more...]