Author: Ron P. Schwery
Watched The Man Who Knew, the first of FRONTLINE’s 9/11 documentaries, 9/11, 20 Years Later: 17 Essential Documentaries to Watch, was excellent and very frustrating. I’m looking forward to the next one. War on the Rocks has your must read of the day with, How the Taliban
Daily Dump: A Huge Taliban Parade, Getting Your Documentary Fix, Learning from Science Fiction, Rapid Reaction Forces and More – September 1, 2021
If masochism is your thing, then might I suggest The Drive’s: Huge Taliban Parade Features Throngs Of U.S.-Bought Vehicles And A Black Hawk Helicopter. As someone who has been on-line walking through the woods for hours looking for lost equipment this is something…Since we
Daily Dump: Unforced Errors, Exclusive Stories, Afghanistan Aftershocks, Last Troops Leaving and More – August 31, 2021
‘Unforced Errors’ could be applied to many circumstances in relation to the war in Afghanistan (or life in general really) and today The Modern War Institute details one of those in: An Unforced Error: How US Attempts to Suppress the Opium Trade Strengthened the Taliban – I
Daily Dump – A Two Day Push: Tragedy in Afghanistan, Must Listen To Podcasts, Operation Pineapple Express and So Much More – August 28, 2021
Another weekend catch-up when my real job keeps me away for a couple days. I watched and read with horror like most of you about the attacks in Afghanistan. It was only a matter of time, is terrible, and we undoubtedly lost some incredible young men and women. For some of
Daily Dump: The View From Pyongyang, Who Won the War on Terror, Robert D. Kaplan, Cane Toads are Eating Each Other and More – August 24, 2021
It’s information operations on steroids in The Small Wars Journal’s: U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan: The View From Pyongyang. Taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, Foreign Affairs has an excellent, in a depressing kind of way, online magazine chronicling
Daily Dump: Losing Ground in Afghanistan, Jockeying for Position in the New Great Game, Water Wars and More – August 23, 2021
Reuters reports that the Taliban Resistance has lost ground in Afghanistan: Taliban say they have retaken three northern districts seized by Afghan militias. I wonder how long they can hold out. For that though, DW can help with: Why Afghanistan’s Panjshir
Daily Dump: Passing the Baby, Irregular Warfare is Great Power Competition (Part 2), Podcasts, The Only Animal That Can Live in Space and More – August 21, 2021
A weekend catch-up following the white screen of death as the site was down for a day and half…Afghanistan is still front and center and today we have one of the best takes on the situation I have read yet. The Small Wars Journal has a short piece, Passing the Baby ,
Daily Dump: Resistance is the Word of the Day as the Flag of the Northern Alliance Rises Again, Irregular Warfare is Great Power Competition and More – August 19, 2021
In the last two decades do you know who else asked the question, ‘Why didn’t they fight?” Mullah Omar and Saddam Husein. I have no actual knowledge that the collapse of the Afghan Army will give rise to a protracted insurgency but I have hope as the flag of the Northern
Daily Dump: Embers of Resistance Burn in the Panjshir Valley and Pakistan While the Evacuation Picks up Pace, What Successful Integrated Operations Look Like and More – August 18, 2021
I can’t really explain why the situation in Afghanistan has bothered me so much. I only served in Iraq, but this has felt worse than I remember the rise of ISIS. Maybe it’s the quickness of it all? Anyway, as the evacuation pace has picked up my mind has turned from despair
Daily Dump: Chaos Reigns, Defiance in Defeat, It’s Not Our Fault, Now We Can Tell You The Truth (kind of) and Much More.
The blame game begins as the world witnesses the chaotic withdraw that will most certainly be disastrous for the Afghans that are left behind. The New York Times has been tracking the updates here: Live Updates: Taliban Promise No Reprisal Killings, but Afghans Are Desperate