Over 20,000 private military contractors are stationed in Syria, Iraq, and other U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) areas of responsibility (AORs). Contractor employment in Iraq dropped off to literally nothing in the fiscal year 2014. Since then, use has increased and is now close to Iraq War levels. Overall CENTCOM contractor employment peaked in 2013 and has declined almost every year …

The storm was bad enough in the United States. In Cuba, Hurricane Ian knocked out power over the entire island. The blackness reopened some festering wounds. At least one protest in the western seaside borough of Playa included several hundred people who chanted “turn on the lights,” as well as slogans disparaging President Miguel Diaz-Canel. Nevertheless, many people did not …

A partially-disgraced whistleblower claims that a contractor at Kuwait’s Camp Buehring charged excessive “recruiting fees,” forced employees to work long hours, and confiscated their passports, among other labor violations. “Our taxpayer dollars are being used potentially to support forced labor and human trafficking and that’s just unacceptable,” said Latesha Love, a director at the GAO’s International Affairs and Trade team, …

Two months after he answered questions about allegedly sending confidential documents over a private email server, Marc Bennett was found dead in a Doha hotel room. During his tenure with the Qatar Tourism Authority, Bennett worked to improve the country’s image, where allegations of human rights abuses were rife, and was said to work closely with Qatar Airways boss Akbar …

During the mad scramble to leave the country in August 2021, as many as 300 interpreters may have been left behind. These individuals face the possibility of severe Taliban reprisals, including incarceration or death. “There is no future for these people in Afghanistan,” said Matt Zeller, co-founder of No One Left Behind and senior advisor to the Iraq and Afghanistan …

Yevgeny Prigozhin, a top Russian official who is also known as Putin’s chef, publicly admitted that he started the shadowy mercenary organization. He called the fighters “heroes.” Prigozhin made these statements during a recruiting video targeted at Russian convicts to boost Russia’s force in Ukraine. He promised them freedom in exchange for six months of service. In 2014 he founded …

The former SAS officer-turned mercenary leader said that the continent, with its 1.3 billion inhabitants, could become a “huge consumer market or “fall into a black hole,” largely depending on the amount of PMC intervention. Mann accused the west of “negligence” in dealing with conflicts throughout the continent. He said that with China and Russia ruthlessly exploiting many of the …

To counter threats from advanced North Korean and Chinese missiles, the DoD wants to upgrade missile defense systems on the strategically-important island by 2026. Vice Admiral Jon Hill said he was specifically concerned about North Korea’s Hwasong-12 missile, which has a 4500km range, and China’s self-styled “Guam killer” missile, which has a similar range. Currently, two large American bases in …

After much debate, the President signed a measure extending VA disability benefits to some Southwest Asia burn pit victims. The PACT Act adds conditions related to burn pit and toxic exposure, including hypertension, to the Department of Veterans Affairs list of illnesses that have been incurred or exacerbated during military service, removing the burden for veterans to prove that their …

According to the United Kingdom’s Defense Minister, the new level of responsibility is a “significant change” from the relationship between the Russian Army and the Wagner Group in years past. The report speculated that a new level of cooperation is necessary since Russia is having trouble finding enough combat soldiers to fight in the war-torn country. Echoing that sentiment, a …

Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu said planned Russian military drills on Japanese-claimed islands were “unacceptable.” The training sites announced by Russia in July include Etorofu and Kunashiri, two of the four islands Japan calls the Northern Territories. Russia controls the four islands and Japan claims them. The Japanese government maintains the islands are an inherent part of Japan’s territory.  Hirokazu …

One local said the capital of Port-au-Prince was “like a warzone” as a result of gang warfare and a police force that seems unable, or unwilling, to stop it. On this particular day, members of 400 Mawazo stormed a church during Sunday services and killed a police inspector. “I tried to seek cover but there were so many bullets, such …