Various complications, including kidney failure and pneumonia, claimed the life of a seriously wounded 42-year-old Iraq veteran.  His spine was broken in two places in 2004 when the armored vehicle he was riding in plunged into the Tigris River during a combat mission to capture enemy soldiers. The incident left him with quadriplegia.“I learned a lot from Joey, but the …

As the old saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Kurds and Syrians have never gotten along well, but now they may have a common enemy. Siamand Ali, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, confirmed that Lt. Gen. Alexander Chaiko met Sunday with Kurdish commander Mazloum Abdi in northeast Syria, adding that he has no …

The Asian country, which is one of the last Cold War battlefields in the world, has a bold ambition to be one of the world’s leading weapons powerhouses. During a visit to a KAI weapons plant in Sacheon, South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol called the defense industry the “new growth engine” for the country’s economy. Yoon also promised to “build …

The most populous country in Africa is “under the gun” because its security forces are stretched too thin, according to an Agora report. “To relieve the security forces and to enable significant efforts to be applied to degrade the threats, the government should consider inviting private security contractors as it was done shortly before the general election in 2015 (and …

Piracy, terrorism, and other threats have compelled many merchant marine vessels to employ private military contractors. A U.N. report expressed concerns about mercenaries and alleged human rights violations. “While these shifts carry the potential for more secure maritime transit, it may also come at a cost to human rights, including the disproportionate use of force, violations to rights to life, …

According to reports, about 120 Sri Lankan asylum seekers are being held in a fenced camp on Diego Garcia, which is what the U.K calls “a safe third country.” Political turmoil in Sri Lanka has created thousands of refugees, many of whom have fled to Diego Garcia and want political asylum in the United Kingdom. While officials consider their pleas. …

According to scientists, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder not only affects the brain’s physical composition. It also changes hormone secretion and overall neurochemistry. After they endure stressful situations, for people without PTSD, the body returns to homeostasis, which is a self-regulating system that our bodies use to return to stability. That is not the case for someone living with PTSD symptoms. …

Frankly, the U.S. reputation in many parts of the world is already pretty low. Private military contractor activities, especially in places like Afghanistan, may have made this reputation better or worse. In a 2008 RAND survey, 35% of diplomatic personnel working with armed contractors in Iraq between 2003 and 2008 reported managing the consequences of actions by armed contractors against …

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 …