Are More Private Military Contractors Heading to Ukraine

Are More Private Military Contractors Heading to Ukraine?

Surplus equipment that the United States and other countries send to Ukraine might be battle-ready earlier if one retired Army officer gets his way. As a private citizen over the past year, Vindman watched the slow Russian buildup along Ukraine’s borders and, he said, became concerned about how Kyiv would support and sustain a long conflict. Vindman and his twin …

Five Kinds of Military Contractors

Five Kinds of Military Contractors

All five major types of combat-related military contractors play prominent roles in the DoD’s worldwide strategy. All five kinds are in demand. In 2022, the DoD paid private military contractors over $400 billion, which is more than a third of its budget.  Private military contractors play diverse roles and serve in diverse places. During the Iraq War, contractors often fought …

Qatar Opens Dialog with Iran Over Nuclear Program

Qatar Opens Dialog with Iran Over Nuclear Program

Once again, Qatar’s foreign ministry has gone beyond the borders of this Gulf Coast country in an attempt to resolve a regional crisis that could become an international crisis. Speaking during a media briefing held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Doha, Majed bin Mohammed Al-Ansari highlighted Qatar’s involvement in facilitating constructive dialogue between Iran and the international community. …

COVID-19 Outbreak at Guantánamo Bay

COVID-19 Outbreak at Guantánamo Bay

Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Dustin W. Cammack said that four prisoners diagnosed with COVID-19 are “experiencing minor symptoms and are improving.” Two of the prisoners who tested positive were identified by people with knowledge of the situation as defendants in death penalty cases: Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, who is accused of plotting the suicide bombing of the destroyer Cole in 2000, …

Continued Fighting in Syria

Continued Fighting in Syria

Department of Defense officials confirmed that a drone strike in northeast Syria killed a contractor and five regular servicemembers. The U.S. retaliated with airstrikes on Iranian-linked targets in Syria, which hit buildings that housed drone/aviation assets and vehicles used by groups affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). One activist group said the U.S. strikes killed fighters on the …