SmallWarsJournal.com

Blackjack ZFTWARNING Mon, 04/29/2024 - 9:40pm

Last year, an authorization for the use of force against Mexican cartels was introduced in Congress. Several senior US politicians, including a presidential candidate, have advocated for military strikes against criminal actors involved in trafficking fentanyl. What if the United States engaged in unilateral military action in Mexico? In Blackjack, an American working covertly against criminal organizations finds himself trapped when US drones begin engaging cartel targets. Читать дальше...

Building Militaries in Fragile States: Challenges for the United States (Book review) Dave Maxwell Sun, 04/28/2024 - 9:19am

In Building Militaries in Fragile States: Challenges for the United States, Dr. Mara Karlin presents a comparative case study of four United States Government (USG) attempts to strengthen partner militaries’ internal defense. Building Militaries opens with a summary of the Islamic State’s defeat of the Iraqi Army in 2014 after the USG trained the Iraqi Army for ten years and provided $20B in assistance. Читать дальше...

Mexican Cartel Tactical Note #52: Two Paramedics Killed in Attacks on Ambulances in Celaya, Guanajuato ZFTWARNING Thu, 04/25/2024 - 1:01pm

On Monday, 22 April 2024 two paramedics in Celaya, Guanajuato were killed when alleged members of a criminal armed group (CAG) attacked ambulances believed to be linked to their rivals. This attack included armed assault and arson. It occurred during a spike in violence between rival criminal cartels. The violent surge also included fatal attacks on police. Читать дальше...

Political warfare: the obvious choice against our Maginot Line by Matt Armstrong

Access the entire essay by Matt Armstrong HERE.

The Liberator’s Dilemma: The Paradox Of American Leadership by Joseph Long

Be forwarewarned.  There is some math in this essay.

Perspective: The Caribbean's metastasizing gang threat needs coordinated regional responses ZFTWARNING Mon, 04/15/2024 - 5:42pm

This opinion piece by SWJ−El Centro Fellow Robert Muggah and transnational organized crime scholar Rajeev Gunnar looks at surging criminal violence and gang proliferation in the Caribbean.

Pattern of Collapse in North Korea Dave Maxwell Thu, 04/11/2024 - 8:34am

The purpose of this paper is to examine foreseeable patterns of social infrastructure collapse, as brought on by severe resource shortage, and to provide a perspective of the subsequent effects upon the nKorean administrative and political systems.  This paper will discuss general, baseline political consequences resulting from these shortages, and link these consequences to a framework of phases leading to the... Читать дальше...

A ‘USEFUL FICTION’ ALTERNATIVE FUTURE? Dave Maxwell Tue, 04/09/2024 - 10:06am

The "Battle of the Straits" catalyzes a new era in international relations as the great powers realize that a prolonged conflict would lead to mutual economic destruction and global destabilization. It prompts a comprehensive reassessment of foreign policy and the introduction of the "3D+C Integrated Statecraft Solutions" approach—an amalgamation of Diplomacy, Development, Defense, and Commerce to address... Читать дальше...

Charting Strategies: Analyzing Taliban and Regional Resolve in Combating ISIS-K ZFTWARNING Mon, 04/08/2024 - 6:07pm

This essay by assess potential regional and global responses to current ISIS-K activities.

“The Battle of the Straits: A Geopolitical Maelstrom” Dave Maxwell Sun, 04/07/2024 - 9:14pm

This near-future vignette posits a scenario where maritime chokepoints become the stages for a new brand of warfare—a conflict fought in the shadows, where the weapons are as likely to be cyber as they are to be traditional arms. It underscores the fragility of global trade networks and the precariousness of geopolitics in a multipolar world where strategic waterways have become the chessboard for Great Power confrontation. Читать дальше...