Rowan Scarborough

Russian airstrikes in Syria target Assad foes, not Islamic State

The vast majority of Russian airstrikes in Syria are hitting rebels opposed to the Bashar Assad regime -- not Islamic State terrorists -- and, like the Syrian president's forces, often make no effort to avoid hitting civilians, a study says.

October 25, 2015

Syrian forces unleash ‘suicide’ drones on rebels

In a war first, Syrian allies Russia and Iran have begun unleashing "suicide" drones that land and explode, presenting another challenge to rebels trying to oust the regime of president Bashar Assad.

October 22, 2015

Charles Martland, Green Beret discharged for confronting child rapist, gaining support

A Green Beret who is being discharged for roughing up an accused Afghan child rapist is gaining support nationwide from pro-military groups as his appeal nears the finish line.

October 21, 2015

Wayne Simmons, accused fraudster, says he has proof of CIA work

A conservative cable news pundit, whom federal prosecutors accused last week of fabricating a life story of being a former deep-cover CIA officer, now sits in jail, unable to publicly address the felony charges against him.

October 18, 2015

Islamic State, al Qaeda are big fans of Edward Snowden’s tweets

Among the keen followers of Edward Snowden's new Twitter persona are terrorists associated with Al Qaeda's branch in Syria and the Islamic State terror army.

October 16, 2015

Obama ignores generals on troop levels for unprecedented 6th time in Afghanistan, Iraq

In the end, President Obama was forced to listen to his generals -- not his political instincts -- on Afghanistan troop levels, and he decided to split the difference.

October 15, 2015

Iraq uses intelligence center operated by Russia, Iran, Syria; White House alarmed

Iraq has begun bombing Islamic State fighters with the help of a new intelligence center operated by Russia, Iran and Syria, a cooperation that is raising concerns in Washington about the threat to U.S. interests in the region.

October 13, 2015

Steven Warren: Islamic State ‘degraded’ by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes

The U.S.-led coalition has killed 70 leaders of the Islamic State terror army, creating "paranoia" among fighters who are "afraid to move around the battlefield" in Syria-Iraq, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

October 13, 2015

State Department tried to block congressman’s Ukraine fact-finding

A House Armed Services Committee member says the State Department tried to block him from visiting close to the front lines in Ukraine, but he broke free and went anyway on Tuesday.

October 13, 2015

White House disowning its failed Syrian plan; points finger at Congress

The Obama administration is distancing itself from one of the biggest failures in the war on terrorism: the collapse of its $590 million program to train and equip Syrian opposition forces to fight the Islamic State's terrorist army.

October 12, 2015

Islamic State grows in Afghanistan, encroaches on Kabul as U.S. remains ‘passive observer’

The Islamic State is growing at an alarming rate in Afghanistan, within striking distance of the capital, and there does not seem to be a concerted U.S. effort to strike the terrorist army as there is in the Syria-Iraq war theater.

October 11, 2015

Loretta Sanchez browbeats Afghan war commander

A senior Democrat on the Housed Armed Services Committee on Thursday unleashed a harsh attack on the 14-year-long Afghanistan war, calling it a "failure" as Islamic extremists have simply set up shop in a list of other places to conduct terrorism.

October 8, 2015

Putin’s motives in Syria questioned as Russia targets pro-Western rebels, not Islamic State

Russian President Vladimir Putin, ignoring Washington, escalated his war in Syria against Islamist armies Wednesday by launching a sea bombardment along with air and land attacks.

October 7, 2015

Gen. John Campbell: U.S. troops must remain in Afghanistan past 2016, new strategy needed

The top commander in Afghanistan said Tuesday he has recommended to President Obama that U.S. troops remain in country past the current December 2016 exit date.

October 6, 2015

John Campbell: Doctors Without Borders hospital airstrike called in by Afghanistan

The top commander in Afghanistan said Monday that the deadly U.S. airstrike on a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz was called in by local Afghan government forces, not Americans.

October 5, 2015

U.S. commander: Afghan forces called in deadly hospital strike in Kunduz

The top commander in Afghanistan said on Monday that the deadly U.S. air strike on a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz was called in by local Afghanistan government forces, not Americans.

October 5, 2015

Islamic State stalemates provoke Kurds to ask for more weapons

Amid the gloomy news of stalemates against the Islamic State, a bright spot is a dogged, disparate force known as the peshmerga in northern Iraq that just finished retaking a string of villages amid a six-month-long offensive.

October 4, 2015

U.S.-led air war in Syria recedes as Russian jets take control of skies

The U.S.-led air campaign against the Islamic State launched only one airstrike Thursday in Syria, far below the daily average of eight, as Russian jets continued to pound various targets in that country.

October 1, 2015

Vladimir Putin campaign in Syria to hit targets beyond militants

Russian President Vladimir Putin's new air war over Syria will not be conducted with the niceties of the ongoing American campaign because the Russians lack sophisticated smart bombs, do not adhere to rules against killing civilians and will hit targets beyond the Islamic State's terrorist army.

September 30, 2015

Islamic State, al Qaeda gains test Afghanistan security force

Both al Qaeda and an emerging Islamic State are making gains simultaneously in Afghanistan, providing the biggest test to date for an Afghan National Security Force handed the operational lead by the U.S.

September 29, 2015