John Sjoholm

A Kurdish ‘Game of Thrones’ unfolds in Iraq with a curious referendum

November 3, 2017

FOREIGN POLICY·Headlines·MENA·MIDDLE EAST·NATIONAL SECURITY·Op-Ed·Opinion | Analysis·Politics·WORLD NEWS

In a gamble to preserve his power and legacy in the region, and to wield personal influence on the international stage, Iraqi

Africa, French colonialism, and thoughts from the backseat of a Casablanca taxi

October 12, 2017

AFRICA·EUROPE·Headlines·MENA·MIDDLE EAST·Op-Ed·Opinion | Analysis·WORLD NEWS

Casablanca. The Moroccan economic hub was quickly awakening to yet another rainy day. Its cafes were filling up, and its streets bustled

Russia arms deal marks ever widening gap between NATO and Turkey

September 13, 2017

ASIA·Headlines·MENA·MIDDLE EAST·RUSSIA·RUSSIA | FSU·WORLD NEWS

Despite, or in spite, of its NATO allies’ objections Turkey has proceeded with the purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defense system.

The Final Movement of the Islamic State

September 13, 2017

Headlines·MENA·MIDDLE EAST·NATIONAL SECURITY·SECURITY·WORLD NEWS

The grand symphony of Death and Destruction continues to play itself out across the streets of Deir Ezzor. A mortar round detonates.

Syrian Army breaks through ISIS lines at Deir Ezzor

September 7, 2017

Headlines·MENA·MIDDLE EAST·NATIONAL SECURITY·SECURITY·WORLD NEWS

The shadows of the Russian Air Force have been covering the ground of Deir Ezzor, striking Islamic State positions throughout. From moonless

ISIS is pushed to the brink of extinction in the race to Deir Ezzor

September 3, 2017

Headlines·MENA·MIDDLE EAST·NATIONAL SECURITY·SECURITY·WORLD NEWS

The last remaining major Islamic State enclave in Syria, Deir Ezzor, is stuck between a proverbial rock and a hard place. With

Tal Afar: Battle at the ‘Gates of Hell’

August 31, 2017

Headlines·MENA·MIDDLE EAST·WORLD NEWS

The soundtrack of war is playing across the Iraqi frontline. The white noise of monotonous clinks and thuds, shots and mortar rounds

Wag the Dog: Has Reuters been had? An Iran story questioned

August 4, 2017

AFRICA·Headlines·MENA·MIDDLE EAST·Op-Ed·Opinion | Analysis·United Nations·WORLD NEWS

A recent Reuters news piece, relying primarily on unnamed sources, has reported that Iran is currently violating both a United Nations embargo

Mattis and Trump, a rift between a warrior and a civilian widens over sex

August 4, 2017

AMERICAS·Headlines·Op-Ed·Opinion | Analysis·Politics·VETERANS

President Donald Trump announced, through Twitter, on July 26th, that he intends to ban transgender individuals from serving in the US armed

Selling the Kurds, our new media darlings

July 24, 2017

Headlines·MENA·MIDDLE EAST·Op-Ed·WORLD NEWS

The quickly dwindling threat from the Islamic State will soon result in Western news consumers and security investments turning elsewhere. With the

Image General Dostum, the hero that Afghanistan deserves

General Dostum, the hero Afghanistan deserves

July 22, 2017

Headlines·MENA·MIDDLE EAST·Op-Ed·Opinion | Analysis·WORLD NEWS

Afghanistan faces a power play between current President Ghani and legendary former warlord and general, Vice President, Abdul Rashid Dostum. On July

The G20 Summit, testing America’s relevance in a Trump world

July 8, 2017

AMERICAS·ASIA·FOREIGN POLICY·Headlines·NATIONAL SECURITY·Op-Ed·Opinion | Analysis·Politics·RUSSIA·RUSSIA | FSU

Op-Ed: The G20 Summit is a week of the New World Order on display. The G20 Summit is in full swing in

Middle East – North Africa News Brief

July 3, 2017

MENA·MIDDLE EAST·News Wire

MENA BRIEF, SITREP June 27 – July 2: Middle East and Northern Africa Regional Low Intensity Conflicts. [MISC]: The Qatari-Gulf State diplomatic situation;

Iraq Army captures IS mosque declares victory

Iraqi Army captures iconic Islamic State Mosque; declares end of ISIS

July 1, 2017

Headlines·MENA·MIDDLE EAST·WORLD NEWS

Iraqi forces have captured the iconic Great Mosque of al Nuri in Mosul, Iraq, from the Islamic State, and proclaimed a symbolic

Image main Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi caricature Tehran

Abu Bakr al Baghdadi: Wanted, dead or alive

June 22, 2017

Headlines·MENA·MIDDLE EAST·Op-Ed·Opinion | Analysis

Russia claims to have killed the Islamic State founder, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. But what does that mean? Does it even matter? The

Updates from the Syrian front: the push on al Raqqa

June 14, 2017

Headlines·MENA·MIDDLE EAST·News·WORLD NEWS

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish and Arab militia coalition backed by the U.S., continue to advance through al Raqqa City,

John Sjoholm

A Kurdish ‘Game of Thrones’ unfolds in Iraq with a curious referendum

Africa, French colonialism, and thoughts from the backseat of a Casablanca taxi

Russia arms deal marks ever widening gap between NATO and Turkey

The Final Movement of the Islamic State

Syrian Army breaks through ISIS lines at Deir Ezzor

ISIS is pushed to the brink of extinction in the race to Deir Ezzor

Tal Afar: Battle at the ‘Gates of Hell’

Wag the Dog: Has Reuters been had? An Iran story questioned

Mattis and Trump, a rift between a warrior and a civilian widens over sex

Selling the Kurds, our new media darlings

General Dostum, the hero Afghanistan deserves

The G20 Summit, testing America’s relevance in a Trump world

Middle East – North Africa News Brief

Iraqi Army captures iconic Islamic State Mosque; declares end of ISIS

Abu Bakr al Baghdadi: Wanted, dead or alive

Updates from the Syrian front: the push on al Raqqa

News Wire

The Currency War Nobody Wants to Name

Europe will survive only if it pays someone else to die in its place

Can the U.S. Counter China’s Growing Soft and Sharp Power Influence Through Sanctions?

Lebanon: Beirut and the Polycentric Reality

Working Hypothesis: Europe Seeks Relative Advantage from US Overextension

Mission Profile: Soft Power as the New Dominion

Cyber Warfare Now – Tales from the Digital Battlefield

Israel-Hamas Cyberwar, when old warfare meets new

Huawei – China’s telecom giant hits a giant wall

Strike a deal with which devil? The many faces of the Taliban

The fate of Afghanistan’s NATO Generation

Afghanistan – A Bold Solution