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Are American Troops Already Fighting on the Front Lines in Iraq? The Pentagon is denying that U.S. troops are fighting ISIS on the ground in Iraq—but eyewitness accounts and Kurdish officials tell a different story. ZUMAR, Iraq — The role of American Special Operations Forces in Iraq has remained hidden even while the U.S. air war expands. As momentum against ISIS picks up, they may be emerging from the shadows. In a pitched battle on Monday, Kurdish Peshmerga, backed by American airpower and what appeared to be U.S. troops, struck at ISIS positions in the strategic crossroads of Zumar.Scenes from...

Smokes rise from US shelling near Khazir in Northern Iraq News / Kurdistan US Airstrikes Done With Peshmerga Coordination 10.08.2014   Hawar Abdulrazaq BasNews, Erbil   The Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga Ministry has said that from now on they will have a daily press conference to inform the Kurdistan public of new developments to prevent the circulation of propaganda and false information.   Halgord Hikmat, the spokesman for the Peshmerga Ministry told BasNews from Erbil, that the recent US airstrikes in the Makhmur and Mosul regions against Islamic State (IS) Militants had inflcited huge loses on the extremist group.  ...

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was a leading and outspoken supporter of the Obama administration’s decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq and even defended the White House’s controversial failure to reach a status of forces agreement with the Iraqi government. Team Obama’s decisions in Iraq are coming under intense criticism from experts and lawmakers across the political spectrum in light of the seizure of key Iraqi cities by a violent Muslim extremist group that is seeking to transform the nation into a strict Islamic state. Clinton emerged as one of the top supporters of the withdrawal and defended...

I just had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with a Council on Foreign Relations group at the United States Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Its commander, the famed Admiral William H. McRaven, started the briefing, followed by his staff. I expected to learn about Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, and their air force and marine counterparts. I thought I would hear about the exploits of this 67,000-strong command operating in 84 countries, maybe even about the taking down of Osama bin Laden. But that was not to be. Instead, he and the other officers...

The official story surrounding the events of September 11, 2012 in Bengzahi, Libya which left four Americans dead, has now officially fallen apart.After numerous flips and flops by the Obama administration, which originally attempted to paint the incident as a Muslim outcry over an anti-Islamic video, whistle blowers throughout the U.S. government, including within the White House, the State Department, national intelligence agencies and the U.S.military have made available stunning details that suggest not only did operational commanders have live visual and audio communications from drones overhead and intelligence assets on the ground, but that some commanders within the military...

Occasionally I’ll read something that will just make me pause and say “WTF, over”. Today was one of those days, thanks to Linda Robinson and her weak Congressional testimony. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Special Operations is the new conventional force in the 21st Century. The entire DOD organization has shifted towards a Special Operations centric model. This brings both good, bad and ugly to US SOCOM. * The Good: increased funding and special programs. * The Bad: political piggy backing on the community and installing “oversight” committees that put too much weight on the branches of the...

Airborne troops from Russia and the Untied States would hold joint anti-terror drills in the U.S. state of Colorado between May 24 and 31, spokesman of the Russian Defense Ministry Col. Alexander Kucherenko said on Thursday. According to the spokesman, it will be the first time that the Russian airborne forces have held exercises with the U.S. airborne forces on the U.S. territory. "According to the exercise scenario, soldiers of the two countries will hold a tactical airborne operation, including the reconnaissance of imaginary terrorists' camp and a raid," Kucherenko said. "After the operation, a helicopter will evacuate the soldiers,"...

According to reports, the U.S. and Russian military will be engaging in an anti-terrorism exercise that will involve Russian paratroopers using U.S. weapons to “take and hold” the main facilities of the CIA and Denver International Airport in Colorado and the National Security Agency in Utah. (Related: Learn about the hypothetical ‘war games’ the U.S. and China have been playing) The European Union Times has more on the report announcing this exercise from the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation: Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Colonel Alexander Kucherenko publically announced this 24-21 May “anti-terror drill” this Friday past noting that this...

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (USASOC News Service, May 27, 2011) — The United States Army Special Operations Command paid tribute to fallen comrades killed in combat during the past year with a somber ceremony at Meadows Memorial Plaza, May 26. The ceremony was the culmination of a full day all-star treatment for the Gold Star families of 30 Army Special Operation Soldiers killed during combat operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Lt. Gen. John F. Mulholland Jr., Commanding General, USASOC, addressed an audience of more than 500 fellow Soldiers, family members, friends and special guests. “We are here to honor a...

Always on the make for the “show case” case to justify their existence and requests for ever increasing budgets,” Lt. Col. Robert K. Brown writes about ATF management in the June Soldier of Fortune magazine, “this travesty, named ‘Project Gun Runner’ ranks right up there with their wretched blunders at Waco and Ruby Ridge, along with the recent attempt to entrap Laotian freedom fighters. ATF spokesmen lamely justify such stupidity, saying they were trying to use this smuggling effort as a means to bring down a major cartel. Though they never explain ‘how’ giving the cartels small arms would result...

Disclaimer: This is a speculation piece. If 60 percent of this turns out correct, I will consider it good. Until (if) the Counter-terrorism Law is passed and a legal structure authorized, this force is limited to what the Prime Minister’s Emergency Fund can support.] Unity of command is stressed by militaries because; divided command structures have cost battles and wars throughout history. So why are militaries, especially ground forces, not unified? There is a rarely discussed factor about military organization and why it is almost always divided. "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." Concentration of military power in one organization,...

Like most things unapologetically conservative and unapologetically pro-American, Soldier of Fortune magazine has been pilloried for years by the organized Left’s venomously anti-American press and culture. But SOF, founded in 1975 by decorated Special Forces veteran and lifelong adventurer, Lt. Col. Robert K. Brown (USAR - Ret.), stands out as a singular example of American exceptionalism in print media. But that the rest were half as good. SOF is more than that too, for unknown to most people, Soldier of Fortune magazine and its staff of intrepid reporters – almost all with special operations backgrounds, some who paid the ultimate...

The SCAR is the first new assault rifle procured by the U.S. Military through a full and open competition since the M16 trials were held in the mid-1960s. (McLean, VA) —FNH USA, LLC received notification from the USSOCOM Program Executive Office—SOF Warrior (PEO—SW) that the SCAR Acquisition Decision Memorandum (ADM) was approved and signed on April 14, 2010, moving this FN Herstal (FN) program into the Milestone C phase. This decision authorizes the production and deployment of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR) MK 16 and MK 17, as well as the Enhanced Grenade Launcher Module (EGLM)...

Due to a copyright block here at FreeRepublic, I can't post an excerpt from the Navy Times. Here is the link: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/02/marine_SOST_ammo_021510w/

BRITISH SAS heroes have killed up to 50 Taliban commanders in daring raids behind enemy lines. The joint attacks with US special forces over the past two weeks have helped prepare the ground for the biggest battle in Afghanistan yet - when 4,000 British troops will go into action. Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/campaigns/our_boys/2848942/SAS-men-and-Navy-SEAL-teams-take-out-top-50-Taliban-leaders.html#ixzz0fLbXqg9f

The Iraqi Special Operations Force (ISOF) is still organized and configured as reported in June. However, it appears that the ISOF is starting to form eight light armored special forces battalions. The integration of Federal Police elements into the Counter Terrorism Bureau also appears to be starting.

KABUL, Afghanistan, May 11, 2009 – As soon as they heard the news of the suicide bombers yesterday, a coalition Special Operations team in southern Afghanistan sprang into action. Coalition medics used any means possible including a flat-bed truck, to transport and treat the more than 20 victims of a double suicide bombing at the Gareshk bazaar in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, May 10, 2009. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The team rescued, treated and medically evacuated 19 civilians after two suicide bombers detonated themselves in the Gereshk bazaar in Helmand province, injuring 20 and killing nine....

The Counter Terrorism Bureau, which houses much of Iraq's special operations capable forces, provides the third leg of the security forces troika.

SHINDAND AIR FIELD, Afghanistan (June 27, 2008) – The dedication in his eyes is evident as the American Special Operations warrior attentively moves up and down the row of Afghan Commandos on the firing range. He rewards a particularly good shot with an approving tap on the helmet. He seems unaware of the sweltering heat or the weight on his shoulders from the massive amount of equipment he is wearing. His only concern is for the men before him and the mission they have accepted. Afghanistan’s security and stability partially rests in the hands of the Commandos on this range....

BALAD, Iraq – Responding to attacks on Iraqi and Coalition forces, U.S. Special Operations Forces killed eleven Special Groups criminals in the Sadr City area of Baghdad May 9.U.S. SOF were providing security for Coalition forces who were making safety infrastructure improvements in Sadr City.During the operation, Special Groups criminals attacked Iraqi and Coalition forces with rocket propelled grenades and small-arms fire from the ground and from rooftops. U.S. SOF returned fire, killing nine. The firefight continued, and U.S. SOF authorized a Coalition aircraft to engage. The aircraft fired one Hellfire missile, killing two criminals.-30-