Curated news, analysis, and commentary on special operations, national security, and conflicts around the world.

Photo / Image: Green Berets assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) operate a Ground Mobility Vehicle equipped with specialized snow tracks during cold weather training on Fort Wainwright, Alaska, Jan 22, 2026. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. David Cordova)

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Executive Summary

The U.S.-Israel attack on Iran continues and may go on for several weeks. The fighting has expanded into southern Lebanon as Israel strikes Hezbollah positions. Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more important to national security as time goes on; but there are some issues to work out between the Department of Defense and the AI industry. NATO is increasing its activities and training in the Arctic region, working on interoperability. The Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict has escalated from border clashes to air strikes. Russian combat operations in Ukraine are hindered by the sudden loss of Starlink capability.