Somalia's complicated. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khatumo...

Somalilanders sometimes talk about Somalia's "genocide" against them. As you know, I hate that word because if its misuse, but anyway, here's what they're talking about. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaaq_g...

↪ logistical support for Yemen’s legitimate government in its war against them; and a platform for direct operations against the Houthis.” The INSS detailed report is below:

I think (in this regard) progress is like steps on a ladder. You gotta take 'em one step at a time. It took Europe a while to get to where it is re HR, etc. As for Somaliland, I'm annoyed Britain didn't do it first - should've done. Another failed opportunity. At least someone took the lead 👍

My day job is working for 14 North Strategies. We just put this out. open.substack.com/pub/14north/...

This is an important point: The US is running many ops in Somalia and may well regard recognizing Somaliland as an unwanted complication.

Breaking ranks, Taiwan backs Israeli recognition of Somaliland | The Times of Israel share.google/SqvSE3yVDftl...

I suppose CVN-BB might be confusing.

The war in Ukraine has highlighted the significant utility of so-called mini cruise missiles. In my last Missile Matters post in 2025, I provide an overview of the European mini cruise missile market in 2026. Access the post here: missilematters.substack.com/p/2026-the-y... Summary below. 1/6

I think we now know the name of France's new aircraft carrier.

28 December 1915 | An Austrian Jewish woman, Gertrude Rosenbaum, was born in Vienna. An actress. During the war she lived in Berlin. In 1944, she was deported to #Auschwitz. She did not survive. --- Women at Auschwitz: 🎧 Podcast: https://youtu.be/ijTxtbNlJO8

Iconic photo; Ukrainian crew prepare a strike stone (OWA-UAV) for launch?during a snow storm, December 2025

Recent images from Chinese social media show a standard commercial cargo vessel refitted with sensors, defensive weapons and containerised launchers. ukdefencejournal.org.uk/china-turns-...

Is this how Ethiopia will get its sea access? Its MOU with Somaliland suddenly seems a touch less incendiary.

Interesting: Morocco did not join 21 mostly muslim countries that signed a statement condemning Israel. www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_ent...

I've made a playlist for my videos on French military strategy. Enjoy. www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

I haven't figured out the White House's reticence re: Somaliland. The Africanists in his orbit AFAIK are pro-Somaliland, and recognition fits the whole Abraham Accords thing. My best guess: Trump just doesn't care, and the issue maybe is too obscure to be embraced?

Sincere question: In a world where allegedly all of us are super judgy about human rights, why isn't Somalia a pariah state? I mean, we all know what they do to their women, right? All their women. (Alas Somaliland is only marginally better.)

Global reactions to Israel's recognition of Somaliland are fascinating. None of those opposed care about the rights of Somaliland's people or its case for independence. People either are afraid of the precedent, pro-Somalia for unrelated reasons, or hostile to anything Israel supports.

Excellent thread, also worth noting that none of these aspirations can be fulfilled if the US Navy doesn't get a grip on its recruitment, retention, maintenance and shipbuilding capacity crises

Here. I wrote about our new, totally not complete vaporware battleship that is definitely not a massive waste of resources. othermeans.io/p/the-make-a...

................. holy crap that's a lot of money for a lot of holes in some farmer's fields.

Japan’s government, under U.S. pressure for a military increase, pledged to achieve the 2% target by March, two years earlier than planned. Japan also plans to revise the ongoing security and defense policy by December 2026 to further strengthen its military. (h/t @christianthiels.bsky.social)

Some of the responses I'm seeing from Nigerians: 1. This won't help 2. This will make things worse 3. I approve but am embarrassed we need US help, worry about sovereignty, etc. 4. Thank God; Bless Trump I've seen more of 4 than the rest, but hardly a scientific sampling.

Japan's draft defense budget for fiscal 2026 is up 9.4% from 2025.

Geopolitics in 2026 will be the world beginning to grasp how weak a US leadership is that is good at campaigning but comically inept at governing and how fragile a Chinese leadership is that is good at power consolidation but blinkeredly bad at sustainable domestic stability

“it was the French who were saying, completely rightly as it turned out, that the US would walk away from Europe and that Europeans needed to think and act in their own interest. And here we are, and the French government is incapable of taking the decisive action when the moment presents itself”

lmfao "Soboto" AFRICOM posting from Germany about airstrikes in Africa while misspelling the name of the place they bombed is *chef's kiss*

The interesting bit here is the "at the request of Nigerian authorities." Who asked? What did they ask for? Why?

If Nigeria has been doing poorly in its war(s?), it's not for lack of military capabilities.

I'd be ok with the US bombing Nigeria if I had reason to believe it was part of a well-thought out strategy put together in partnership with the Nigerians. I don't.

This is correct. There's nothing an occasional US intervention can do that would make any difference. The Nigerian military is no joke.

There will be none of the systematic follow up work through the Trump administration needed to do anything to slow down BH, ISGS or JNIM operations across the Sahel and West African littoral so calm down people

Donald Trump annonce de « nombreuses » frappes meurtrières contre l’organisation Etat islamique au Nigeria

26 December 1938 | French Jewish boy, Samuel Banda, was born in Metz. He was deported to #Auschwitz from #Drancy on 11 November 1942. He was murdered in a gas chamber after the arrival selection. --- ▶ A video about gas chambers and crematoria of the Auschwitz camp: https://youtu.be/-A05i25j9Ck

So now we're bombing Nigeria.

I love how ppl think my CIA experience defines me. I spent just under 5 years there. 11 at RAND. 6 at Yale. 4 in college. 1 at a French grad school (EHESS). Two summers as a USPS ranger. One summer as a hardware store cashier. But it's the CIA that defines me.

Well, that's a leap.

That explains EVERYTHING!

The intellectual dishonesty of accusing me of "transferring any accusation leveled against Israel into an attack on Jews in general."

Yes. Working at RAND makes me as guilty as if I had been in the SS.

I love when people tell me to read a book.

What does "ex-CIA and ex -RAND" mean to people? Is this derogatory?

"I'm the one who believes in a fiction; you're wrong for not believing the lie."

I've been reading more @dirkmoses.bsky.social . His message to Germans is that they should feel ok about siding with Jew haters who want to kill Jews because what their grandparents did to Jews was not that bad and in a way wasn't even about Jews. So stop feeling bad, and stop defending Jews.

People get off on accusing Jews of genocide. They'll keep at it no matter how many times they have to change their underwear.

Further proof that accusing Israel of genocide is a form of Holocaust revisionism. That's the point: accusers are absolving themselves of some vague feeling of historical guilt.

@michaelshurkin.bsky.social on the new “Trump class” It’s about Big Dick Energy And he promised to keep a straight face at the beginning 🫠

This is lovely.