By Elmustek in collaboration with Jakub Janovsky and Buschlaid The Syrian rebel offensive which commenced late on the 27th of November 2024 on positions of the Syrian Arab Army (SyAA) and affiliated forces collapsed regime positions throughout Idlib and Aleppo governorates, leading to the rout of government forces in both regions and allowing rebel forces to capture large amout of territory…
By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans ''You Americans, you treat the Third World in the way an Iraqi peasant treats his new bride. Three days of honeymoon, and then it's off to the fields.'' (By Saddam Hussein) Oligarchs' superyachts have garnered widespread attention due to their large size and lavish interiors. Many of these vessels feature helipads, pools, cinemas, dedicated hangars for speedboats…
By Jakub Janovsky , naalsio26 , Aloha , Dan and Kemal South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan have all faced constraints that hinder their desire to provide military assistance to Ukraine. In Japan's case, it's primarily due to stringent laws prohibiting the export of military equipment. [1] Meanwhile, South Korea's hesitation stems from concerns that providing military support to Ukraine might prompt…
By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans Uday, what are you? A businessman or a playboy? I don't know what to make of you . (By Saddam Hussein) There is little doubt that Uday Hussein, the eldest son of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, stands as one of the most terrifying individuals to ever tread upon this planet. Uday was a playboy and a pathological killer with a love for exotic cars, booze, Cuban…
By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans ''I am an international leader, the dean of the Arab rulers, the King of Kings of Africa and the imam of Muslims, and my international status does not allow me to descend to a lower level.'' ( By Muammar Gaddafi) The conclusion of the Libyan Revolution in 2011 led Libyans on a worldwide frenzy in search of the billions Muammar Gaddafi salted away during his…
By Jan Kerdijk , Stijn Mitzer and Buschlaid The Republic of Uzbekistan finds itself surrounded by five landlocked countries that define its borders: Kazakhstan to the north, Kyrgyzstan to the northeast, Tajikistan to the southeast, Afghanistan to the south, and Turkmenistan to the southwest. This unique positioning designates Uzbekistan as one of just two doubly landlocked countries in the world.…
By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans ''Those who don't love me don't deserve to live.'' ( By Muammar Gaddafi) During a period that spanned four decades the former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi became world renowned for his cult of personality, his proposal to partition Switzerland during a G8 summit, invading four out of Libya's six neighbours, his attempt to persuade an Egyptian(!) submarine to…
By Stijn Mitzer and Kemal The 2000s witnessed a widespread decrease in European defence spending, and the Netherlands was certainly not exempt from this trend. Within a span of less than a decade, the Dutch Armed Forces had to bid farewell to a multitude of weapons systems. This included all of its tanks, self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, multiple rocket launchers and maritime patrol aircraft. In…
By Thomas Nachtrab , Stijn Mitzer, Buschlaid and Jan Kerdijk Kazakhstan found itself in a fortunate position when it came to inheriting military equipment from the USSR. The outcome was somewhat akin to a stroke of luck. If not for the drawdown of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany in the late 1980s, Kazakhstan could have been left with a substantial number of nuclear-capable Tu-95 bombers and…
By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans It might come as a surprise to many that Switzerland continues to operate a significant number of armored fighting vehicles (AFVs), even in the aftermath of the Cold War and the seemingly remote possibility of facing an invasion from any (neighboring) nation. In spite of the decommissioning of most bunker systems and a considerable reduction in its air force, the…
