On FPF #124, I discuss North Korea's recent missile test and events around Africa. I give the details and some analysis of Nort Korea's missile test. I also discuss the reaction from world leaders. I examine the situation In Zimbabwe, a new president has been sworn in after the coup. I look at a new Kenyan president being sworn in. I also update Egypt's Saini massacre, Marcon's trip to West Africa and Nigeria. 

On FPF #123, I smackdown two articles published in the New York Times. The first article I take on is Thomas Freidman's love letter to MBS. I explain how Freidman is so enchanted by MBS he ignores MBS's crimes. The second article examines if anyone is committing war crimes in Yemen. In this article, the NYT hides Saudi and US war crimes in Yemen. 

Will Porter returns to Foreign Policy Focus to cover the fall of ISIS. This episode is the second in a two-part series on the rise and fall of ISIS, the first show can be found here. In this part of the series, Will details how the US and Russia became involved in Syria. Will covers the liberation of Mosul and Raqqa. Will explains how the War against ISIS has impacted the Syrian Civil War. Will also gives analysis on what to expect now that the caliphate is dead. 

Articles 

• Starvation in Mosul [Link]
• 40,000 Casualties in Mosul [Link] 
• New York Times - The Uncounted [Link]
• Kurdish withdraw from Kirkuk [Link] 
• AirWars' Casualty Figures for Raqqa [Link] 

On FPF #121, I guide you through foreign policy discussions at Thanksgiving dinner. I identify the important players in ongoing wars. I debunk common myths people believe about US wars. I also give talking points to help you simply explain complex geopolitics issues. 

On FPF #120, I look at the 60 Minutes segment on Yemen. The segment was one of the first times the crisis and war in Yemen has gained MSM attention. The 60 Minutes crew was denied access to Yemen by Saudi Arabia. The segment has several problems that I address. I also update Lebanon, Turkey, and Zimbabwe.

Articles 

• Trump threatens to close the PLO. [Link]
• More US troops are dying in war zones for the first time in six years. [Link]
• A Marine killed a Japanese citizen in a car crash. [Link]
• US warship collides with Japanese tugboat. [Link]
• Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe refuses to step down as president. [Link] 
• Turkey’s president pulls Turkish troops from NATO exercises in Norway. [Link]
• Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hariri made it to France on Saturday. [Link]
• The Iraqi Kurdish government announce their support for a united Iraq. [Link]
• 130 children die every day in Yemen. [Link]
• Saudi Arabia blocks ’60 Minutes’ from entering Yemen [Link]

On FPF #119, I discuss the coup to remove Robert Mugabe as president of Zimbabwe. The military commander behind the coup has insisted that this is not a coup. The former Vice President is poised to take power as the 93-year-old Mugabe is ousted. The AU and UN have said they are looking for a peaceful transition of power. I also update the imprisonment of Lebanon's Prime Minister, the Afghan opium market, and North Korea. 

Articles 

• China will send a high-level envoy to North Korea. [Link] 
• South Korea says the US needs their consent before attacking North Korea. [Link] 
• Saudi Arabia may be planning to replace Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri with his brother Bahaa. Bahaa made statement condemning Iran and Hezbollah. [Link]
• Islamic State snipers are using US weapons and equipment. [Link]
• Dan McAdams explains how the US plans to influence Hungarian elections. [Link]
• Center for Strategic and International Studies has been pushing the idea of putting THAAD missiles in South Korea. THAAS missiles are made by a top donor of CSIS, Lockheed Martian. [Link]
• African countries are attempting to peacefully transition President Mugabe from power. [Link]
• Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hariri plans to leave Saudi Arabia Saturday for France. [Link]
• Afghanistan 2017 opium crop sets records of land use and weight produced. The anti-opium effort destroyed a record amount of opium. [Link]
• Inspector general report finds US troops were informally told to ignore child sex abuse. [Link]

FPF#118, I look at the future of the Syrian Civil War. Al-Qaeda continues to control territory in Idlib Syria. Israel is threatening to attack Iranian or Hezbollah targets in Syria. Turkey is threatening to attack the Syrian Kurds. Assad restated his goal to control all of Syria. The US plans to stay to prevent any future ISIS 2.0 from popping up. I also update North Korea, Yemen, Libya, and Zimbabwe. 

Articles 

• A Green Beret was killed in Mali by two Navy SEALs after the Green Beret uncovered the SEALs stealing money. [Link]
• A breakaway region of Somalia, Somaliland, held presidential elections Monday. [Link]
• A North Korean soldier defected to South Korea. The soldier was hit by gunfire from North Koreans as he fled. [Link] 
• North Korea sends a letter to the UN about US aggression. [Link] 
• Israel will destroy a Palestinian village and displace 300 people. [Link]
• BBC documents the deal cut between the US/SDF and ISIS. The deal allowed IS fighters, including foreign fighters, to escape the city of Raqqa. EHSANI22 claims IS allowed the SDF to take the Omar oil fields in exchange. [Link] [Link] 
• Saudi Arabia continues to block ports and airports in Northern Yemen. [Link] 
• House passes a non-binding resolution that declares the US role in Saudi’s war against Yemen is unauthorized. [Link]
• House votes 366-30 on a nonbinding resolution against supporting Saudi’s war in Yemen. [Link]
• The ‘groundbreaking’ Atlantic article showing a conversation between WikiLeaks and Donald Trump Jr. was unethically edited. [Link]
• 23 European countries sign an agreement to spend more on military and promote European military integration. [Link]
• CNN exposes the slave trade in Libya. [Link] 
• In Libya, militants are cutting water to cities to negotiate with the governments. [Link] 
• Tanks of entered the capital city of Zimbabwe. Reports suggest that the military may attempt to remove the 93-year-old President Mugabe from power. [Link] The military declared they had control of the capital city but were not carrying out a coup. [Link]
• In Syria, 53 people were killed in a market by airstrikes. Russia likely carried out the strikes. [Link] 
• Turkish President Erdogan suggests Turkey may attack the Syrian Kurds. [Link] 
• Russia’s Foreign Minister said Russia has not ensured Iranian backed forces will leave Syria. [Link] 
• Iraq/Iran earthquake death toll now at 530. [Link]
• Saudi Arabia bombed the airport in Yemen. The destruction of the airport will make it more difficult to get starving people food. [Link]

On FPF #117, I discuss Trump's trip to Asia. In South Korea, Trump pushed missile defense and weapon sales. In the Philippines, Trump met with Putin and pushed for more weapon sales. Trump rounded out the trip in the Philippines. I also update Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Africa. 

Articles 

• A Marine drill instructor was given ten years in prison for abusing recruits. The drill instructor targeted three Muslim recruits. [Link]
• The debt from US wars after 9/11 will cost taxpayers $8 trillion in interest. [Link]
• Trump tells the Vietnam leader his country should buy more weapons from the US. Trump also said he would mediate the South China Sea dispute. [Link]
• Trump suggests the US may remove some sanctions on Russia. Trump also said he might become friends with Kim Jung Un. [Link]
• The State Department will give $750,000 to Hungarian media. [Link]
• The US has spent $5.6 trillion on conflict since 2001. [Link]
• The US carried out three drone strikes against IS and al-Shabaab targets over the weekend. [Link]
• The ISIS group in Somalia has grown to over 200 fighters. [Link]
• West African jihad is starting with a desire to protect cattle. [Link]
• Lebanese sources say Lebanon’s Prime Minister is being held under house arrest in Saudi Arabia. [Link]
• The Afghan Maj. Gen. in charge of operations in the Helmond Province said “It’s with the Marines’ support and cooperation that we’ve reached this level…If they leave again, things will 100% be reversed.” [Link]
• The US claims the missile fired from Yemen at Saudi Arabia is Iranian made. [Link]
• The UN warns the Saudi blockade of Yemen will kill millions of people. [Link]

On FPF #116, I update the geopolitical mess in Arabia and the Levant. In Yemen, the US now blames Iran for supplying the Houthi with the missile that targeted Saudi Arabia. The Lebanon Prime Minister remains under house arrest in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince bin Salman continues to arrest officials and princes on corruption charges. I also update Catalonia, Russiagate, and ISIS. 

Articles

• The US has spent $5.6 trillion on conflict since 2001. [Link]
• Philip Giraldi explains how the US can be trapped into more interventions in the Middle East. [Link]
• Reports from North Korea claim soldiers are looting food form the civilians. [Link] 
• The US carried out a drone strike against an al-Shabaab target in Somalia. [Link]
• Lebanese sources say Lebanon's Prime Minister is being held under house arrest in Saudi Arabia. [Link] 
• Saudi Arabia orders its citizens out of Lebanon. [Link]
• The US is carrying out more airstrikes in Afghanistan. [Link]
• The US claims the missile fired from Yemen at Saudi Arabia is Iranian made. [Link]
• The USA LIBERTY ACT passes its House committee. The bill will renew the FISA 702 program and expand the government’s ability to spy on Americans. [Link] 
• Trump was unable to visit the DMZ due to weather. [Link]
• The US could have almost 16,000 troops in Afghanistan next year. [Link] 
• Spain claims to have annulled the Catalan independence. Catalans continue to strike and protest against the Catalan government. [Link]
• ISIS lost control of their last stronghold in Syria. ISIS only controls a few villages in Syria. [Link] 
• The UN says Saudi Arabia must lift the blockade of Yemen to avoid a massive famine. [Link]
• William Binney met with CIA Direct Mike Pompeo to discuss the DNC Leaks. Trump requested Pompeo take this meeting. [Link]
• Israel tells diplomats to follow Saudi Arabia’s narrative on Lebanon’s prime minister resigning. [Link] 
• Nikki Haley said the UN needs to take actions against Iran because of the Yemeni missile fired at Saudi Arabia. [Link] 
• Saudi Arabia kills 30 people in Yemen. Children, women, and paramedics were among the dead. [Link] 
• Saudi Arabia has not blocked humanitarian aid from reaching Yemen. [Link]
• Trump will ask Congress for another $5.9 billion in defense spending. The money is for more THAAD missiles in South Korea and for 3,500 troops to be sent to Afghanistan. [Link] 
• Iran will allow India to use a port in southern Iran. The access to the port will give India a trade route to central Asia and Afghanistan. [Link]
• Trump voices support for the Saudi purge. [Link]

Will Porter returns to FPF for ep. 115. Will discuss the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Will starts with the origins and founders of the group that would one day declare a caliphate. Will analyzes the US role in Iraq, Libya, and Syria led to the rise of IS. Will then explains the narrative of IS as it reaches its peak and anti-ISIS coalitions start to build. 

This is part one of a two-part series of the rise and fall of ISIS. 

Will Porter is a journalist and commentator with a focus on U.S. foreign policy and Mid East affairs.

His freelance work can be found at the Libertarian Institute and Antiwar.com.

Articles 

The Redline and the Rat Line [Link] 

2012 DIA memo [Link] 

Press report of U.S. weapons in militant hands [Link] [Link]

On FPF #114, I discuss all the news from a significant foreign policy weekend. Yemen shoot a ballistic missile at Saudi's capital. Lebanon's Prime Minister resigned. Saudi's Crown Prince arrested several members of Saudi's royal family. Shortly after, several high ranking Saudi officials were killed in a helicopter crash. The Catalan President has also turned himself into Belgian authorities. 

Further reading 

Rand Paul

Paradise Papers

Catalan Independence

Syria Terror Attack

Yemen Ballistic Missile

Lebanon Prime Minister Resigns

Saudi Shake-Up

On FPF #113, I look at some recent wins for the empire. The empire makes a significant gain by getting Nigerien government permission to carry out drone strikes in Niger. A new lie linking Iran to al-Qaeda will help the empire win US support for war with Iran. The House also killed H.Con.Res 81, preventing an end to the war in Yemen. 

Articles

• Trump says NYC attacker should get the death penalty. [Link]
• Twitter hid 48% of tweets that included #DNCLeaks. [Link]
• Facebook and YouTube deleting user-uploaded content is destroying the only copies of evidence of war crimes. [Link]
• Boris Johnson will travel to the US to try to convince the Senate to say in the nuclear agreement with Iran. [Link]
• Moon of Alabama debunks new claims that Iraq is allied with al-Qaeda. [Link]
• Catalonia’s president says he will not go to Spain to stand trial. [Link] 
• A Spanish court has imprisoned Catalonia’s Vice President and cabinet members. [Link] 
• The US continues to have diplomatic connections with North Korea. [Link] 
• South Korea’s president said his country will not develop or host nuclear weapons. [Link]
• Niger’s Defense Minister announced the US can use armed drones in Niger. [Link] 
• Nigerien officials claim the US forces killed in Niger were on a raid hunting ISIS-linked groups. [Link] 
• The Turkish army clashed with the PKK along the Iraqi border killing 25. [Link]
• The Syrian Army has liberated Deir Ezzor city from the Islamic State. [Link]
• A Pakistani woman was arrested for killing 17 people with poisoned milk. The woman was attempting to only kill her husband. [Link]
• Turkish forces are surrounding the Kurdish Afrin enclave. [Link] 
• Israel attacked a Syrian weapons depot in the Homs Province. Syria fired surface to air missiles in response. Israel reported none of its aircraft were hit. [Link]
• In Yemen, 29 civilians were killed when Saudi Arabia bombed a market. [Link]

On FPF #112, I give my initial thoughts on the terror attack in NYC. I also cover the other important news of the day. Iran has self-limited their ballistic missile range to 2000 km. Mattis and Tillerson tell Congress that the 2001 AUMF allows for war in Africa. In Iraq, the central government looks to end Kurdish autonomy. I also update H.Con.Res 81, Syria, and Lebanon. 

Articles

• Joe Lauria looks at the Democratic money behind the Russiagate conspiracy. [Link]
• Eight people were killed by a terrorist in New York City. [Link]
• The House Minority Whip is pushing Democrats to not sign onto H.Con.Res 81. [Link] 
• The US gave two A-29 light attack aircraft to Lebanon. [Link] 
• US Maj. Gen. James Jarrard said the US has 4,000 troops in Syria. [Link] 
• The Catalan President gave a press conference in Belgium. He said he was not seeking asylum in Belgium and will return to Catalonia when conditions allow him to. The Spanish court ordered the president and his cabinet to appear in court in Madrid. [Link] 
• Cave-ins at North Korea’s nuclear testing site may have killed up to 200 people. [Link] 
• Five Malian soldiers and one civilian was killed by militants. Jihadist groups like IS and al-Qaeda operate in the area. [Link] 
• Israel’s Public Defense Minister announces the creation of a new police force to guard the Temple Mount. The new police force will have 200 members. [Link]
• Iran has self-imposed a range of 2000 km for their ballistic missiles. [Link] 
• The US has spent over $1.5 billion to arm and train Lebanese troops. [Link]
• James Mattis testified before Congress that the US will remain in Iraq with or without the permission of the Iraqi government. [Link] 
• The Iraqi government has taken a border crossing with Turkey from the Kurds. [Link]
• Paul Manafort and his former deputy Rick Gates have surrendered to the FBI. The Muller investigation filed 12 changes against Manafort/Gates. [Link] Manafort/Gates were placed under house arrest. [Link]
• Special forces captured a militant who was in part behind the 2012 Benghazi attack. He will be tried in federal court. [Link] 
• Mattis and Tillerson testify before Congress that they do not need a new war authorization for the US expansive interventions in Africa. [Link] Mattis testified that the US troops killed in Niger were not in Niger under authority from the 2001 AUMF. [Link] 
• The State Department issues a travel warning for Americans traveling to Niger. [Link]
• The US coalition in Afghanistan killed two civilians at an engagement party. [Link] 
• Iraqi militia commander, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, says Iraqi militias will ignore the order from Rex Tillerson to disband. [Link] 
• The Iraqi government will look to end Kurdish autonomy. [Link]