The Iranian regime maintains a network of proxies including Lebanese Hezbollah, various Shiite militias in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen, and foreign fighters in Syria. This paper by the Joint Special Operations University (JSOU) provides a look at the problem of states using proxy forces to advance their foreign policy objectives.

The three main chapters of the paper outline the different groups and factors that influence Iranian military and political strategy for Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. The proxy / host country relation is described. The report provides an assessment of vulnerabilities that could be exploited by U.S. special operations forces.

Iran will continue to use their proxy network to frustrate U.S. Middle East strategy and diminish U.S. influence. However, the U.S. is not without appropriate responses. This paper advances the argument that terrorism, counterterrorism, and proxy conflict are inherently political in nature and need not be addressed with a kinetic solution alone.

The authors of this paper are:

• Dr. Diane Zorri – an assistant professor of security studies at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Dr. Houman A. Sadri – deputy director of the International Policy and Analysis Center (IPAC)
• Dr. David Ellis – Resident Fellow at Joint Special Operations University (JSOU)

Iranian Proxy Groups in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen: A Principal-Agent Comparative Analysis, Joint Special Operations University, JSOU Report 20-5, 2020.
https://jsou.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=58950053

SOF News Update 20171128 – SOCOM sniper rifle, WWII naval gray zone activities, Ralph Peters on Africa, SWCS student dies, armed UN Little Birds in Mali, air opns in Afghanistan, 26,000 troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, MARSOC recruiting video, AFSOC’s money people, SFC Cribben remembered, Afghan SMW graduates crew members from course, the golden age of SOF, shift of air assets from Middle East to Afghanistan, ASSF keep pressure on Taliban and ISIS, U.S. Army policy on beards, leaving the Kurds behind, and more.

SOCOM Sniper Rifle. The are a lot of different U.S. military sniper rifles. The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is trying to consolidate these variations into one rifle. The SOF command is looking for a rifle that will fire three different rounds – which would require three different rifle barrels. A rifle with three barrels reduces the weight carried (two less rifles and less magazines). Read “SOCOM asking rifle makers for single weapon to serve many sniper roles”, Tampa Bay Times, November 22, 2017.

Do More in Africa? Ralph Peters, a former U.S. Army officer and Fox News commentator, tells us why we have SOF teams in Africa and questions if we shouldn’t be doing more. Read “Here’s what the US is doing in Africa”, New York Post, November 25, 2017.

Armed UN Little Birds in Mali. The United Nations has deployed small helicopters in Mali to attack militants and evacuate casualties. (The Warzone, Nov 27, 2017).

MARSOC Recruiting Video. The Marines do good PR. Been that way for a long time. Read more about a MARSOC recruiting video in “This MARSOC recruiting video looks like a Hollywood movie”, We Are the Mighty,  November 27, 2017.

The Golden Age of SOF. In a long article explaining what SOF is a writer confuses the reader referring to US Navy SEALs as ‘special forces’ (2nd para). Oh well. An interesting read despite that. See “The Golden Age of Special Operations Forces”, E-International Relations, November 28, 2017.

SWCS Student Dies. PFC Nicholas Martinez had completed the Special Forces Preparatory and Conditioning Course and was awaiting additional training. He was found dead in his Fort Bragg barracks on Thanksgiving Day. (Fayetteville Observer, Nov 25, 2017).

Shift of Air Assets from Middle East to Afghanistan. One sign that the war in Iraq and Syria is winding down is the increase in air operations in Afghanistan. Read “War in Afghanistan Heats Up as Fight Against ISIS Winds Down”, DoD Buzz, November 27, 2017.

Afghan SMW Graduates More Crew Members. The Special Mission Wing has 15 more qualified crew members with the recent graduation of students from its ‘Green Platoon’ course. (DVIDS, Nov 25, 2017).

ASSF Keep Pressure on ISIS-K and Taliban. Afghan Special Security Forces have inflicted heavy damage recently on the Taliban and ISIS-K in Nangarhar and Balkh provinces. (DVIDS, Nov 25, 2017).

SFC Cribben Remembered. SFC Stephen Cribben died in Afghanistan on November 4, 2017. He was a member of the 10th Special Forces. He is remembered by his family. (News Channel 13, Nov 27, 2017).

AFSOC’s Money People. Every operational mission and training exercise needs a funding mechanism. Learn more about AFSOC’s money people in “No Money No Mission”, DVIDS, November 1, 2017.

Air Opns in Afghanistan. The U.S. Air Force is striking more targets in Afghanistan than at any other time since 2010. In October 2017 the Air Force conducted 653 air strikes. Read “US Aircraft Return to Surge-Level Operations in Afghanistan”, Air Force Magazine, November 21, 2017.

Leaving the Kurds Behind. The U.S. had some very dependable allies in Iraq and Syria over the past few years in the fight against ISIS. And now that the fight is ‘almost’ over? Well, it’s time to look out for our strategic interests – sucking up to Russia and Turkey and cutting the support for the Kurds. (The Hill, Nov 27, 2017).

26,000 Troops. The Department of Defense has updated the number of troops deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. (Military Times, Nov 27, 2017).

U.S. Army Policy on Beards. It appears those wanting to enhance their looks will be disappointed. (Task and Purpose, Nov 27, 2017).

WW II Naval Gray Zone Activities. A former naval surface warfare officer and military historian has penned an article describing naval gray zone activities against the Germans and Japanese during WW II. Read the article by Steven Wills in “Franklin D. Roosevelt, ‘Gray Zone’ Warrior”, War on the Rocks, November 23, 2017.

Hybrid Warfare – Russian hybrid warfare and Finland, Germany victim of Russian moves, Russian UW in Ukraine, and more.

Finland – a Target of Russian Hybrid Warfare. The Finns share a common border with Russia that puts it at risk and also ensures that it will forever need to endure a ‘special relationship’. Russia is very keen to protect its borders and keeping Finland in the ‘neutral corner’ is one of its aims. It does not want a robust North Atlantic Treaty Organization presence in Finland. Russia does not need to mount offensive military operations against Finland to attain its national interests; it can use hybrid warfare as a mechanism to achieve its aims. Read “Hybrid influence – lessons from Finland”, NATO Review, June 28, 2017.

Germany As a Target. Russia has used its manipulative ways with countries in addition to the United States. Germany has been a frequent target of Russian disinformation campaigns, cyber attacks, economic pressure, blackmail, use of proxies, and exploitation of minorities. And Why? One prime reason for Russia’s attacks against Germany is the German response to the Russian involvement in the Ukrainian conflict and its conquest of Crimea. Read more in “Germany Confronts Russian Hybrid Warfare”, Carnegie Europe, July 26,2017.

Russia’s Ukraine Moves. General (Ret) Charles Cleveland, former commander of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), testified before the Senate Committee on Armed Services in March 2017. The topic was the unconventional warfare activities of Russia in the Ukraine. See “Russian Influence and Unconventional Warfare Operations in the “Grey Zone”: Lessons from Ukraine”, March 29, 2017.

Further Reading:

Read more articles posted on SOF News about hybrid warfare.
www.sof.news/?s=hybrid+warfare

Hybrid Warfare
www.specialforcestraining.info/topics/hybrid-warfare.htm

SOF News Update for 20161218 – Iraq’ Golden Division, OSS veterans honored by Congress, Navy SEALs in Serbia, Navy SEAL for Interior secretary, Fox News video on ‘shadow warriors’, Navy SEALs and what Hollywood gets wrong, SOCEUR re-enacts D-Day parachute drops, Russian SOF in Aleppo, and more.

Iraq’s 1st Special Operations Brigade. The “Golden Division” (once called the “Golden Brigade” and “Dirty Division) is part of the Iraq’s Counter Terrorism Service (CTS). It is in the lead for the fight for Mosul – as it has been in the lead for the fight against the Islamic State for other cities of Iraq over the past two years. However, there is a price for being good. The Iraqi regime continues to overuse the Golden Division and its losses are appalling. Soon it will be – some say by the end of the Mosul fight- combat ineffective. So while Mosul will go down as a political and military victory there is concern of what unit will exist to keep the peace among the different factions of Iraqi political landscape. Read more in “How Iraq’s Army Could Defeat ISIS in Mosul – But Lose Control of the Country”, Politico Magazine, December 15, 2015.

Fox News Video on “Gray Zone”. Watch a short (2 min) video by Fox News on the U.S. shadow warriors fighting across the globe.
http://video.foxnews.com/v/5251445694001/

Russians Targeting UK with ‘Hybrid Warfare’. It appears that senior members of the United Kingdom government are getting concerned with some aggressive maneuvering on the part of the Russians. Read more in “Russia wages unconventional warfare on Britain”, The Weekend Australian, December 17, 2016.

Russian SOF in Aleppo. Russian special operations forces are heavily engaged in the ground fight for Aleppo, Syria. Read “The elite Russian special forces who took over Crimea are doing the same thing in Aleppo”, Business Insider, December 16, 2016.

Navy SEALs train with Serbian Unit. Members of U.S. Naval Special Warfare Unit 2 – assigned to Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) – spent two weeks on a Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) with the Serbian Special Anti-Terrorist Unit (SAJ) this past November / December. Read more in “Navy SEALs builds relations with Serbian forces”, DVIDS, December 15, 2016.

SOCEUR and D-Day Jumps. Over a year ago, in July 2015, special operations forces from Special Operations Command Europe conducted parachute jumps over Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France in an observance of the D-Day parachute drop 71 years earlier. Watch a little bit of history and some present day parachuting in this 3-min long video in SOCEUR D-Day Drops, DVIDS, posted 16 Dec 2016.

Navy SEAL to be Secretary of Department of Interior. A retired Navy SEAL and congressional representative from Montana has been selected to be the secretary of Interior by President-Elect Trump. “Who is Ryan Zinke?”, Voice of America, December 15, 2016.

OSS Veterans Honored by Congress. President Obama signed legislation that honors veterans of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) with the Congressional Gold Medal for their service and contributions during World War II. The OSS was the predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Army Special Forces. Read more in a news report by Augusta Free Press, Dec 16, 2016.

Hollywood, Movies, and SEALs. There’s lots of movies that have been made about the U.S. Navy SEALs. Some are near factual while others are . . . well, entertaining. Listen to “Former Navy SEALs reveal what Hollywood gets wrong about them”, Business Insider, December 17, 2016.

SOCSouth Members Recognized by Colombia. Three SOCSouth members received the “Military Medal” during a ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia for their efforts in supporting a Colombian military institute. DVIDS, Dec 6, 2016.

(Featured image at top from USSOCOM 2016 Factbook)

The Gray Zone – the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) based at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida recently rolled out a new term in September 2015 [1] to describe a specific type of conflict. The Gray Zone is method of categorization for the conflict that occurs in the space between peace and open warfare. Some would simply call it Unconventional Warfare.

What is certain is that there already exist a plethora of terms to use that come very close to the meaning of the Gray Zone. Since the appearance of this new term in favor by USSOCOM a number of military observers, international relations scholars, and national security writers have wrote articles adding their two cents to the explanation of this new security challenge that presents novel complications for U.S. policy and interests in the 21st century.

One such writer, an instructor at West Point, provides his take in two recent articles. Captain John Chambers, U.S. Army, is also a scholar with the Modern War Institute at West Point. Read his thoughts below:

“Owning the ‘gray zone'”, Army Times, by John Chambers, November 6, 2016.
Countering Gray-Zone Hybrid Threats, by John Chambers, Modern War Institute, West Point, October 18, 2016.

Footnotes:
[1] The Gray Zone, White Paper by United States Special Operations Command, 9 September 2015.

For Further Reading:
“Special Operations and the Challenge of Working in the Gray Zone”, by John Friberg, SOFREP.com, February 1, 2016.
“Project Gray – Join the Conversation”, USAJFKSWCS,
www.projectgray.org
“Gray Zone”, Special Forces Training.
www.specialforcestraining.info/topics/gray-zone.html

SOF News Update: US SOF raid in Somalia, interesting facts on the WWII British SOE, IPB in the “Gray Zone”, and SOF in the ground war against ISIS in northern Iraq.

U.S. SOF in Raid in Somalia. United States special operations forces, along side Somali troops, conducted a raid against Shabab militants last week. The raid took place on Wednesday, August 10, 2016. Read more in “Somali Forces, Backed by U.S., Kill Shabab Militants in Raid”, The New York Times, August 16, 2016.

Ten Interesting Facts about WWII SOE. “World War II saw the creation of many spy organizations to battle the menace of the Axis powers. In addition to MI5 and MI6, another group created during this time was the Special Operations Executive.” The British SOE wa the model for the United States WWII spy organization – the Office of Strategic Services or OSS. The OSS was the forerunner of the CIA and the U.S. Army Special Forces. Learn more in “Ten Interesting Facts and Figures about the World War II Special Operations Executive”, The Anglotopia Magazine, August 15, 2016.

SOE Operative Who Refused to Give Up. He was a British war hero who escaped the Nazis and evaded the Japanese in WWII. But he couldn’t avoid his final defeat. Read “Dad, the guerrilla who refused to give up.“, The Guardian, August 20, 2016.

IPB and the Gray Zone. The special operations community defines conflict that takes place between the space of peace and war as the “Gray Zone”. In this conflict zone, where it is often problematic to interpret the meaning of a non-lethal act by friend or adversary, military intelligence teams struggle to define these actions. Read more in “The Gray Zone and Intelligence Preparation of the Battle Space”, Small Wars Journal, August 17, 2016.

Fed Charges against Navy SEAL Dropped. Matt Bissonnette wrote a ‘tell all’ book about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden that got him into trouble with the feds. The charges have been dropped but he will pay a very large sum of money. Read more in “Pentagon Drops Claim Against Navy SEAL That He Spilled Bin Laden Secrets”, The Daily Beast, August 19, 2016.

SOF and the Ground War on ISIS. Mike Giglio, a BuzzFeed News Middle East Correspondent, provides us an inside look of how the U.S. special operations forces are working alongside the Kurds in northern Iraq (Aug 16, 2016).

Air Force Pararescuemen. Read about the men that keep the flyers and others safe from injury and capture in this special article by National Geographic,  August 18, 2016 – Injured Behind Enemy Lines, This Guy Is Your Best Friend.

Callsign JAG 28 Retired. Senior Airman Mark Forester, a member of the 21st Special Tactics Squadron out of Pope Field, North Carolina, died on September 29, 2010 in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan. Read about his heroic actions with the Special Forces team that earned him the Silver Star in “The Airman Who Died Leading His Team in an Intense Ambush”, Task & Purpose, August 18, 2016.

A Tribute to Green Berets. A Special Forces Soldier remembers three very hard Green Berets that were “harder than woodpecker’s lips.” Read a story by Michael Gibson entitled “The Green Berets”, Pulse, August 14, 2016.

U.S. SOF at risk of Syrian Air Attack? A recent airstrike of Syrian fighters near U.S. SOF positions in Syria have some worried. Read more in this news report by The Washington Post, August 19, 2016. Read a DoD press release on this topic (Aug 19, 2016).

Want to work for the CIA? You will need to pass a security investigation. Read “How to Pass a C.I.A. Background Check”, The New York Times Magazine, Auguat 19, 2016.

Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan. Learn about the SOF organizations leading the fight against the Taliban and ISIS  – NSOCC-A and SOJTF-A in an article posted on SOFREP, Special Operations Forces – Afghanistan, July 6, 2016.

Korean General Receives USSOCOM Award. A retired South Korean general and former special warfare commander has been recognized by the United States Special Operations Command. Read “Retired general sets example for commanders”, Korea Times, August 17, 2016.

SAS – Are you tough enough? “The SAS selection course is one of the most physically and psychologically demanding special forces test in the world”. “Are you tough enough to join the SAS?”, BBC.

SOCEUR Assists in Diver Recovery. Two Georgian military divers have gone missing during a recent dive training exercise. Special Operations Command Europe is assisting in recovery efforts. Read more in “US involved in deep sea search for two missing Georgian soldiers”, Agenda.ge, August 17, 2016.

Canadian Special Forces in Kurdistan. Canadian SF troops have been advising the Kurds in northern Iraq for some time. The Canadian government recently tripled the number of Canadian SOF in Iraq. Read “Canadian-trained forces clearing the way to retake Mosul from ISIS”, CTV News (CA), August 16, 2016.

D.C.’s Use of Private Contractors in War. Sean McFate, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, writes on the use of private military contractors to fight its wars and how it is a strategic vulnerability. Read “The Hidden Costs of America’s Addition to Mercenaries”, The Atlantic, August 12, 2016.