Israel-Hamas War

Many Thought the Gaza Ceasfire Celebrations Were Premature. The IDF is Responding to Hamas Violation of the Ceasefire.

Royce de Melo,

Should any of us have expected anything else? Hamas applies deception and deceit as a religiously sanctioned thing. The failure of the ceasefire at this moment was more than predictable. The celebrations over the Gaza ceasefire and a peace initiative were premature. Included in Hamas’s religiopolitically sanctioned objectives, and their…

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History, Conflict, Terrorism, Political Talk and Anecdotes

DefenceWeb: Cabo Delgado insurgency persists amid failed military strategy

Royce de Melo,

Great report. It raises some questions about how this war is being handled. In late June, during my last discussion with Phil Gurski on his podcast Borealis ‘How serious is the jihadi threat in Mozambique?’, we discussed the ongoing war, terrorism, the government’s and Rwandan forces’ campaign against the insurgency,…

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FN FAL

Wow, an FN C1. Or Is It?

Royce de Melo,

For some years, I have been helping a friend with events, displays, and parades featuring his incredible collection of old military vehicles and items, including rare deactivated small arms. One big attention getter is the rifle below. Many remember when the FN C1 A1 was used in the Canadian military…

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History, Conflict, Terrorism, Political Talk and Anecdotes

Stuck In A Dirt Road, A Canadian, An Afrikaner Farmer and The Battle of Paardeberg

Royce de Melo,

An out-of-the-way trip to visit an almost forgotten battle site where Canadians fought in South Africa and won, marking a key historical moment in Canadian history that helped forge a Canadian identity, revealed more than expected, and also had some disappointment. This article was first posted on LinkedIn on May…

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El Salvador, Prisons

Soldier of Fortune Magazine: El Salvador’s Tattoo Dragnet Flipped the Script in War on Gangs

Royce de Melo,

by Royce de Melo Link: Soldier of Fortune Magazin:, El Salvador’s Tattoo Dragnet Flipped the Script in War on Gangs: https://sofmag.com/el-salvador-tattoo-war-on-gangs/ Some meters ahead of me on the left side of the street, two soldiers armed with M16 A1/A2 rifles approach a young man. He definitely caught their attention. As…

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Lebanon

Will Lebanon’s Government See Hezbollah Disarmed by the End of the Year?

Royce de Melo,

Fascinating developments with the Lebanese government trying to push the disarmament of Hezbollah. Obviously, the Lebanese parties interested in seeing Hezbollah disarmed do not want the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to go to all-out war with Hezbollah, thereby sparking another Lebanese civil war, but would prefer a peaceful disarmament agreement….

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History

Are We in Stage 6 or 7 of ‘The Eight Stages of the Rise and Fall of Civilizations’?

Royce de Melo,

SEE: ‘The Eight Stages of the Rise and Fall of Civilizations‘: https://blog.adw.org/2016/10/eight-stages-rise-fall-civilizations/ There’s an expression I use loosely, sometimes sarcastically, other times to make a point, related to what is happening in the West in general: “The last days of Rome.” Mind you, Rome, the empire (and as a civilization)…

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History, Conflict, Terrorism, Political Talk and Anecdotes

Lebanon’s Risk In Disarming Palestinian Militias and Hezbollah. Look To The Past, 1969 TV News Report Shows Road to The Lebanon Civil War

Royce de Melo,

Could Lebanon’s President Aoun’s push to disarm Palestinian militias and Iran-backed Hezbollah in the country spark another civil war? There are rumblings. Meanwhile, President Aoun is likely a marked man. The assassination of Lebanese leaders is not out of the ordinary. Refer to the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister…

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