Afghanistan--Since
the 9/11 Terrorist attacks on the U.S., American
forces have been actively engaged against al-Qaida and
the Taliban in Afghanistan. All signs point to an
American withdrawal from Afghanistan over the next two
years, but until then, the warfare continues.
Iraq-While
officially, America's war in Iraq ended in December,
2011, hundreds of U.S. military personnel remain in
Iraq as trainers for the Iraqi military and security
forces. As the Iraqi insurgency continues, it would be
foolish to believe that America's involvement in Iraq
is truly over.
Iran-The U.S.,
Israel, and likely other Western allies are engaged in
a proxy/covert war with Iran over Iran's involvement
in the wars in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and
Afghanistan.
Syria-As 2013
begins, U.S. and allied pressure on the Assad regime
continues and it is well-known that the U.S. is aiding
the anti-Assad rebels. The U.S. now formally
recognizes the Syrian rebels as legitimate government
of Syria. Worries over Syria's chemical weapons, and
the possibility that Assad may use them or transfer
them to Hezbollah, lead to the very strong possibility
of U.S. and allied military intervention in Syria in
2013. U.S. special forces are reportedly
pre-positioned in Jordan, and U.S. and other NATO
forces are taking up positions in southern Turkey,
manning Patriot missile batteries.
Libya--After
the successful military intervention in Libya in 2011,
continued American involvement in Libya hit the public
eye with the September 11, 2012 attack on the U.S.
embassy in Benghazi and the death of four Americans,
including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya. The U.S. is
actively involved in hunting down missing weapons in
Libya and in supporting the new Libyan government. To
date, there has been no publicly acknowledged military
retaliation against the Libyan militants who attacked
the embassy.
Mali--In 2012,
the long-simmering hostility between the Mali
government and the northern Taureg ethnic group
exploded with the Taureg conquest of northern Mali.
Soon after the rebel victory, al-Qaida affiliated
Islamists took over the Taureg revolution and began
invoking Islamist Sharia law. A coalition of African
and European nations is trying to cobble together a
military force to retake northern Mali. The U.S. is
involved in this effort, and 2013 may very well see
some form of U.S. military intervention in this
al-Qaida-related conflict.
Somalia and the
Horn of Africa--The U.S. and many other nations
continue to engage in anti-piracy operations off the
Somali coastline. These operations at times result in
military engagements with the pirates, up to and
including rescue operations inside Somalia itself.
Besides the anti-piracy operations, the U.S. is also
involved in Somalia due to the continuing Shabaab War.
The U.S. funds and trains Ugandan, Burundian,
Ethiopian, Kenyan, and other African forces who are
actively fighting in Somalia to aid the weak central
government against the al-Qaida affiliated al-Shabaab
rebels. The U.S., over the past few years, frequently
launches drone attacks, Special Forces raids, and
naval attacks on al-Qaida targets in Somalia. There is
no reason to believe this will change in
2013.
Pakistan--The
U.S. has been using remote-controlled drones to attack
Taliban and al-Qaida strongholds in Pakistan since
2004. Conservative reports put the death toll in
Pakistan from these drone attacks at a minimum of
3,000.
Philippines--Since
2002, U.S. Special Forces have been aiding and
training Filipino forces in their ongoing fight
against al-Qaida affiliated Islamist rebels in the
southern Philippines. These rebel groups include Abu
Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah. In 2009, two U.S. Special
Forces troops were killed by a roadside bomb. While
officially engaged in only training missions, it is
highly likely that U.S. troops are more actively
engaged.
Yemen--Yemen is
one of America's fronts in the ongoing war against
al-Qaida, with frequent drone strikes against Islamist
and Jihadist targets in Yemen. Several terrorist
attempts against the U.S. have originated in
Yemen.
