Should
the U.S. Intervene in Syria?
Discuss
this at the History
and War Discussion Forum
Wars and Conflicts
of 2013
Rebels fighting in the
Syrian Civil War, 2013
Wars and Conflicts
of 2013
This page lists major wars and
conflicts of the year 2013, many of which are carry-over
conflicts from 2012 wars and earlier.
Afghan
Civil War
(1978-Present)-This war, which is merely the latest
in constant fighting between various Afghan factions, has
been ongoing since the communist coup of 1978 and the
subsequent Soviet invasion to support that new communist
government. Following the fall of the communists, other
factions continued to fight for control, until finally, a
new rebel force, called the Taliban, swept into power
after a swift military offensive. Resistance against the
Taliban continued, with the Northern Alliance being the
main surviving anti-Taliban force. After the 9/11 Terror
attacks on America, the U.S. and other Western allies
entered the fray, swept the Taliban from power, and set
up a more-or-less consensual government in Kabul. The
current stage of this civil war features the Taliban,
with allies such as the Haqqani network and others,
pitted against the Kabul governement of Hamid Karzai and
his increasingly reluctant U.S. and NATO
allies.
Boko Haram Insurgency
in Nigeria (2009-Present)--The Islamic fundamentalist
group Boko Haram is waging a war against the Nigerian
government and against the Christian community in
Nigeria.
Central African
Republic War-(2012-present)-Rebels seized several
major cities and towns as they advanced on the capital
city of Bangui in December, 2012. Neighboring Chad sent
around 2,000 troops to aid the CAR government. After only
three weeks of fighting, by December 30, the rebels
contolled about one-third of the country, and were in
place to assault Bangui. Also in late December, France
sent more troops to augment the forces they already had
in the country. France had publicly stated that they
would not intervene to save the government from the
rebels, but were only interested in protecting French
citizens.
Chechen
War (1999-Present)--Chechen rebels
continue to battle against the Russian government in the
Russian Caucasus region.
Congo
War (1998-Present)--Beginning
in 1998, Congo (Kinshasa), has been wracked with civil
war, rebellions, presidential assassinations, and foreign
interventions and invasions. The latest fighting in the
eastern part of Congo involves a rebel group known as
The March 23 Movement, better know as M23,
led by Bosco Ntaganda, and covertly supported by Uganda
and Rwanda. The United Nations is also involved, trying
to aid the Kinshasa government.
Iraqi Insurgency
(Post-U.S. Withdrawal-2012-Present)-Despite the
withdrawal of U.S. troops in December, 2011, the
anti-government insurgency in Iraq continues, with
thousands of casualties in 2012. In addition to this
insurgency, tensions between the largely autonomous
Kurdish north and the Baghdad governement have escalated
through 2012, along with increased bloodshed between the
Sunni and Shi'ite Arab communities.
Kurdish War in
Turkey (1984-Present)--The Kurdish ethnic minority in
eastern Turkey has long sought autonomy (and in some
cases, outright independence), and the PKK guerrilla
force has stepped up its war againt the Turkish
government in 2012, and the Turkish military has
conducted several large-scale offensives against the
Kurds.
Lord's
Resistance Army Insugency
(1987-Present)--Another example of a long-running
conflict that morphs from one war and one opponent into
something quite different from the original conflict.
This war began as a quasi-religious uprising against the
government of Uganda in the 1980s, and is now a
multi-nation hunt for warlord Joseph Kony and his
remaining small number of guerrillas. He and his "Lord's
Resistance Army" now ranges between South Sudan, Congo,
Uganda, and the Central African Republic and is pursued
by the military forces of all these nations (mostly by
Uganda), and also by Special Forces from the United
States.
Mexican Drug War
(2006-Present)-Ongoing conflict between the Mexican
government and the various drug cartels. This conflict
also pits the drug cartels against each other.
Northern Mali
Conflict (2012-Present)-- In 2012, the long-simmering
hostility between the Mali government and the northern
Taureg ethnic group exploded with the Taureg conquest of
northern Mali. Many of the Taureg fighters had recently
arrived from Libya, where thousands of the Taureg had
served in the military of fallen Libyan dictator Muammar
Gadaffi. With Gadaffi's fall, these mercenaries left
Libya with their weapons and experience and returned to
Mali, where they took up arms against the Mali
government. 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.
Pakistan's Taliban War
(2004-Present)--Pakistan is combating a Taliban
insurgency along the Northwest frontier with
Afghanistan.
Somali Civil War
(1991-Present)--The latest stage of this war pits the
weak central government against the al-Qaida affiliated
al-Shabaab rebels. The government is aided by the United
States, and by trooops provided by Kenya, Uganda,
Burundi, Ethiopia, and other African nations.
South Sudan-Sudan
Border Conflict (2012-Present)-Sudan has been wracked
by multiple insurgencies and has undergone two
significant civil wars (1955-1972 and 1983-2005), the
Darfur War (2003-2011), various clashes between Sudanese
nomadic tribal groups (2009-Present), and the ongoing
Lord's Resistance Army conflict that spans several
central and east African nations. The largest potential
conflict involving the Sudans is the ongoing border
conflict between Sudan and the newly independent South
Sudan over the Greater Nile Oil Pipeline and the disputed
(and oil-rich) region of Abyei. There is no love lost
between the mostly Muslim and Arabic-speaking Sudan and
the more Black South Sudanese, who are mostly Christian
and various pagan/animist worshipers. The previous two
large Sudanese civil wars were between these two groups
prior to the independence of South Sudan.
Yemen War--This is
a civil war with many fronts and many belligerents. The
Yemen government is faced with a Shi'ite rebellion in the
north, a separatist rebellion in the south, and an
al-Qaida connected Sunni Islamist insurgency that has
drawn in the United States. 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.
Wars Involving the
United States of America in 2013--The United States,
officially at war on several fronts since 2001 (and
unofficially, since at least 1991), is battling al-Qaida
in several nations around the world, as is actively
involved in covert wars in several others. America's
current wars and conflicts include wars in:
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.
