Ukraine remained the major focus through much of 2023, until the brutal October 7 attack by Hamas shifted attention to Israel and Gaza. WhoWhatWhy was there.
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Israel – Gaza
Palestinians inspect the wreckage following an Israeli air strike on the Jaffa Mosque and Hospital in Dair El-Balah, Gaza Strip, December 8, 2023. Photo credit: © Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire
Reaping the Grapes of Wrath in Gaza
Time is running out on Israel’s intense and ill fated bombing campaign in Gaza. WhoWhatWhy’s William Dowell reported on why the campaign was unlikely to succeed in its objective of eliminating Hamas, and why much of the carnage suffered by Palestinians had probably been intended by Hamas from the start. Read more.
The protesters chanted various slogans, including anti-US and anti-Israeli ones. Slowly their numbers swelled, eventually reaching a few hundred. Photo credit: Hunter Williamson / WhoWhatWhy
Protests Against Israel and the US Erupt Across the Middle East
WhoWhaWhy’s Hunter Williamson was standing not far from the US embassy in Beirut when an angry mob descended on it. Repelled by armed policemen, the rioters set fire to the nearest building and then went home. The cause of the tumultuous midnight violence: America’s support for Israel. Read more.
Palestinians evacuate a victim following an Israeli airstrike on Deir al-Balah, a city in the central Gaza Strip on October 21, 2023. Photo credit: © Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via ZUMA Press
Hiding in the Rubble of Israel and Palestine: Opportunity
Is there a way out of the sickening cycle of revenge currently engulfing and dividing us all in the aftermath of Hamas’s savage lightning attack, and Israel’s deadly response? WhoWhatWhy’s Russ Baker believes he sees one — and it may surprise you. Read more.
Ukraine
Photo credit: Illustration by WhoWhatWhy from Clker-Free-Vector-Images / Pixabay, President of Russia / Wikimedia (CC BY 4.0 DEED), Marc Müller / Wikimedia (CC BY 3.0 DE DEED), US Air Force, and Gordon Johnson / Pixabay.
What’s Next If the US Abandons Ukraine?
Reporting from Kyiv, Stefan Weichert interviewed Ukrainian political scientists on the fallout if the US stops support to Ukraine; Their conclusion, the US risks losing not only credibility, but world leadership as well. The result would very likely be a world defined by Chinese and Russian authoritarianism. Read more.
Mustang, a Ukrainian soldier, eats soup with canned meat and bread as the sun rises. Along the front line soldiers often rely on a diet of canned meat, instant noodles, and other easily prepared meals. Photo credit: Madeleine Kelly / WhoWhatWhy
Under Fire in Zaporizhzhia
WhoWhatWhy’s Madeleine Kelly accompanied a Ukrainian front line artillery unit into a hot zone only a few kilometers from Russian front lines and reported on what it’s like to be under fire. Read more.
A memorial in the cemetery in Hroza, Ukraine. Photo credit: Thomas Mutch / WhoWhatWhy
Divided Loyalties in Ukraine
Not everyone hates Russians in Ukraine. WhoWhatWhy’s Thomas Mutch reported on a handful of Ukrainians who, if the price is right, are willing to sell out their fellow countrymen and provide targeting information for Russian artillery. Read more.
Chris, an American EOD technician, surveys a burnt patch of grass at the entrance to Vasylenkove. The structure at left is a calvary, an outdoor representation of Jesus’ crucifixion. Photo credit: Guillaume Ptak / WhoWhatWhy
Nasty Clean-up
Ukraine probably has more buried landmines, trip wires, and unexploded grenades than any other country. WhoWhatWhy’s Guillaume Ptak reported on the dangerous ongoing cleansing intended to make the country safe, and the British and American experts who are trying to make it happen. Read more.
Hundreds of M113 armored personnel carriers and M60 main battle tanks in the long-term storage section of Sierra Army Depot, CA. In the foreground are M60 main battle tanks.
Photo credit: US Army
How Much Does Ukraine Really Cost?
Although US aid to Ukraine sounds expensive, much of the money is being spent in the US, and often for equipment that the Pentagon still has on its books, but which is becoming obsolete and needs to be replaced. The advantage that US defense planners are getting in knowledge about how certain hardware and intelligence works in the field when under attack by regular Russian army units is invaluable. WhoWhatWhy’s William Dowell reports on why aiding Ukraine to defend itself is not only less expensive than we think, but also a bargain when it comes to ensuring America’s future defense. Read more.
Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo credit: President of the Russia / Wikimedia (CC BY 4.0)
War and Peace – 24 Crazy Hours in Russia
In Russia’s long and tumultuous history, there has never been a 24-hour period like the one that is coming to an end now. Read more.
Armenia
Protesters show a sign blaming Russia’s KGB for the assault by Azerbaijan against Nagorno Karabakh. Photo credit: Vasily Krestianinov / WhoWhatWhy
The Tragic Ending of Nagorna-Karabakh
WhoWhatWhy’s Anna Conkling was on the scene in time to witness the end of Armenia’s presence in Nagorno-Karabakh. When troops from Azerbaijan bombed and fired artillery at the beleaguered enclave, the world did nothing. As a result, Nagorno-Karabakh, victim of an accelerated and highly effective ethnic cleansing, no longer exists. Read more.
