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Military deliveries to Lebanese Army

in DEFENCE/MIDLE EAST by

In the last week, the United States delivered ammunition, grenade launchers and combat vehicles worth over $ 11.7 million to the Lebanese Armed Forces, the US embassy in Beirut said. On February 1, LAF received two hundred MK-19 automatic missile launchers; on February 3, eight new Bradley combat vehicles were delivered, part of a package worth over $ 100 million; today 827 Copperhead ammunitions. The goal is to replenish the LAF stocks used to defeat ISIS in the Fajr al Jouroud operation. “With weapons, equipment and training provided by the United States, the LAF will continue to maintain good fighting capabilities, ensuring that it remains a unifying force at the national level, a bulwark against extremism and terrorism, as well as the sole legitimate defender of the Lebanon”. A phrase with which, indirectly, the Embassy refers to the growing presence of the armed group of Hezbollah.

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Surrender of a terrorist in Tamanrasset

in AFRICA/DEFENCE by

As part of the fight against terrorism and thanks to the efforts of the National People’s Army units, a terrorist a terrorist surrendered to the Tamanrasset military authorities. His name is “Kh. K. Benmoussa “alias” Abu Mohamed”, who joined the terrorist groups in 2013.

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Fresh sanctions on Hezbollah

The Trump administration announced today that a new session on Hizbullah will be held in Africa and the Middle East;

Yemenis furious reaction after US drone attack ended up in civil casualties

in DEFENCE/MIDLE EAST by

On Sunday in the Yemenite city of Ateq a protest has been held to denounce the target of innocent civilians by US drone. On January 28 in Shabwa’s Said district residents confirmed that a drone attack has blown up a car carrying at least six male members of the same family and another person.  Saleh al-Aishi al-Ateequi, a relative of the victims who organized the protest, told local media that “the victims were all innocent civilians who had nothing to do with political or religious organisation”. In addition, he harshly blamed the Arab coalition at war with Yemen to be responsible for the deaths, saying it is in charge for the country’s airspace and for protecting civilians lives. The United States is the only force known to operate armed drones over Yemen and normally it does not comment on its operation. However, the January raid, the first operation of this kind authorised by Trump administration resulted in a bloodshed.  The Yemenis “casualties” and the number of US soldiers injured and the death of a Navy seal shows how risky the operation was. Thus, because of the involvement of the American soldier, the raid attracted widespread media attention. Trump refers to the Yemen’s operation only to praise the service of the US soldier, without mentioning that the raid on Yakla, an impoverished and desolate town, resulted in the deaths of at least 16 civilians, including women and children. The White House has admitted the likely involvement of civilians while the proposed objectives of the operation were al-Qaeda fighters. After Obama, the first president who widely used the drones attacks in order to do not deploy “troops on the ground”, President Trump is likely to follow, or even empower, the previous administration strategy. Only last year Donal Trump authorised 125 drone attacks.

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US starts Iraq drawdown after declaration of victory over IS

in AMERICAS/DEFENCE by

American troops have started to draw down from Iraq following Baghdad’s declaration of victory over the Islamic State group last year, according to Western contractors at a U.S.-led coalition base in Iraq. In Baghdad, an Iraqi government spokesman on Monday confirmed to The Associated Press that the drawdown has begun, though he stressed it was still in its early stages and doesn’t mark the beginning of a complete pullout of U.S. forces. Dozens of American soldiers have been transported from Iraq to Afghanistan on daily flights over the past week, along with weapons and equipment, the contractors said.

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Macedonia and Albania cooperation against terrorism

in DEFENCE/EUROPE by

Skopje and Pristina concluded a memorandum of police cooperation in the field of terrorism. The memorandum has been signed Saturday by Macedonian and Albanian Interior Ministers, respectively, Oliver Spasovski and Fatmir Xhafaj, in Ohrid. The document foresees exchange of information of individuals and groups considered potential perpetrators of terrorist actions both in the two countries and in the whole region. Macedonia’s Interior Ministry expressed to consider the terrorism as a global threat as well as a risk for the countries in the Balkans. Thus, the memorandum envisages the terrorism from a preventive and repressive way. Spasovski stated Interior Ministries ‘are actively cooperating in protection and control of the border but also providing easy flow of people and goods’. From his part, Xhafaj noted that the agreement is on cooperation as for present than for future. Moreover, the two countries ‘should follow the excellent relations between as appropriate to two neighbors and our cooperation as ministries to follow those principles and thus contribute to greater security that can be a positive example for the region. The meeting concerned also the cooperation between Macedonia and Albania in the fields of drug trafficking, arms smuggling, exchange of information, experiences and positives practices, promotion of cooperation bilaterally and in the regional framework. In addition, Spasovski stated to support the initiative of the Albanian Police to establish a regional center for police cooperation of the Western Balkan countries.

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Saudi-led forces denied that Houthi militias have targeted Riyadh with ballistic missile

in DEFENCE/MIDLE EAST by

Col. Turki Al-Maliki, the spokesman of the Saudi-led coalition, denied rumors circulated by some media release that Houthi militias managed to successfully target Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. Al-Malki confirmed that it was rather a failed attempt by the Iran-backed militias to fire a ballistic missile toward an uninhabited desert. He pointed out that the terrorist Houthi militias have admitted through their media outlets that they deliberately target civilians, in clear violation of international humanitarian law.

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France will adapt its “secret-defense” to better exchange with its allies

in DEFENCE/EUROPE by

The “secret-defense” occupies a central place in the French democracy: 400,000 people authorized in the state apparatus in 2017, 4,000 security officers in companies and administrations, 5 million classified documents and parsimonious access imposed on historical archives. It will be reformed by the end of 2019, announced the General Secretariat for Defense and National Security. This body dependent on the Prime Minister publishes his second report on the subject hoping to make “the pedagogy to Parliament and opinion”. Interdepartmental dialogue is underway to meet two priorities: “Facilitate data exchanges with allied countries by aligning classification levels” and “Improve the protection of classified information in the face of the cyber threat”. The leading allies of France, have equivalent classifications and the reform will aim to facilitate bilateral intelligence exchanges, but also in NATO and in the European Union, which have enacted common frameworks.
Of the three levels of classification – “confidential defense”, “secret defense” and “very secret defense” – only the last two will remain. In fact, the vast majority of information, classified “confidential defense” will be integrated at the top level “secret defense”. Most of the operational documents (military operations, encryption, cyber operations), as well as research data presenting a proliferation risk for weapons of mass destruction and the information of nuclear deterrence, are included in the highest classification. The government is also “thinking” about a way to facilitate access to historical archives, with a semi-automated opening system when prescription dates (50 years or 100 years depending on the case) are reached.

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Taiwan mounts live-fire drills to test defences against invasion

in ASIA/DEFENCE by

Taiwanese troops staged live-fire exercises simulating an invasions of the island as mainland China steps up pressure on Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. While not specifying that the drill simulated an invasion by mainland China, the authorities said the exercise was to “show determination to safeguard peace in the Taiwan Strait and national security”.

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Terrorists returning from Syria and Iraq: Brussels wants to cooperate with Algiers

in AFRICA/DEFENCE by

The return of foreign fighters from Iraq and Syria is worrying more and more many countries facing this phenomenon. Visiting Algeria, whose experience in the fight against terrorism is recognized, the Deputy Prime Minister, Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said on Tuesday that he had discussed with his Algerian counterpart the “ways to exchange information to deal with this phenomenon”: the return of foreign fighters (from Syria and Iraq). Reynders said at the end of the working session with Abdelkader Messahel that they will exchange best practices to deal with them”.In the same context, he announced a meeting with the Minister of Religious Affairs and Wakfs, Mohamed Aissa, to discuss the issue of de-radicalization.Referring to the migration issue in which he noted the similarity of the situation between Algiers and Brussels – “country of destination and transit” – the Belgian diplomat said, according to his words quoted by the official agency, that “there has a will to reinforce the bilateral relations, through, in particular the multiplication of the visits of high level,on both sides, and in this context, he announced the next visits to Algeria.

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SIGAR result about situation in Afghanistan

in DEFENCE/MIDLE EAST by

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction or SIGAR says the U.S. military attacks has failed to increase the Afghan government’s control over its population. The reports says that U.S. casualties are increasing, too, twice the number killed in action in the same periods in 2015 and 2016. SIGAR said that despite $8.7 billion in U.S. aid for counter-narcotics efforts, opium production is up 87 percent in the last year in Afghanistan. The report warned that U.S. and Afghan officials have adopted unrealistic expectations for the development of untapped mineral resources in the country. Even with nearly a half billion dollars in U.S. aid, the report said that mining revenues only supplied three-tenths of one percent of Afghanistan’s $6.5 billion national budget. John Sopko, the responsible for the report, criticized the U.S. Defense Department for not release already public data on specific districts in Afghanistan. He added, ‘Historically, the number of districts controlled or influenced by the government has been falling since SIGAR began reporting on it, while the number controlled or influenced by the insurgents has been rising. The report noted the Asia Foundation, which promotes the improvement of lives across the continent, found in its annual survey that only slightly more than half of Afghan respondents believed that reconciliation with Taliban insurgents in the country was possible and that about 16 percent of Afghans had ‘a lot’ or at least some sympathy for the Taliban.

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