I would like to thank our friends at United States Central Command for inviting us to write for this issue of Unipath magazine, which focuses on international cooperation to combat terrorism. Iraqi security forces have gained a great deal of experience in fighting terrorist organizations. Over the past two decades, Iraq has suffered multiple terrorist attacks by armed groups and organizations targeting the democratic project and trying to lock Iraq into a cycle of conflict and violence. Some of these groups are backed by countries with their own malicious agendas and intentions, while others feed on sectarian conflict. Terrorist organizations are…
Unipath
Dozens of terrorists were eliminated and hundreds of hostages rescued from a train carrying 440 passengers in a March 2025 military operation led by Pakistan’s special operations forces. The rescue operation was grounded in a new approach. In 2024, after several years of increased terrorist attacks, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a “reinvigorated” national counterterrorism strategy that would include intensified intelligence operations to undermine violent extremists. A terrorist group called the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) ambushed the Jaffar Express, which was headed to the city of Peshawar, by blowing up railroad tracks in front of the locomotive. Several people…
When Tajikistan sought to strengthen its counterterrorism efforts, including improving border security, it turned to a geographically small Middle Eastern country with experience in the field: Kuwait. A November 2024 conference titled “Strengthening International Counter-Terrorism Cooperation and Building Agile Border Security Mechanisms” brought hundreds of government ministers, heads of international organizations and subject matter experts to Kuwait City to support Central Asia security. A highlight of the summit was a consultation among Tajik Minister of Foreign Affairs Sirojiddin Muhriddin, Kuwait Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya and United Nations officials. The Kuwait City counterterrorism conference was emblematic of…
His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of Jordan shared his insights with a gathering of leaders of special operations forces from more than 60 countries at Special Operations Forces Week in the United States in May 2025. The annual convention, sponsored by the Global SOF Foundation and U.S. Special Operations Command, addresses tactical, strategic and technological developments in the field of advanced warfare. Attendance topped 20,000. Amid the panel discussions, cutting-edge weaponry and seminars, thousands of visitors from around the world interacted with colleagues at the Tampa Convention Center in Florida. Their common goal was international security. In…
Rear Adm. Ahmed Mohammed Ibrahim Al Bin Ali gazes toward the horizon as if discerning the masts of distant ships, the mark of an experienced sea captain. Knowledgeable in maritime sciences, the commander of the Royal Bahrain Naval Force (RBNF) recognizes friendly boats from those that troll in troubled waters. Knowledge, experience and discernment are important qualities to command the RBNF. Its 35 ships and boats patrol a region rife with instability caused by malicious actors that threaten shipping in the Arabian Gulf, the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea. Rear Adm. Ahmed is a quiet man who chooses his…
As the United StateS engages with Central Asia, Uzbekistan has expressed eagerness to expand its strategic partnership, highlighting what it calls its “enhanced” political dialogue on bilateral and regional issues and security cooperation. In a phone conversation in February 2025 with Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated U.S. support for the country’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. They discussed a joint effort through the C5+1 diplomatic platform, launched nearly a decade ago between Washington and five Central Asian republics. Saidov described his talk with Rubio as…
Qatar sought to strengthen the capabilities of its Air Force by sending fighter pilots to Europe to participate in a major multinational exercise. Qatar joined 13 other nations at Iniochos 2025, one of the largest and most complex air exercises in the region. The Hellenic Air Force hosted the event in March and April 2025 at Andravida Air Base in Greece. The two-week exercise included personnel from the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Greece, Cyprus, France, Poland and Spain. Bahrain sent observers to the exercise. Qatar participated with F-15 fighters. Iniochos 2025 engaged forces in training scenarios such…
Kuwait plays a leading role in promoting regional and international security. It has dedicated its resources and capabilities to serving as a hub for international officials to meet and discuss security and humanitarian challenges facing the world, and the Middle East in particular. Kuwait demonstrates this commitment in many ways, one of which is the NATO-Istanbul Cooperation Initiative Regional Centre (NIRC) — the first NATO office to establish a presence in the Middle East — which opened in Kuwait in 2017 to strengthen political dialogue, education and training, and public diplomacy. The NIRC serves as a platform for political and…
The United States views the Kingdom of Bahrain as one of its most dependable partners in the Middle East. To promote military professionalism and establish lasting relationships with future Bahraini leaders, U.S. military schools have educated hundreds of members of the Bahrain Armed Forces. In March 2025, four international alumni of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College were inducted into the International Hall of Fame at the U.S. Army University, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Among them was Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, graduate of Command and General Staff Officer Course Class of 1988. Dr. Al Zayani serves…
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan plays a pivotal role in supporting security, stability and prosperity in the Middle East. It continues to exert significant efforts to deepen partnership at all levels — security, diplomatic, political, social and economic — with neighboring countries. In March 2025, the kingdom hosted a meeting for officials from countries neighboring Syria to discuss security, reconstruction and the voluntary return of refugees to the country. Foreign and defense ministers, chiefs of staff and intelligence directors from Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Türkiye and Jordan attended the conference. Topics of discussion included practical cooperation on regional security challenges such…