UNIPATH STAFF A missile carrying sulfur mustard explodes in the exclusive residential Pearl-Qatar waterfront shopping district. Men, women and children struggle with shrapnel wounds as well as the onset of blisters and other symptoms caused by the chemical warfare agent. Before the missile even landed, the Qatari Armed Forces and coalition members prepared to respond. Their intelligence had warned of the imminent attack, and radar confirmed the missile launch. Harnessing all of their resources, military officials coordinated a massive interagency and multinational response as part of the broad consequence-management training umbrella of the Eagle Resolve 2013 military exercises. Seconds after…
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A Multinational naval exercise off the Pakistani coast attracts participants from six continents UNIPATH STAFF Chopper blades whipped the waves. Destroyers and corvettes cut the blue waters of the Arabian Sea. Commandoes slipped down ropes and stormed beachheads while naval gunners picked off floating targets. In contrast to this display of military muscle on the seas, the talk on land centered on peace, partnerships and shared sacrifice. The scene was the fourth iteration of the AMAN multinational exercises, a gathering of naval forces from dozens of countries hosted biennially since 2007 by Pakistan, a nation whose window on the world…
PAKISTANI BRIG. GEN. ZAHID JAMIL AHMAD Pakistan’s commitment to promoting international peace and prosperity stems from the vision of its Founding Father, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who said, in February 1948: “Our foreign policy is one of friendliness and goodwill towards all the nations of the world. We believe in the principle of honesty and fair play in national and international dealings and are prepared to make our utmost contribution to the promotion of peace and prosperity among the nations of the world. Pakistan will never be found lacking in extending its material and moral support to the oppressed and…
SOF’s core principles can serve as a guide in the battle against ever-changing threats UNIPATH STAFF A culture of fear had taken over daily life in Afghanistan’s rural Chak district, where residents were regularly intimidated, taxed, interrogated and publicly executed by the Taliban. But all that changed in late October 2012, when Afghan commandos successfully led their largest operation to date. The special operations forces’ efforts to clear terrorist compounds and hideouts successfully eliminated Taliban networks that used the area for training and as a hub for moving weapons, extremists and equipment. The operation included support from the Afghan National…
By learning how extremists adapt to countermeasures, militaries can prepare for future threats UNIPATH STAFF Had it succeeded, the operation would have killed thousands and destroyed large sections of Amman. Al-Qaida-linked terrorists had spent months smuggling explosives, mortars and machine guns out of conflict-wracked Syria and into Jordan. As they built up their weapons cache, they emailed al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) bomb-makers, seeking technical advice on rigging explosives for maximum carnage. Based on their guidance, they experimented with new, highly destructive techniques. The group even posted its results online for others to follow. They surveyed attack sites in Jordan’s capital…
Decisive joint action transcends politics to address cross-border issues UNIPATH STAFF The world’s efforts to protect commercial shipping off the coast of Somalia made spectacular gains in 2012. And the pirates aren’t happy. Former brigand Mohamed Abdullah Aden abandoned his life of crime and went back to coaching a kids’ soccer team, preferring a pay cut to death at sea. “The coasts became too dangerous,” he told The Associated Press. “Dozens of my friends are unaccounted for and some ended up in jail.” He’s not the only pirate that’s been put out of business. As of late 2012, more than…
Rampant youth unemployment fuels unrest and provides extremists fertile ground for recruiting Abdul Wahid, a young Afghan man, had completed only a few years of schooling before he turned 18, leaving him little chance of finding work in Afghanistan’s overcrowded job market. He tried working as a driver, but customers were scarce. Frustrated and desperate, he took the only opportunity he got — and joined the Taliban. As part of a team of militants, he ambushed supply vehicles and shared in the spoils. “Whatever we reaped from attacks, we would keep,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “It was enough…
Qatari general upholds his country’s tradition of helping people in distress Unipath Staff Qatari Brig. Gen. Rashid Fetais has a soft spot in his heart for kids. Small wonder: Qatar’s senior representative to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, United States, has 11 children of his own, ages 6 to 29. In July 2012, Fetais hosted a party near the base for 30 American children awaiting adoption. He talked with the kids, posed for photos and gave each one an iPod. As a Muslim, Fetais said, he is called to care for children without…
SGT. 1st class abram pinnington/u.s. army Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) accounted for 63 percent of all casualties sustained by the Afghanistan National Security Forces and International Security Assistance Forces from January 2008 to September 2012, according to a report by icasualties.org. Equipped with this knowledge and encouraged by the success of the coalition’s route-clearance companies, the Afghan National Army (ANA) leadership identified counter-IED training as a top priority. The ANA now offers a six-week counter-IED course at Camp Parsa in Khost province. The training gives Afghan troops a critical capability in sustaining unilateral operations and providing security for Afghanistan. “We…
Bahrain is the gracious host of the Combined Maritime Forces, a 27-nation coalition that joins forces to defeat terrorism, prevent piracy, enhance regional cooperation and promote a safe maritime environment. “As an island nation, we understand the importance of the sea, whether it be for trade, defense or travel. The Arabian Gulf is one of the most important maritime regions in the world and plays a key role in global trade and, by extension, the world economy. Maritime security in these waters is therefore important not just to Gulf nations, but also the international community as a whole. ” —Col.…