UNIPATH STAFF Reaffirming its commitment to the security of Iraq and its ability to suppress terrorism, the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh provided the Iraqi Armed Forces equipment and weapons worth $5 million in March 2021. “The Iraqi security forces received equipment, weapons and vehicles to support counterterrorism operations, estimated at $5 million from the Global Coalition forces,” said Maj. Gen. Yahya Rasoul, spokesman for the commander in chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces. The equipment is designed to support the country in its mission to eliminate Daesh and is part of a program launched in 2014 at the…
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UNIPATH STAFF The Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) and its partner, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, cleared mines to defend shipping lanes, boarded suspicious vessels and protected ports as part of the Neon Defender 21 exercise in April 2021. The bilateral, four-day exercise created scenarios in which Bahraini and U.S. Sailors could test their ability to operate together during military conflict. In addition to the familiar simulations, the 2021 exercise included for the first time Bahraini and U.S. pilots destroying maritime targets from the air. “This year’s iteration of Neon Defender was the largest in the series of exercises we regularly…
UNIPATH STAFF Pakistani and Tajik foreign ministers expressed support for deeper bilateral cooperation to tackle security challenges such as terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime. At a visit to the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, in April 2021, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi reserved time to talk with his Tajik counterpart, Sirajuddin Mehruddin. They discussed issues that concerned both countries, including what Qureshi called the “challenge of terrorism.” “We also discussed the rising level of extremism and the growing intolerance all over the world — not just in our region — and how we can overcome this challenge,” Qureshi said at…
UNIPATH STAFF Saudi Arabia launched two new satellites into Earth’s orbit in March 2021, reinforcing its role as a regional leader in space technology. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), in conjunction with the Saudi Space Commission, used Baikonur base in Kazakhstan to launch satellites named Shaheen Sat and CubeSat. Shaheen Sat provides topographical imagery and tracks marine traffic from a low Earth orbit. CubeSat’s mission focuses on capturing data from the Earth, moon and outer space. Shaheen Sat was partly developed by Saudi engineers at KACST. CubeSat is the work of 130 students in the College…
UNIPATH STAFF Kuwait’s Saad Al Abdullah Academy for Security Studies graduated nearly 1,000 new police officers during a COVID-19-curtailed ceremony in March 2021. It was the police academy’s largest graduating class ever. Kuwaiti Minister of Interior His Highness Sheikh Thamir Ali Al Sabah Al Salim Al Sabah, who witnessed the ceremony, announced that Kuwait University would accept the police academy’s top 45 graduates should they want to pursue higher education. Lt. Ahmed Al-Kindi, who placed first in his graduating class, thanked his instructors for preparing cadets for assignments that include preventing the spread of COVID-19. “My joy today is…
UNIPATH STAFF The Jordanian government approved a 15-year security agreement with the United States that provides for cooperation on military training, logistics and transportation, The deal, approved in March 2021, grants the U.S. Armed Forces greater access to specific Jordanian military sites for purposes of training, military exercises, logistics support, aircraft refueling, maintenance of military equipment and temporary lodging of troops. During the Jordanian Parliament session in which the agreement was discussed, Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi praised the decades of successful military and security cooperation and partnership between Amman and Washington. As important…
UNIPATH STAFF The threat of digital disinformation was the subject of an Omani conference attended by researchers from 20 countries. The 3rd International Communications Technology Conference, organized by the Sultan Qaboos University’s Department of Mass Communication in March 2021, shed light on the transformations of the digital age and the rapid advancement of information technology. Dr. Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Harasi, Omani minister of information, underscored the importance of education and conventional communication media in protecting youth against conventional mass media campaigns he viewed as a byproduct of the spread of information technology. “The downside of modern communication media is that…
UNIPATH STAFF To promote bilateral military relations, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan signed a memorandum of understanding to exchange military technology in April 2021. The agreement was signed by Maj. Gen. Mubarak Saeed Gafan Al Jabri, assistant undersecretary for support and defense industries in the UAE, and Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Salman Al Nuaimat, assistant chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Planning, Organization and Defense Resources in Jordan. “The signing of the memorandum coincides with the celebration of the centennial foundation of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, during which time it played an…
I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to U.S. Central Command for inviting me to write the opening article for this issue, titled “Preventing a Resurgence of Violent Extremism.” Lebanon’s geopolitical position, an important location on the eastern border of the Mediterranean Sea, serves as a bridge between both sides of the globe. However, although it is considered a source of wealth for Lebanon, geography has been, and still is, subject to various challenges, terrorism included. The Lebanese Armed Forces’ (LAF) stated mission is to “defend the nation, preserve sovereignty and the state’s authority, protect the constitution, preserve…
Story and photos by IRAQI COUNTER-TERRORISM SERVICE The effectiveness of the war against terrorist groups is heavily dependent on careful intelligence work and the tracking of an organization’s high-level leadership. This inherently complex work requires exhaustive, long hours to identify high-level leaders, determine their whereabouts and the nature of their operations, and learn how they communicate with their subordinates to conduct operations. At the most basic level, intelligence officers need to win the hearts of the people because they are the ones who possess key information that leads to terrorist hideouts. In this light, information provided by ordinary citizens to…