UNIPATH STAFF In the heat of a security crisis — be it a terrorist attack, ship hijacking or chemical explosion — multinational forces must respond smoothly and effectively together. Assembling such highly trained teams requires steadfast preparation of the sort provided by Invincible Sentry 21, the multinational exercise that took place in Qatar from March 21 to 25, 2021. Qatar and its neighbors in the Arabian Gulf face unique security challenges in a maritime environment threatened by violent extremist organizations. Aside from security obligations, such as defending ports, shipping channels and energy installations, Doha is also hosting the FIFA World…
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JAVLON VAKHABOV, UZBEK AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES Thirty years may seem like a brief moment in time, but as Uzbekistan commemorated the 30th anniversary of our independence, I am reminded of the many successes, accomplishments, victories, and even tragedies that our nation has experienced in these years and how far we have come as a young nation with centuries-old historical roots. In three decades, Uzbekistan has gone from being a Soviet monocrop agricultural state to a self-sufficient sovereign country. In these 30 years we significantly liberalized our economy, and Uzbekistan recently joined the list of the top five fastest…
UNIPATH STAFF It was probably inevitable that, at end of a year in which the COVID-19 virus shut down the world, a military exercise would test its training audience in handling a potential epidemic. Such was the case with U.S. Central Command’s Regional Cooperation 21 exercise at Fort Harrison in Montana in June 2021 with troops from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and the United States. While conducting patrols along an insecure national border prone to attacks by insurgent groups, 15 Mongolian troops complained of fever and nausea. Insurgents exploited the crisis to harass peacekeeping forces and plant improvised…
CAPT. SHEIKH MUBARAK ALI AL SABAH, FLOTILLA COMMANDER, KUWAIT COAST GUARD When I assumed command of Combined Task Force 152 (CTF 152) in February 2019, little did I know that my tenure would be among the most momentous in the history of the multinational naval coalition. As a Kuwait Coast Guard officer, I was proud to represent my country in defending the Arabian Gulf from terrorists, criminals and other malign actors. CTF 152 — part of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) based in Bahrain — consists of some of the world’s best naval staff, ships and maritime reconnaissance aircraft. Thorough preparation…
LT. COL. QUENTIN MCCART, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT DIVISION, THIRD ARMY/U.S. ARMY CENTRAL Building on the success of the 2020 Virtual Land Forces Intelligence Conference (VLFIC), United States Army Central (USARCENT) has made the online forum a permanent pillar of its partnership program. The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the first VLFIC in October 2020, but its success encouraged participants to repeat the experiment six months later. Attendees at the March 2021 conference included regional intelligence professionals from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Egypt, France, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States and Yemen. Its theme…
Brig. Gen. RA’AD DOURA, COMMANDER, SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN RAPID INTERVENTION BRIGADE, JORDAN ARMED FORCES-ARAB ARMY Photos: JORDAN ARMED FORCES Some of Jordan’s best trained troops practiced repulsing an armed incursion over the country’s northern border in April 2021. Dubbed Nation Shield, the military exercise engaged the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Rapid Intervention Brigade and the King Abdullah II Special Forces Group in support of Jordan’s Border Guard Forces. Military commanders organized Nation Shield to gauge the readiness and capabilities of participating forces in carrying out joint duties and missions during a national emergency. Those missions…
UNIPATH STAFF In early 2020, as the African sun blazed above the town of Adikivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), 15 Pakistani women collected a distinguished honor. As members of Pakistan’s first female engagement team on a United Nations peacekeeping mission, these military officers appeared in dress uniforms to receive medals for their unique service. They were physicians, nurses, engineers, psychologists, lawyers and teachers: All deployed to the U.N. Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Their special focus was women and children, victims whose needs are too often overlooked with the cessation…
MAJ. GEN. MOHAMMED ZAID MAHMOUD IBRAHIM, YEMENI DEFENSE ATTACHE TO THE UNITED STATES When ancient man began his journey toward building society, he first formed families, then clans, then tribes. It was clear that an individual needed to exist within a body of people that would provide him with protection from inherent dangers and power imbalances should he try to engage the world by himself. The strength of the clan is paramount when its members, individually or collectively, are exposed to imminent danger and try to gain membership to a group in which they find safety and comfort. Yet these…
PROFESSOR ASAAD KAZEM SHABIB, FACULTY OF POLITICAL SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF KUFA, IRAQ The theological and doctrinal literature traditionally used by radical Islamist organizations has been a primary cause for the rise of extremism. These organizations’ understanding of theological and doctrinal statements, stripped of context in texts written by preachers and jurists to address specific cases, has given birth to a literalist text-based mentality that interprets political, social, cultural and religious complexities on the basis of these statements. Therefore, these texts have had, and continue to have, a direct impact on the rise of extremism. To understand how this brand of…
UNIPATH STAFF His striking calmness during the heat of battle reveals leadership skills and self-confidence prized among field commanders. His humility and ethics have made him a highly respected figure among Soldiers and commanders. He frequently visits the front lines and personally follows up the requests of Soldiers. He is Staff Gen. Abdul Amir Rasheed Yarallah, Iraqi Army chief of staff. During the liberation battles against Daesh terrorist gangs, Army commanders encountered difficult times. But Gen. Yarallah exhibited nerves of steel and military acumen in managing battles. As he walked around the command-and-control center at the Joint Operations Command, his…