UNIPATH STAFF Militaries and security forces have an obvious stake in depriving terrorists of the financial means to conduct operations. Terrorists rely on money, both hard cash and virtual currencies, to carry out their destructive activities. Money permits terrorist leaders to buy and smuggle weapons, conduct global media operations, travel to conflict zones, and ensnare recruits with promises of financial reward. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a global watchdog dedicated to preventing illegal money transfers, dedicates much of its work to countering terrorist financing. FATF promotes internationally recognized standards by which nations can suppress the financiers who sponsor terror. FATF…
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UNIPATH STAFF Oman has launched Al Sumood Radio, making it the second country in the Middle East to air broadcasts tailored to the needs of military service members. “In the name of Allah and with His blessing, we open radio station Al Sumood for the Sultan’s Armed Forces, and Allah is the grantor of success,” His Highness Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq Al Said, deputy prime minister for defense affairs, said in inaugurating Al Sumood in January 2021. Oman followed the lead of the Jordan Armed Forces, which opened the military radio station Hala FM in 2010. Radio Hala has built…
SALTANAT BERDIKEEVA In December 2020, Uzbekistan repatriated 98 of its citizens from Syria, including 73 children. This was the third round of repatriations of Uzbek citizens from foreign war zones in recent years. Local authorities provided medical and psychological assistance to integrate what they considered to be severely traumatized citizens back into the society. The Uzbek government also planned to provide them with housing, jobs, social benefits and schooling for the children. The Uzbek government’s generosity in providing comprehensive assistance to returnees is a deradicalization tool meant to impede the growth of extremism in the country. Since 2017, Uzbekistan has…
Saudi, U.S. and British warships steamed into the Arabian Gulf for more than a week of maritime security drills called Nautical Defender 21. The January 20-29, 2021, exercise allowed naval forces to practice harbor defense, countering unmanned aerial systems, shipboard gunnery, escort of civilian vessels, diving and mine sweeping. Royal Saudi Naval Forces joined participants from U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) and the United Kingdom Maritime Component Command. Nautical Defender was the culmination of a series of multinational naval exercises designed to increase maritime cooperation, protect critical shipping lanes and enhance military-to-military interoperability among ships of different nationalities. “This…
COL. RASHID MOHAMMAD AL HAMOUDI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES SENIOR NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE TO U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND Photos by UAE Armed Forces Rear Adm. Pilot Sheikh Saeed bin Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan is among the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) military heroes. Since taking over the helm of the Navy, he has developed the service with the support of the political leadership to ensure combat readiness, professional standards of training and technologically advanced armaments. Rear Adm. Saeed joined the UAE Armed Forces in 1989 and underwent basic training as a midshipman at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, United Kingdom. After…
UNIPATH STAFF To boost security in the Arabian Gulf, the Bahrain Defense Force conducted three days of military drills with U.S Naval Forces Central Command in January 2021. The Fire Fist exercise included joint combat training encompassing land, sea and air. The tactical displays were designed to deter malign actors in the region, whether they were state or nonstate supported. “The Fire Fist exercise came within the framework of exchanging experiences and raising the competence of the participants,” a Bahrain Defense Force spokesperson said. A week after the conclusion of Fire Fist, the U.S. reaffirmed its security relationship with…
Kyrgyzstan has announced plans to replace all passports in the country with new biometric versions in 2021, a move that promises to improve regional security. Kyrgyzstan has faced problems with criminals counterfeiting its passports to travel within the Central Asian region and beyond. According to the Kyrgyz parliament, criminal groups in Russia have turned the sale of fake Kyrgyz passports into a profitable business. In addition to the standard photographs and owners’ names, biometric passports contain special microcircuits holding relevant identification data that includes fingerprints. The new biometric passports will contain 30 security features, making them more difficult to forge.…
UNIPATH STAFF As the government of Uzbekistan adds manpower and equipment at border crossings and airports to improve regional security, it is also reaching agreements with neighboring Tajikistan and Kazakhstan to reduce tensions on their shared borders. Uzbekistan issued a decree in January 2021 that creates civilian border guard detachments to boost the strength of the country’s official border guard troops. The volunteer units will consist of Uzbek citizens ages 18 to 60 who serve on the border a maximum of 30 days a year conducting surveillance and patrols. Uzbekistan is also upgrading scanning equipment to smooth the passage of…
UNIPATH STAFF The United Arab Emirates (UAE) celebrated the 45th anniversary of merging its Air Force with Air Defense Forces with a ceremony in January 2021. Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al-Alawi, commander of the Air Force and Air Defense, praised the country’s leadership for its long-term commitment to improving air power in defense of the UAE’s interests. “The Air Force and Air Defense were able during the past years, given the planning that was developed on solid scientific foundations, to employ cutting edge technology in terms of equipment, weapons and training, modernizing the air force and rendering it…
UNIPATH STAFF In defiance of the international community, which has called upon warring parties to end the conflict in Yemen, the Iranian-backed Houthi militia launched attacks on Yemeni military installations in the Ma’rib and Al Jawf governorates in February 2021. Government forces repulsed Houthi units that temporarily occupied three Yemeni military installations and thwarted a Houthi infiltration attempt through Al Kadra village, east of Sirwah district, killing several militants and capturing eight. Three civilians were killed, and three others wounded by a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis in Ma’rib, the Yemeni Ministry of Defense said. The Saudi-led Coalition to…