UNIPATH STAFF The General Department of Anti-Narcotics in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) thwarted a plot to smuggle 8 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and a kilogram of cannabis into the country in September, one of dozens of such counternarcotics operations throughout 2020. “Reliable information was received from Dubai customs police that two men residing in a neighboring country came to a Dubai port by a dhow to deliver a quantity of drugs to a compatriot residing in the Emirate of Dubai,” Department Director Brig. Gen. Eid Muhammad Thani Hareb said. An undercover agent, who infiltrated the smuggling gang, received the…
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UNIPATH STAFF President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan hosted U.S. Central Command Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie in October 2020 to discuss military cooperation and the peace process in Afghanistan. Of particular concern was Uzbekistan’s desire to help its neighbor integrate economically into the countries of Central Asia. Uzbek investments in Afghanistan include a railroad spur, power transmission lines and a proposed natural gas pipeline. Gen. McKenzie highlighted a U.S. commitment to a strategic partnership with Uzbekistan. McKenzie’s delegation reiterated that point during a visit to the Ministry of Defense in Tashkent. Uzbek Minister of Defense Maj. Gen. Bakhodir Kurbanov exchanged views…
UNIPATH STAFF After 17 years of drilling with U.S. and British forces during regular Steppe Eagle peacekeeping exercises, Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces flew solo in October 2020 by organizing the country’s first comprehensive peacekeeping exercise. More than 1,000 troops took part in drills attended by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. He observed troops performing missions in the field, but also toured classrooms that prepared peacekeepers in engineering, linguistics and medicine. Though intended to prepare troops mostly for service outside Kazakhstan’s borders, such training proved useful during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Soldiers helped enforce quarantines and deliver aid. “Military officers have been on…
LT. COL. QUENTIN MCCART, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT DIVISION, THIRD ARMY/U.S. ARMY CENTRAL Unable to gather in person because of the COVID-19 pandemic, intelligence officers from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States joined forces at a Virtual Land Forces Intelligence Conference in October 2020. The three-hour online conference was hosted by Col. John Chu, head of military intelligence for Third Army/U.S. Army Central (USARCENT), and drew additional participation from Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The COVID outbreak forced the cancellation of the Third Army’s annual Regional Land Forces…
I would like to extend my thanks to our friends at U.S. Central Command for their kind invitation to introduce this edition of the esteemed Unipath magazine, which includes stories about counterterrorism and expanding security in liberated areas. This edition also coincides with the 10th anniversary of Unipath, which has kept pace with events of the region and played a distinguished role in highlighting the impressive victories of our Armed Forces. I would like to extend thanks and praise to members of the Directorate of Media and Moral Guidance within the Iraqi Ministry of Defense. They announced news of victory to…
Afghan National Security Forces require training and financial support from multinational partners AHMAD MURID PARTAW, FORMER AFGHAN SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE TO U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND Building Afghan forces that can provide for their own security has been a priority for the United States during the last two decades of its involvement in Afghanistan. The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) are composed of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan National Police (ANP). They represent the critical pillars for establishing security and stability in the country. When the Army was established in 2001, the goal was to build and develop a force to…
Jordan has Successfully Hosted Some of the Middle East’s Largest Military Exercises for a Decade BRIG. GEN. TAWFIQ AL-MARZOUQ, DIRECTOR OF MILITARY TRAINING, JORDAN ARMED FORCES/ARAB ARMY The Jordan Armed Forces/Arab Army enjoys strategic military relations with many fraternal and friendly states, and foremost among them is the United States, a partner of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in all fields and at various levels. Military exercises, whether bilateral or multilateral, are among the most important products of this partnership. These exercises help strengthen cooperation and coordination among participating states in all military fields. Military alliances between friendly armies are nothing…
Iraqi security forces strive to keep pace with the shifting strategies of Daesh Unipath Staff Iraqi Staff Lt. Gen. Abdulamir al-Shammari was appointed deputy commander of the Joint Operations Command (JOC) in 2020. In that position, he represents Iraqi security forces (ISF) within the international coalition formed to help Iraq defeat Daesh. JOC allows Iraqi and coalition forces to share intelligence, conduct joint operations and coordinate air power, logistics and training. Unipath interviewed him to discuss how ISF is addressing the continued terrorist threat in the country: Unipath: What is Daesh trying to accomplish by increasing attacks in 2020? Lt.…
Lebanese military units have stepped forward to stop the spread of the coronavirus and limit civil unrest LEBANESE ARMED FORCES DIRECTORATE OF ORIENTATION The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) relies on the slogan of “honor, sacrifice, loyalty” when performing its missions: the honor of serving and defending the nation while making endless sacrifices and displaying absolute loyalty. Ever since the LAF was assigned to assist the Lebanese Internal Security Forces in keeping peace and stability in 1991 throughout Lebanese territories, the military became the backbone of national stability and took upon itself the mission of providing protection for state institutions so that…
For 10 years Unipath has Provided a Platform for Military and Security Professionals to Share Information Unipath Staff In 2017, in the final Iraqi lunge to drive Daesh fighters from their strongholds in Mosul, troops received a magazine extolling the courage and resourcefulness of Iraqi forces in their earlier battles against terrorists in places such as Al Anbar and Bayji. U.S. Central Command produced and delivered 10,000 of the magazines to Baghdad, unaware that the coverage of these military heroics would help raise the morale of thousands of Iraqi troops in their final offensive to defeat Daesh. Afterward, the Iraqi Special…