Children of terrorist fighters trapped in refugee camps provide fertile ground for terrorist recruitment SAUDI MAJ. GEN. ABDULLAH GHANEM AL-QAHTANI ISLAMIC MILITARY COUNTER TERRORISM COALITION Photos by Reuters Islam and Muslims are maligned and wrongfully accused of all manifestations of terrorism. The bitter reality is that some followers of Islam fall victim to terrorism, extremism, militancy, enmity and racism stemming from cross-border sectarian policies that instrumentalize religion to realize political goals. Such conflict is the inevitable corollary of terrorist organizations threatening the lives of Arabs, Muslims and others around the globe. The whole world is in a state of relentless…
Unipath
Naval task forces would benefit from deeper participation by Middle Eastern partners LT. MITCHELL VINES, ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY | Photos by Combined Maritime forces A combined task force involving multiple nationalities provides value to operating successfully in a large maritime area. Each participating nation contributes an array of skills, experience and knowledge, and each rotation assists in moving closer to the desired end state. Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) operates using Combined Task Forces (CTF) 150, 151 and 152. CTF 150’s focus is counterterrorism largely through counternarcotics operations in a maritime area of operation totaling 3.2 million square kilometers. CTF 150…
Guerrilla-style terrorist attacks on soft targets suit the organization’s depleted numbers and resources ISSAM ABBAS Ameen, SECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE DIRECTORATE of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense Careful monitoring of Daesh’s media operation will improve our understanding of this enemy that has been driven by bloodshed since its inception. Daesh uses cyberspace to promote its ideology, recruit, finance, wage psychological warfare and to document, archive and record its actions. The Daesh media archive has acted as both an asset and live ammunition for its followers for as long as it has been accessible by the simple push of a button. In…
Peace and stability in Central and South Asia depend on resolving the conflict in Afghanistan ALI JALALI, DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, NEAR EAST SOUTH ASIA CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES Afghan perceptions of the Central and South Asia region are infused with a great deal of hope, uncertainty and suspicion. Afghanistan’s future depends on positive and constructive interaction with its neighbors, other regional players, and the great powers whose direct and indirect engagement in Afghanistan has shaped its current situation. However, the multiplicity of regional players, some with competing demands, continues to complicate the issues of peace and conflict in…
I am pleased to accept the kind invitation from Unipath magazine, published by United States Central Command and specializing in security and military matters, to write this issue’s editorial. The topic I wanted to discuss is the role of the Jordanian government, in partnership with the Armed Forces, in responding to the coronavirus pandemic and the need for cooperation among brotherly and allied armies to confront this pandemic and establish local and regional security and stability. From day one of the spread of coronavirus in the Chinese region of Wuhan, the Jordan Armed Forces, in partnership with the government and official…
In a mission that united the efforts of Afghanistan’s national intelligence service and military forces, Afghan troops tracked down and killed one of al-Qaida’s top commanders. The death of Husam Abd al-Rauf, also known as Abu Muhsen al-Masri, illustrates the growing ability of Afghanistan’s legitimately elected government to defend its territory from the depredations of terrorists. The Egyptian-born al-Rauf met his end in Ghazni province at the hands of Afghan special operations forces on October 24, 2020, and Afghan leaders suggested it wouldn’t be the last such operation. “Terrorist groups, especially al-Qaida and Daesh, should realize after the killing of…
Countries confront opponents who avoid direct engagements in favor of indirect attacks UNIPATH STAFF Ukraine was embroiled in a dispute with Russia in 2016 over possession of territory near the Black Sea when the lights went out for hundreds of thousands of electricity customers. Russia’s public denial that it had tampered with the Ukrainian power grid proved hollow. The United States attributed the cascading cyber attacks to Russian-sponsored actors. Such aggression is one instrument in the toolkit of hybrid warfare. Although definitions vary, hybrid warfare includes the use of propaganda, economic disruption and proxy forces to supplement conventional fighting. Some…
Lt. Gen. Mohammad Farid Ahmadi innovates and inspires as head of the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command UNIPATH STAFF The terrorist group ISIS-Khorasan has nearly been eradicated in Afghanistan, its leader ignominiously killed hiding in a mosque, his lieutenants surrendering to Afghan forces. Eighteen Taliban prisons were raided and 500 Afghan prisoners released. Taliban fighters no longer gather in large numbers for fear of becoming targets. For much of the year their leaders skulk in safe havens beyond Afghanistan’s borders lest they be killed. Much of that success is a tribute to the fighting talents of the Afghan National…
The defeat of Daesh in Iraq provides tactical knowledge applicable to future conflicts UNIPATH STAFF | Photos by Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service Daesh’s invasion of large areas of Iraq was accompanied by a media campaign on social networking pages and satellite TV that managed to confuse public opinion and sow fear and anxiety in the hearts of the public. Among the many tales of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service’s (CTS’) bravery, the story of the Mosul Battalion stands out. This elite CTS unit fought valiantly at Camp Ghazlani and performed a full withdrawal from Mosul upon receiving orders to protect…
Omani and U.S. Troops Train to Defend Against Chemical, Biological and Radiological Weapons Threats UNIPATH STAFF | photos by Sultan’s armed forces At 11 a.m., residents of the area bordering Oman’s Muscat Industrial District heard a loud explosion. In minutes, emergency sirens filled the air, signaling a heavy deployment of the Sultan’s Armed Forces (SAF) and Public Authority of Civil Defense and Ambulance (PACDA). Armored vehicles, police cars and crime scene tape cordoned off bystanders from the scene of the explosion. The drill concluded a chemical, biological and radiological weapons prevention exercise organized in Oman by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).…