Lt. Col. Hamed bin Ibrahim Al-Bouromi Trains Oman’s WMD Prevention Branch Story and photos by UNIPATH STAFF In times of asymmetric warfare, elite units become preoccupied with protecting their countries from the lethal threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). In such a context, states have begun to develop their preventive capabilities in preparation for all eventualities. Unipath met with Lt. Col. Hamed bin Ibrahim Al-Bouromi, Oman’s 1st staff officer for WMD prevention, during a recent exercise with experts from U.S. Central Command: Unipath: What is your impression of this joint exercise between Oman’s Armed Forces and its American partners?…
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UNIPATH STAFF The Kuwait Aviation Show drew 60,000 visitors to gawk at demonstrations by Kuwaiti, Saudi, Emirati, Qatari and U.S. military pilots in the January 2020 skies above Kuwait City. It was the second time Kuwait had held the air show, and organizers attracted 200 aerospace companies and 70 commercial and military aircraft from 37 countries. “This important event creates an opportunity for officials and experts in the field of civil and military aviation to get together and discuss ways to advance the aviation industry and to be acquainted with the latest developments in this sector,” said lead organizer Sheikh…
UNIPATH STAFF A delegation from Tajikistan led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sirodjidin Mukhriddin visited Brussels in December 2019 to discuss cooperation with the European Union on topics such as border security, trade, and combating terrorism and extremism. The EU delegation commended Tajikistan’s reforms and efforts to strengthen the rule of law and build a durable democratic society. “We shared our thoughts on regional security and on the need to strengthen the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border, taking into account the situation in Afghanistan,” Foreign Minister Mukhriddin said. Both parties expressed support for continued cooperation within the EU-funded Border Management Programme in Central…
UNIPATH STAFF Oman reiterated its commitment to open sea lanes, counterterrorism and fighting piracy by conducting a series of maritime drills with U.S., British and French partners. The Gulf of Oman was the setting for the Sharp Dagger, or Khanjar Hadd, exercise in February 2020. Patrol boats from the Royal Navy of Oman — Al Dhafirah, Al Muazzar and Al Bat’nah — combined forces with three British Royal Navy mine hunting ships, a French destroyer, and several U.S. Navy and Coast Guard patrol boats. Accompanied by a group of foreign ambassadors, Rear Adm. Abdullah bin Khamis al-Raisi, commander of Oman’s…
UNIPATH STAFF Protecting children from radical online indoctrination was a major topic at the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in February 2020. More than 1,200 participants from government, academia, the media, the security sector and technology firms discussed how to make cyberspace more resilient to online threats. Attendees emphasized that growing technological progress and the global interconnectedness through cyberspace provide opportunities for economic and social growth, though these opportunities are accompanied by a significant increase in risk for individuals and organizations. The GCF promoted training to meet the demands of the technology-based global economy, raised awareness of the…
In between their successes in the field, Lebanese troops are deployed to help citizens in times of need. The Lebanese military’s Directorate of Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC), commanded by Brig. Gen. Eli Abi Rashid, is responsible for supplying troops for such missions of mercy in coordination with civilian state agencies and private donors. Recent events include providing free health care at hospitals and schools in the Baalbek governorate; distributing aid packages of toys, clothes and food to families in Tripoli; and disbursing 7,500 items of winter clothing to families in the Bekaa and Baalbek governorates. At the hospital visit in…
SALTANAT BERDIKEEVA Facing pollution from Soviet-era mining of radioactive metals, Kyrgyzstan has passed a law banning the production of uranium and thorium in the country. The law, signed by Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov in December 2019, aims to protect public health and the environment from toxic radioactive waste, known as tailings, contained in 92 dumps throughout the country. The law also bans imports of raw materials that contain uranium or thorium. Addressing the safety of existing uranium tailings in Kyrgyzstan — one of its most dire safety and national security problems dating back to the Soviet era — the European…
UNIPATH STAFF In what could be a boon to energy-hungry Central and South Asia, Turkmenistan intends to start construction in 2020 on the Afghanistan part of a vital 1,800-kilometer natural gas pipeline. The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline, known as TAPI, would deliver 33 billion cubic meters of Turkmen natural gas to its neighbors to the southeast. Construction of the 800-kilometer Afghan stretch of the pipeline, through Herat and Kandahar, has faced delays, but the Afghan government seeks to conclude land acquisition agreements with Turkmenistan in the first half of 2020. TAPI is part of a larger strategy to diversify and secure the…
Combing 26,000 square kilometers in Anbar governorate and adjacent regions, the Iraqi Joint Operations Command launched Operation Iraqi Heroes in February 2020 to purge Iraq’s border with Syria and Jordan of Daesh holdouts. By the end of February 2020, units from the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) also conducted an operation that led to the neutralization of Daesh militants and the capture of terrorist leaders in the governorate of Kirkuk. Other fugitive Daesh fighters were killed in battles in Diyala, Ninewa and Salah al-Din governorates. The first phase of Operation Iraqi Heroes engaged not just the CTS but also regular…
Two Pakistan Navy ships, the Moawin and Aslat, visited Ghana, Kenya, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, the Seychelles, South Africa and Tanzania as part of the Pakistani military’s overseas deployments to the African region. In addition to bilateral discussions among naval commanders in the various ports of call in late 2019 and early 2020, Pakistani naval doctors and paramedics established medical camps in most of the countries to treat 10,000 African patients. These goodwill gestures also included transporting more serious medical cases to sick bays on the Moawin. In the Seychelles, Pakistani naval officers visited an orphanage run by the Roman…