UNIPATH STAFF A coalition of multinational naval forces and shipping companies gathered in Bahrain in April 2019 to reaffirm their shared interest in countering piracy and promoting maritime security in some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Bahrain-based Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) co-chaired the SHADE conference with the European Union Naval Force (NAVFOR) Somalia-Operation Atalanta. Among the more than 100 delegates at the conference were representatives of Oman and India, which deploy naval forces independently of CMF and NAVFOR, and the Maritime Trade Industry. In his opening address, U.S. Navy Vice Adm. James Malloy, the CMF commander, thanked the audience…
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UNIPATH STAFF Lebanon’s military leadership has worked diligently to develop a long-term plan for the improvement of military performance, recruitment and armament to meet major security challenges. Lebanon’s region has experienced nonconventional and asymmetrical warfare. To fulfill its obligations under United Nations Security Council resolutions, the government of Lebanon continues to combat terrorism and maintain national security, but this sometimes clashes with the need for improvements in the military. The Lebanese Military Improvement Plan is expected to coordinate efforts with friendly countries willing to contribute support to the Lebanese Armed Forces. The international aid received by the Lebanese military is…
UNIPATH STAFF The Pakistan Navy assumed control of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 in April 2019, dispatching a warship to several Arabian Gulf ports as a sign of its commitment to international security. Pakistan Navy Ship Shamsheer made ports of calls in Bahrain and Oman as part of its deployment to the Northern Arabian Sea and the Arabian Gulf. Pakistan contributes naval forces to CTF 150 and Regional Maritime Security Patrols, which complement each other in protecting international shipping from criminals and terrorists. Shamsheer first called at Port Mina Salman in Bahrain, where its senior officers attended a change of…
UNIPATH STAFF Thirteen would-be terrorists were arrested after a heavily armed attack on a Saudi Interior Ministry building north of Riyadh in April 2019. Four terrorists affiliated with Daesh attacked the government building in Zulfi wearing explosive belts armed with grenades and shrapnel-like screws. The attackers were killed, and three police officers were wounded. An investigation discovered that a home rented by one of the attackers contained five explosive belts, 64 locally manufactured hand grenades, two Kalashnikovs, six guns, four bags of organic fertilizer, detonators and pipe bombs, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The Presidency of State Security said it…
UNIPATH STAFF A Qatari force arrived at King Abdulaziz Air Base in Saudi Arabia in February 2019 to participate in the 10th Peninsula Shield joint military exercise, suggesting the beginnings of a thaw in relations between the two countries. Peninsula Shield, the Middle East’s largest defensive exercise in terms of the number of countries and amount of weaponry involved, is designed to showcase the militaries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The commander of the Qatari force, Brig. Gen. Khamis Mohammed Dablan, said that the exercise strengthens cooperation among GCC countries and improves military interoperability. Peninsula Shield ran from…
SGT. JORDAN TRENT, U.S. ARMY In conflicts that the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) has with the Taliban and ISIS-Khurasan (ISIS-K), the ability to conduct battle from the air can decisively change the situation on the ground. The dynamic security environment of Afghanistan requires a strong security force that can prevent enemies from seizing ground and threatening the country’s stability. To do this, ANDSF has to keep pace with the techniques of modern warfare without relying on foreign assistance. Chief Warrant Officer 2 William Knox of the U.S. Army National Guard, lead advisor for aviation to the 201st…
UNIPATH STAFF Two brigades of the elite Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) commanded by Lt. Gen. Abdul Wahhab al-Saadi conducted operations to flush Daesh remnants out of the Hamrin Mountains in the governorates of Diyala and Salah al-Din in April 2019. Local officials in Diyala governorate expressed concerns that Daesh was regrouping in that difficult-to-reach and rugged terrain and threatened security in the governorate. Before its forces were defeated Daesh outfitted caves and tunnels in the mountains to launch attacks from that relatively safe haven. In conjunction with the Air Force of the international coalition and Iraqi Army Aviation, the CTS…
UNIPATH STAFF The United Arab Emirates certified its first 15 female firefighters, who received congratulations from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces. Sheikh Mohammed called the firefighters, who graduated from an all-female firefighter course in Sharjah, “true partners” in the development of the nation. “The UAE, under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, set women’s empowerment on top of the country’s national priorities,” he said. The women received six months of basic training and another three months of vocational training…
UNIPATH STAFF To minimize the threat of violent extremism, Tajik authorities received training on how to thwart terror financing and increase police effectiveness. The events, held in Dushanbe with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), are part of Tajikistan’s implementation of the National Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent Violent Extremism until 2020. In February 2019, Tajik counterterrorism officials learned tools and methods to reduce terror financing. Attendees included representatives of Tajikistan’s Prosecutor General’s Office, Department of Financial Monitoring of Tajikistan’s National Bank, Ministry of Interior, and the…
UNIPATH STAFF The Bahrain Defense Force tested its combat readiness with a simulated assault on enemy positions using land, air and sea units. The five-phase exercise Iron Bridge, conducted in April 2019, was commanded by Maj. Gen. Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, who noted that rapidly developing events in the region require military teams capable of accomplishing missions. The training focused on tactics and logistics and involved coordination between squads, platoons and ultimately larger units comprising all three military branches. The first phase began with assembling a task force and transporting it from South Island to the hypothetical “Zarqa…